Hi there, I'm hoping someone can help.

I bought a 96 Volvo 850 in Oct and now the rear brakes are meaking a terrible noise.
I've changed the front pads on my 02 Mitsubishi Spyder GT, and on my grandparents Buick, and on diff cars over the years for friends. I've never had to do anything to the rear brakes of any car. I can't afford to have them done as I'm actually in the process of moving 1300 miles away. So every penny matters right now. My question is, is this repair just as changing the front pads..which is what I was advised at Pep Boys (No I didn't buy the pads from them I went to Volvo for the pads) I'd say front brakes are second nature for me...I've done them countless times I'm not skilled enough to do any major repairs, but don't want to get the car apart and end up having it towed if it turns out to be completly out of my relm. ALSO, what tools are required?? sizes?? english, metric... Don't know anything bout Volvo (other then it's one of the best and safest cars on the road!!!)
Any help would be GREAT!!

 

Since these cars have four wheel disc brakes the rears are very similar to the fronts. Matter of fact I think they are easier. If you have the half shims on, make sure you put them back. Some of these 850's have a vibration problem with the rear brakes and the half shims solve the problem. The bolt holding the caliper on is kind of tough to get to and you might want to spray it down with some pb blaster. I broke one trying to losen it once, and getting that out after braking it was the toughest part.

 

ya know, i replaced the rear pads in my 96 850. not sure if i did it right cause the caliper looks like it started to leak brake fluid as i tried to take it apart. then i noticed the pins that can be pushed out if you have a punch tool. got those two pins taken out, which face you if you are under the rear bumper. the retaining clips fell to the floor, so make sure you recover them. the old pad pulled right out with needle nose pliers. I had a tough time pushing the replacements in place, not sure how you would push the pistons in, other than undo the lid to the reservoir, but the car was already on the lift at work.

so, i carefully tapped them back into place(no shims so they still squeak), done in 15 minutes!!!

 

When I replaced mine I used the business end of a pair of pliers, stuck it in the caliper opening and opened it and it forced the caliper back in. They went in quite easily that way.

 

you mean the piston. yes, i tried that but it would simply ease back out of the caliper and into the pad's way...

 

I bought a tool that pushes it back in at Sears. Cost about $12 if I remember correctly.

 

many years ago when I replaced the rear pads i too made the mistake of taking apart the caliper and having brake fluid leak out. I ended up bleeding out the whole system because of this. this what happens when you rush and dont pay attention.

 

Yes the rears are as easy as the fronts. However, make sure that you:

- Use OEM brands' pads (& rotors) only. There seem to be afew OEM brands for the 850. I myself used Roulands Dan Block.
- Replace caliper bolts if they show sign of rust/abuse.
- Replace the pads retaining springs & pins, if they show sign of rust/wear.
-Apply either silicone-based or molybdenum-based grease on both sides of the shims.
- Sand off rust/dirt where applicable & clean with a can of brake cleaner.

To push the piston back in, I would use the old pads and push them with a C-clamp or Vise-grip. Sometimes they can be pushed in beyond flush with the caliper but be careful not to apply too much pressure, as this can cause damage. If done right, there should be no fluid and if you saw fluid, it may have leaked past the piston seal.


JPN

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Damn.

I got to the party a bit late on this one, but as others have said, if you take your time and have done disc brakes before, the job should not be a problem for you. JPN and Jim KW know what they are talking about

 

Thanks Glenn, see you at the next party.


Kanji/JPN

 

I did my rears a few months ago. Prior to that, the only mechanical thing I had ever done to my car was change spark plugs, and I even messed that up and cross threaded one, which ended up causing the cylinder to not fire and I had to take it to a garage to fix.

Needless to say, I was a bit worried diving in. All I had was the Haynes manual to go by.

But, it went fairly smoothly, no broken bolts or anything. If I were you I would buy a hardware package that has the retaining pins included in it. It's something like $6. Incredibly cheap. The thing about it is when you put the pins in they have a plastic end cap that crushes and holds them in place. If you reuse the old pins, that plastic end cap (at least in my case) completely fell apart after tapping them out. So I was glad I had spent the $6. I used OEM pads ($35), full sized shims ($4), and "Brake Pad High Temperature Silicone" ($8) all bought from FCP Groton and not once has their been a squeal.

I used channel lock pliers to push the pads/pistons back into place, although I was able to do it by just using my fingers on one set.

The only tool you need is a punch or file to get the pins out, and a jack/jackstand/lug nut wrench.