I actually just encountered this problem while doing complete brake swap job on all four wheels, yesterday. Although mine only uses a single triple-heads bolt per caliper bracket, it is the same basic design as what you show. Can't wait to find this bit attachment now, and finish this job up for good. Thanks for expending the effort on this video tutorial!
I changed mine the other day and and couldnt find the 14mm 12 point torx anywhere and ended up find the craziest solution. The square head of a 3/8 ratchet fit perfect in the torx bolt. I was blown away and the they literally came off in 15 seconds. I would highly recommend trying it
Dennis, you saved me lots of hassle, thank you. I had to spray some PB blaster to the base of those bolts but they did come off using the 3/8! And to those that insist you don’t need to remove the bracket to get the rotor off, for a 2013 Sportwagen, it’s mandatory. Trust me, I tried !
@@m.m.3693 I believe the problem is attributed to the different trim levels, ie: s, se, sel and so on. My 2011 sel has 288m front and 272m rear; others have 253m on the rear and those will come out w/out removing the caliper bracket.
Thanks for the detailed instructions. I was wondering how I would fit a triple square 14mm + 1/2-3/8 ratchet adapter + wrench head to remove the lower bolt. Thanks to the others who mentionned the rotor could be removed without taking the bracket off! You just made my day!
My dear friend youtuber, From Quebec City, I want to say to you a tremendous Thank you. With your tutorial I succeded in changing my rotors and break pads. Thank for having taken The Time to record it !
Thank you, good man! I gave up 6 years ago and took it in. This time I will try again. Anything beats paying high auto repair bills if you can help it!🎉
Great video. Clear and concise, great visual as well. May I suggest jack stands for your next vehicle repair. The wheel trick is good,though not as safe. Thank you for taking the time to create this video.
You are right. This video is old. At that time I didn't have them but now I have two sets of jack stands and two good quality hydraulic jacks. Thanks for noticing that it has good visuals, it is due to professional grade video equipment with a really good prime lens, and of course added lights.
Thank you for this video. Im going to do mine tomorrow. I know how to replace the pads but I've never tried rotors before. This made it look very simple. I'm glad you showed what kind of bit I needed or I would've gotten quite frustrated ha. Also, I'm sure u saved me a bunch of money instead of taking to get worked on. Thanks again. Nice color jetta by the way ha
Zeeshan Zakaria question....i went to buy some rear pads and they pulled up 2 kinds on the computer: Bosch and TRW. Do you remember which ones you got? Thanks again
On some models and trim packages, that hole you used to access the 14m bolt now has a cam that's used to align the rear end. Be sure to mark it's position before removing it and watch for any signs of wear on the rear tire inner tread after replacement. Also, those 14m bolts are stretch bolts and should be replaced. You first apply a torq (I think 70ftlbs) plus an additional 90deg. That can be a bit unnerving applying that 90deg considering the location and the awkward position one has to contort their body.
I saw another video where the guy removed his rotor without removing the brake caliper carrier. I tried for 3 hours today trying to remove those triple2 spline sockets and they wouldn’t budge. That hole at 2:44 for the lower bolt was covered with some reinforcement bracket vw decided to add after a recall in 2014.
That hole is for a cam that helps align the rear end. Mark that cams position before removing. Also those 14m bolts are stretch bolts and need to be replaced; they require a torq value plus I believe a additional 90deg.
Did rear rotor on 2012 Jetta SE. Tried hard to get the caliper bracket nuts out, but couldn’t. Based on the comments tried to get the rotor out without removing the bracket nuts and voila! Thanks for the great video and comments
Zeeshan, Great music. great idea about the C clamp rotation ! The triple head bolts are actually known as TORX. You also needed to use a Torque wrench on the bolts( especially on brakes). it would also help to let viewers know the torx fitting size on the rotor retention bolt and torque amount. Please also check the torque needed for your lug nuts. Besides this I'm impressed that you did the job and took the time to take it apart again. Please remember to pump the brakes up to the normal feel and check the brakes after 5/10 miles.
Thanks for your nice comment. I am glad you liked this video. I'll add in the description what you mentioned about TORX. But where to find information about torque? It was very hard to find any information about these nuts when I did it. And yes, I had to take it apart again so I could make this video. But it was years ago. I don't have this car any longer. But it was one of the best cars I ever owned.
@@ZeeshanZakaria these torq values an be hard to come by, but I found some info from some of the digital workshop manuels, Chilton repair books, and eventually invested in downloading Erwin manuals which are very thorough and reasonable for the amount of information you get.
