Changing rear Brakes on a peugeot

Hi Jeff...

I'm afraid this isn't exactly a solution/fix... but I am literally a day or two away from doing this job myself and more importantly though, I've been able to remove the pins you're referring to... so I hope my experiences can help you here.

Btw, my peugeot 406 estate is the V6 version - first edition (I.e. I think '96ish to '99), with rear discs.

Right, the pins I think you're talking about are the biggish ones, which run cross-ways, through the pads & caliper housing. They should come out freely, although each is held in place with a spring-clip. To also confirm we're talking about the same thing, these biggish pins hold the anti-rattle cage in place, which you should be able to see, with the wheel off, looking at the caliper from the side (you should be able to see the sides/edges of the pads too). They are NOT the big bolts that secure the caliper in place.

Anyhow, I used a pair of long nosed pliers to remove the spring clips, then I used the pliers to give the big pin a quick twist (to check it would rotate/move freely, as compared to being rusted in). I then used one half of the pliers to poke the pin backwards. The hole that you push the pin through should be facing you, as you face the car/wheel/brake disc.

Hopefully you will find that by shoving something into this hole, the pin will move away from you, inwards, towards the car... then just move it along until it comes out the back of the caliper housing. BE CAREFUL that the anti-rattle cage doesn't spring off unexpectedly + MAKE SURE you note which way round it goes.

The job itself, I think, won't be hard (otherwise I wouldn't be doing it). However, I did invest in a Haynes manual, which is very good and covers this in detail.

Please note that I've only tried to explain how these pins get removed, not the whole process. I personally found that the big bolts which secure the caliper in place are the pigs to deal with. The nearside wasn't too bad but the offside, cos of the direction you have to turn the bolts through, was awful... and I nearly gave up cos I just COULDN'T get the lower bolt to budge (I did in the end but i was honestly at that one bolt for an hour).

Finally, in case the pad retaining pins are rusted-in, all I can suggest is VERY CAREFUL use of WD40/penetrating oil + trying to rotate the pin (as I mentioned earlier) + something like a nail (suitably thick), which can fit into the hole that the pin resides in and then tap the nail with a hammer, so that the pin gets knocked backwards.

Hope this helps a bit.



Cheers,

Gary

Please read the bit I just put on the Changing brakes on a Peugeot on the tread before this one.
Typical french idiots have never heard of stainless steel to make pins!

Hi

Just doing the same thing on a '97 v6 and if the pads have been in there a while, I bought mine 2nd hand and they certainly have, the retaining pins can be a pig to get out.

1st thing is they should just knock out or, in a perfect world, be able to be twisted out with a pair of pliers after you have taken off the spring clips with a pair of pliers. I have read the previous reply and don't know why you would want to remove the caliper. Unless you have a burning need leave it alone.

2nd thing is that if the pins are old they may have seized in.

If so you will need, ideally, a pin punch, you can buy one from Halfords or you could use a decent nail, best with the point ground off, and a hammer to knock the pin out.

The top pin came out of mine without too much problem but the bottom one just wouldn't shift.

I've changed loads of pads in my life including many on old rusted Land and Range Rovers and NEVER had this happen before.

I just couldn't hit the punch hard enough without it slipping off the pin onto the caliper :-(

In the end I, VERY CAREFULLY, drilled into the end of the retaining pin between 1/4" and 1/2", or a centimeter, so I could put the punch, or nail in and it wouldn't slip and after a few good knocks it came out.

Worth saying that I had put brake cleaning fluid around the thick, inside, end of the pin to try and ease it but it still needed a few good hard knocks!

You could use meths but be careful with petrol or WD40 to avoid contact with the disc as you will have to clean it off and don't use if you are even thinking of taking the pads out to check and possibly putting them back.

It's not rocket science just hard work.

You should then be able to ease out the pads with some pliers, at the risk of stating the obvious the handbrake should be off!, ease back the pistons and put the new pads in.

Lastly the problem I have is that most replacement pad sets do not come with replacement pins.

Mine were so corroded I needed new ones so finding them is today's job.

If you have changed your pads by the time you receive this and have replaced the retaining pins please let me know where you got them.

Did you have to buy them at an extortionate price from your Peugeot dealer?

Hope this helps

Graeme