My car still had the original 4yr-old discs and pads on the rear. They had worn down and since my car needed an MOT it was time to replace them. Having already upgraded the fronts with large discs from Godspeed, I decided to fit some matching rears discs.

I did consider fitting up-rated rear pads, but since I don't do any serious trackdays I didn't see much point and Ian Godney's (Godspeed) advice was to save my money and just use OEM-quality Kevlar pads.

Installation

Loosen the wheel nuts, then jack the car up and sit it on some axle stands. I use a trolley jack and the centre diff (using some 1/2-thick wood to protect it) to raise the back of the car.

Put some wheel blocks at the front wheels and release the car's handbrake.


Now remove the wheels.


Once the wheels are off, remove the two caliper bolts using a 14mm socket wrench, gently pull the caliper away from the disc and remove the old pads.


Remove the rubber bung behind the wheel hub and use a flat-bladed screwdriver to adjust the handbrake brake shoes. Inside the hole is a metal sprocket. Move the pins downwards to release the brake shoes. This will help the disc slide off easier.

See the guide opposite for exact instructions.


Hang the caliper out of the way. I used a bungee cord and attached it to the rear suspension spring. With the handbrake released, the disc should pull free. If it's stuck on, use the two threaded holes on the disc to screw in some M8x50mm bolts which should push the disc away from the wheel hub.


With the disc removed, use some brake cleaner to clean the handbrake mechanism and brake shoes. Apply some copper grease to the wheel hub surface.


When fitting the new disc, adjust the handbrake shoes using the sprocket adjuster. Adjust the shoes so they are touching the inside of the disc drum. Then from the rear loosen the sprocket 3-4 turns for sufficient clearance. See the guide above for exact details.


I took the opportunity to give the dust cover a fresh lick of paint. I used some black matt finish Hammerite smooth paint that I had leftover from painting my front calipers.


Now fit the new disc.


Insert the new disc pads into the caliper. With the Kevlar pads supplied from Godspeed I had to file down the lugs at the ends of the pads since they were slightly too wide. I also used a wooden stick to push the pads apart (pushing the piston back into the caliper) to ensure a sufficient gap to fit over the new discs. Now re-attach the caliper.


Check the handbrake functions correctly, then take the car for a drive and test the brakes.