You are welcome. It was hard to find the exact size when I was looking for it, and I don't remember where I found it. But the size I used in this video was correct for my brakes.
Great video! Have a couple questions for you: -how many miles did you Jetta have when you did the brakes? -Did you notice the rear brakes wearing faster than the front? I just returned from a business trip this week and haven't driven my 2011 TDI Jetta for several weeks and yesterday the right rear caliper seems to be seized. I thought for a second maybe the parking brake was on but I remembered it is an auto transmission (I'm used to driving manuals). My car has 93K miles on it with the original brakes (probably because I've done a lot of highway driving and drive pretty conservatively). So, I looked at the pads on the back and they seem to be about 1/2 thickness of the front pads. Seemed odd, normally fronts wear much faster but I was thinking maybe VW puts real thick pads on the front so the last longer. Since I have to take all the hardware off to get to the caliper I'm figuring I'll just replace the pads and rotors as well. Great video! Glad I found out about the 14mm triple head, would have been pissed not knowing that haha.
+mep12a Thanks for liking this video. I don't have this car any longer but the mileage was around 45k when this particular break started giving trouble. And yes, both rear pads were more worn out than the front ones. It is always a good idea to change rotors and pads together, especially if rotors are driven over 45K . I have tried changing just the pads, but its not the same breaking experience. 93k miles is twice the usual range, amazing. But I would suggest to switch them now, it'll be good for your car, at least the rear ones. Near my house is a auto parts wholesale store and parts are 1/3rd the retail price, so I get good quality parts and lubricants for really good price, and do whatever I can myself. And yes, 14mm triple heads is the main thing here. It gave me lots of headache not knowing about it in advance, and then trying to find it.
+mep12a No idea. But if you are looking to order online, there are many online sources which can ship you any part and tool. You'll however need to know the exact part which you are ordering. Or just search for auto parts stores in your area, there might be some.
@@subbernh5192 that's of course important. The parts store I get parts from are pretty good to provide the right parts, never had any problem with them.
How do you know the brand of the rear caliper? Bosch or girling? I've tried to find it through the net on my Vin and haven't been able to locate it on the caliper. Is it in the manual or book with the engine code? Mkvi 2015
I didn't change the caliper and didn't know its brand either. But I assume, like all the other parts I have ever bought for my vehicles, if I give the parts store my vehicle's make and model, they'll give me the right part for it.
Ordered mine from vwpartsvortex.com. Before removing, it's a good idea to clean out any debris from inside that head. It helps to ensure a good grip when the going gets rough.
I do have to comment. I also took my brakes off and needed new rotors. Upon investigating I came to the conclusion that I too needed to remove those two bolts to remove the caliper housing to remove the rotor. WRONG. I couldn't find a triple square that would fit in my tools so I investigated it again and realized that you don't need to remove the caliper housing. I banged on the rotor a few times around the entire rotor to break the rust and wiggled it a few times and it just slipped on right through the slit that it was housed in. Hope this helps someone else. 2012 Jetta S
Great tut! Was your old rotor that bad that it needed to be replaced as well? i know VW recommends it as well as new caliper bolts : / Hey, nice Mastercraft channel locks, btw ;)
+VONDEGROOT Yes, this one definitely needed replacement. And thanks for watching and liking the video. These Mastercraft channel locks is one of my most favourite tool :)
VW didn't make it difficult to DIY rotor change on rear brakes I'm not a mechanic and far from it! The guy at autozone told me I needed a M14 triple square bit I bought a set of the bits got home and had the old rotors off and the new rotors on In less than an hour without watching any videos until I went to put the caliper back on I the piston wouldn't turn back in that's when I searched videos to see why I ended up having to buy a new caliper! That's the second thing iv ever done first was changing the alternator before that I never worked on cars and this job was so simple lmao I have a 2010 vw jetta so damn simple also after reading all that at the beginning of ur video I decided to search and I seen alot of videos on showing you how to change the rear rotors and yes I realize this video is six years but I seen atleast 20 videos from 7-9 years ago lmao dudes just a complete idiot
I actually just encountered this problem while doing complete brake swap job on all four wheels, yesterday. Although mine only uses a single triple-heads bolt per caliper bracket, it is the same basic design as what you show.
Can't wait to find this bit attachment now, and finish this job up for good. Thanks for expending the effort on this video tutorial!
I changed mine the other day and and couldnt find the 14mm 12 point torx anywhere and ended up find the craziest solution. The square head of a 3/8 ratchet fit perfect in the torx bolt. I was blown away and the they literally came off in 15 seconds. I would highly recommend trying it
Good to know. And yes Torx are not common.
Life saver, thank you!
Dennis, you saved me lots of hassle, thank you. I had to spray some PB blaster to the base of those bolts but they did come off using the 3/8! And to those that insist you don’t need to remove the bracket to get the rotor off, for a 2013 Sportwagen, it’s mandatory. Trust me, I tried !
This right here saved me a lot of stress
@@m.m.3693 I believe the problem is attributed to the different trim levels, ie: s, se, sel and so on. My 2011 sel has 288m front and 272m rear; others have 253m on the rear and those will come out w/out removing the caliper bracket.
Thanks for the detailed instructions. I was wondering how I would fit a triple square 14mm + 1/2-3/8 ratchet adapter + wrench head to remove the lower bolt. Thanks to the others who mentionned the rotor could be removed without taking the bracket off! You just made my day!
Thanks for sharing and all the effort. Loved the music and all the information.
Dear Friend, I don't have enough words to express my gratitude for your video. God bless you!
I am really glad that you liked the video.
My dear friend youtuber, From Quebec City, I want to say to you a tremendous Thank you. With your tutorial I succeded in changing my rotors and break pads. Thank for having taken The Time to record it !
You are very welcome. I am glad this video helped you.
+Zeeshan Zakaria a lot !!!!!!!
Thank you, good man! I gave up 6 years ago and took it in. This time I will try again. Anything beats paying high auto repair bills if you can help it!🎉
Absolute best how to video I've seen. Much appreciated.
Thank you very much for your nice comment.
How come you didn't torque your rear caliper guides?
Great video. Clear and concise, great visual as well. May I suggest jack stands for your next vehicle repair. The wheel trick is good,though not as safe. Thank you for taking the time to create this video.
You are right. This video is old. At that time I didn't have them but now I have two sets of jack stands and two good quality hydraulic jacks. Thanks for noticing that it has good visuals, it is due to professional grade video equipment with a really good prime lens, and of course added lights.
Thank you for this video. Im going to do mine tomorrow. I know how to replace the pads but I've never tried rotors before. This made it look very simple. I'm glad you showed what kind of bit I needed or I would've gotten quite frustrated ha. Also, I'm sure u saved me a bunch of money instead of taking to get worked on. Thanks again. Nice color jetta by the way ha
Thank you. I am glad that it saved you time. Just be careful when doing the work.
Zeeshan Zakaria question....i went to buy some rear pads and they pulled up 2 kinds on the computer: Bosch and TRW. Do you remember which ones you got? Thanks again
dwreck120981 it was a while ago, unfortunately I don't remember at all which ones I got.
On some models and trim packages, that hole you used to access the 14m bolt now has a cam that's used to align the rear end. Be sure to mark it's position before removing it and watch for any signs of wear on the rear tire inner tread after replacement.
Also, those 14m bolts are stretch bolts and should be replaced. You first apply a torq (I think 70ftlbs) plus an additional 90deg. That can be a bit unnerving applying that 90deg considering the location and the awkward position one has to contort their body.
Napa sells the 14mm sockets for the back of the caliber.
I can confirm this as I just got one. Took a bit of searching because I didn't see this comment before haha but got it done regardless.
Great video. Thanks for taking the time to share your efforts!
Great vid. just to let everyone know, just did my 2015 and you don't need to take off the caliper bracket, the rotors will clear it.
Hey Rob i have a 2015 se . Do you remember the rotor sizes ? Is rear 253mm front 288 mm ?
Rob, I tried, and I can't get them to clear the bracket....
No dice on a 2016. Had to remove the carrier
I saw another video where the guy removed his rotor without removing the brake caliper carrier. I tried for 3 hours today trying to remove those triple2 spline sockets and they wouldn’t budge. That hole at 2:44 for the lower bolt was covered with some reinforcement bracket vw decided to add after a recall in 2014.
That hole is for a cam that helps align the rear end. Mark that cams position before removing. Also those 14m bolts are stretch bolts and need to be replaced; they require a torq value plus I believe a additional 90deg.
Did rear rotor on 2012 Jetta SE. Tried hard to get the caliper bracket nuts out, but couldn’t. Based on the comments tried to get the rotor out without removing the bracket nuts and voila! Thanks for the great video and comments
This only works with some models that use the 10in rotor; the sel and some of the other trim packages use a 11in.
Awesome! Changing my rotors and pads tomorrow on my own for the first time. Hate to get quoted parts and labor 350-400 just for rear rotors and pads.
i got quoted for 550-600 here at toronto ~ hate it hard!
Zeeshan, Great music. great idea about the C clamp rotation ! The triple head bolts are actually known as TORX. You also needed to use a Torque wrench on the bolts( especially on brakes). it would also help to let viewers know the torx fitting size on the rotor retention bolt and torque amount. Please also check the torque needed for your lug nuts.
Besides this I'm impressed that you did the job and took the time to take it apart again. Please remember to pump the brakes up to the normal feel and check the brakes after 5/10 miles.
Thanks for your nice comment. I am glad you liked this video. I'll add in the description what you mentioned about TORX. But where to find information about torque? It was very hard to find any information about these nuts when I did it. And yes, I had to take it apart again so I could make this video. But it was years ago. I don't have this car any longer. But it was one of the best cars I ever owned.
No, they are NOT known as Torx. They are rereferred to as triple square. Torx has 6 points of contact, triple square has 12
@@ZeeshanZakaria these torq values an be hard to come by, but I found some info from some of the digital workshop manuels, Chilton repair books, and eventually invested in downloading Erwin manuals which are very thorough and reasonable for the amount of information you get.
Killer video man! Awesome.
Thank you, I wanted to double check what size triple square bit that was before ordering the tool online, saved me some anxiety
You are welcome. It was hard to find the exact size when I was looking for it, and I don't remember where I found it. But the size I used in this video was correct for my brakes.
@@ZeeshanZakaria 14mm is the correct size
14mm
@@allenkasner6290 that's correct
Thank you for the video most helpful now I am prepared for the job.
Good luck
I know my jetta has that triple square bit to remove the caliper! Thx for the video it will definitely ease my replacement procedure.
Good video! But i just changed my rear pads and roters. 15 jetta tdi. And didnt need to remove caliper bracket( glad i didnt have that 14mm socket)
What bit is used to remove/secure the rotor in place? I didn't see this mentioned
Just some advise, get a propane or map gas torch and heat em up, only way I got them to break free.
Good idea
Just did my rotors and pads on a 2013 Jetta SE no need to take out the 14mm triple head bolts. The rotor clears the caliper bracket no problem.
I don't have this car any longer so cannot try it now.
Very helpful video, am going to do my own brakes and rotors soon.
What are the tools you need besides the 14mm Tripple head bit?
Nothing else special. Everything you need is in this video. Make sure to secure the car from rolling or falling off the jack.
Awesome thank you a lot. One final question, well two. What brand rotors and brakes did you buy and is the brake cleaning oil absolutely required?
I bought third party parts from a local parts store. Break cleaning oil is not necessary.
I have a 2012 Jetta where did you find the tool to get the nuts off?
Volkswagen
Or I suggest to buy them at a local tool shop less expensive
Great video! Have a couple questions for you:
-how many miles did you Jetta have when you did the brakes?
-Did you notice the rear brakes wearing faster than the front?
I just returned from a business trip this week and haven't driven my 2011 TDI Jetta for several weeks and yesterday the right rear caliper seems to be seized. I thought for a second maybe the parking brake was on but I remembered it is an auto transmission (I'm used to driving manuals). My car has 93K miles on it with the original brakes (probably because I've done a lot of highway driving and drive pretty conservatively). So, I looked at the pads on the back and they seem to be about 1/2 thickness of the front pads. Seemed odd, normally fronts wear much faster but I was thinking maybe VW puts real thick pads on the front so the last longer. Since I have to take all the hardware off to get to the caliper I'm figuring I'll just replace the pads and rotors as well. Great video! Glad I found out about the 14mm triple head, would have been pissed not knowing that haha.
+mep12a Thanks for liking this video.
I don't have this car any longer but the mileage was around 45k when this particular break started giving trouble. And yes, both rear pads were more worn out than the front ones.
It is always a good idea to change rotors and pads together, especially if rotors are driven over 45K . I have tried changing just the pads, but its not the same breaking experience.
93k miles is twice the usual range, amazing. But I would suggest to switch them now, it'll be good for your car, at least the rear ones. Near my house is a auto parts wholesale store and parts are 1/3rd the retail price, so I get good quality parts and lubricants for really good price, and do whatever I can myself.
And yes, 14mm triple heads is the main thing here. It gave me lots of headache not knowing about it in advance, and then trying to find it.
+Zeeshan Zakaria, does the part store ship? If so, what about to APO addresses?
+mep12a No idea. But if you are looking to order online, there are many online sources which can ship you any part and tool. You'll however need to know the exact part which you are ordering. Or just search for auto parts stores in your area, there might be some.
@@ZeeshanZakaria also for Jettas, be sure to measure the rotor diameter; some trim packages use a different rotor, ie. s, se, sel, tdi, gti, gli, tsi.
@@subbernh5192 that's of course important. The parts store I get parts from are pretty good to provide the right parts, never had any problem with them.
I attempted to remove the brake caliper today but failed miserably. You make it look too easy!
Great video. Thx!
THANKYOU !!! Great video...
How do you know the brand of the rear caliper? Bosch or girling? I've tried to find it through the net on my Vin and haven't been able to locate it on the caliper. Is it in the manual or book with the engine code? Mkvi 2015
I didn't change the caliper and didn't know its brand either. But I assume, like all the other parts I have ever bought for my vehicles, if I give the parts store my vehicle's make and model, they'll give me the right part for it.
Brand doesn't matter. As long as it's the direct vw stamped part number.
thanks! helped a lot
+Trevor Tsinnijinnie Good to know it helped you.
Could you please list the tools you were using? Thanks
All the tools I used I showed in the video.
Any idea of where to find those 14mm triple square bolts in the rear online? I have one stripped, ecs lists one like it but is too long
Autozone and Napa both have them and they can be ordered online.
Ordered mine from vwpartsvortex.com.
Before removing, it's a good idea to clean out any debris from inside that head. It helps to ensure a good grip when the going gets rough.
thanks much appreciated!
+alman34 You are welcome.
Hi, I have a tdi jetta 2011, is the triple heads bit also 14mm?
Yes, there are 14mm and other sizes also available. My Jetta needed only 13mm.
Proper name is a "triple square"
Yeh, get yourself a set; the only ones I can recall ever using were: 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18m. Didn't know they made a 13.
Thanks, it helped me.
+Pierre Duranleau I am glad to know that this video helped you.
You are awesome. Thank you.
I do have to comment. I also took my brakes off and needed new rotors. Upon investigating I came to the conclusion that I too needed to remove those two bolts to remove the caliper housing to remove the rotor. WRONG. I couldn't find a triple square that would fit in my tools so I investigated it again and realized that you don't need to remove the caliper housing. I banged on the rotor a few times around the entire rotor to break the rust and wiggled it a few times and it just slipped on right through the slit that it was housed in. Hope this helps someone else. 2012 Jetta S
This is interesting to know. Unfortunately I can't test it any longer since I don't have this car any more.
fcking genious lol
I was wondering if that was possible. Before attempting to remove these again with heat this time, I'll try this. Thank you.
It’s a triple square. If I ever meet a Volkswagen engineer, I’m going to fight him. By far the worst brake job I have ever done.
Good old German engineering; it's why the Allies during WW II couldn't salvage parts from nazi tanks.
The rotor brackets are a bitch to remove trust me I know
Thank u. Very helpful
I am glad it helped you.
Thanks Dude.
MMGustavoo I am glad that this video helped you.
Great tut! Was your old rotor that bad that it needed to be replaced as well? i know VW recommends it as well as new caliper bolts : /
Hey, nice Mastercraft channel locks, btw ;)
+VONDEGROOT Yes, this one definitely needed replacement. And thanks for watching and liking the video. These Mastercraft channel locks is one of my most favourite tool :)
Thanks! Thought my callipers were seized...
What's your rim size?
Good job
well done
FYI Vw braking system is 60/40.: 60% rear braking (therefore more wear), 40% front braking. To prevent nose dive, that American cars do.
Jose Lugo lol you're joking right....
I just shook my head when I read that also. This is how bad information gets spread like an STD.
Thanks for this info.
Guy what are u doing!!! The rotors can be removed without taking the bracket off! No need to fight with the triple squares! 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
There were two rear brake types used on these Jettas. On the Bosch brakes, you must remove the bracket.
VW didn't make it difficult to DIY rotor change on rear brakes I'm not a mechanic and far from it! The guy at autozone told me I needed a M14 triple square bit I bought a set of the bits got home and had the old rotors off and the new rotors on In less than an hour without watching any videos until I went to put the caliper back on I the piston wouldn't turn back in that's when I searched videos to see why I ended up having to buy a new caliper! That's the second thing iv ever done first was changing the alternator before that I never worked on cars and this job was so simple lmao I have a 2010 vw jetta so damn simple also after reading all that at the beginning of ur video I decided to search and I seen alot of videos on showing you how to change the rear rotors and yes I realize this video is six years but I seen atleast 20 videos from 7-9 years ago lmao dudes just a complete idiot
can you tell me what size of screw that holding the rotor? and what screwdriver you was using? thanks
I don't remember exactly but it has a star shaped head, which is called Torx. The size was either 27 or 30 because these are only ones I have.
thanks very much! i thanks for your video!
T-30
30