Removal and installation rear brake calipers/pad guides (Opel Vectra C)

Caution: For the removal/installation operations of the rear brake calipers/guides, all notes and instructions given in Section 7 apply.

Removal

1. Support the front wheels with wheel chocks, jack up the rear of the car and place it on supports. Remove both rear wheels.

2. Release the parking brake lever, remove the spring clips from the caliper (see Section 6).

3. Press the actuator lever on the rear brake caliper, disconnect the parking brake cable end from it and release the cable from the holder.



4. Disconnect the brake hose (see accompanying illustration) from the caliper. Follow the instructions in Section 7.

Note: If the caliper is removed only to remove the brake pads or brake disc, do not disconnect the hose - tie the caliper to the body with wire.

5. Remove the protective cap and unscrew the bolt (see illustration 6.4) mounting the lower guide pin of the caliper.

6. Rotate the caliper upward on the axis of the upper guide pin (see accompanying illustration), remove the upper guide from the holder and remove the caliper. Remove the brake pads from the guide, mark the installation position of the pads.



7. Remove the 2 bolts that secure the brake shoe guide (see accompanying illustration) - follow the instructions given in Section 7. Remove the guide.

Installation

6. Before installation, clean the threads of all bolts from any remaining compound and lubricate them with fresh compound (for example, Loctite Tour 243).

7. Install the brake shoe guide and tighten the mounting bolts. A lot of force is required to tighten the guide mounting bolts (130 Nm!) - check the reliability of the vehicle mounting in the suspended position. It is recommended to replace the wheels and lower the vehicle.

8. Insert the upper guide pin of the caliper into the holder, press the brake piston using a special device (see Section 6) and install the brake pads in place.

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9. Lower the caliper down and screw in the lower guide pin mounting bolt.

10. If the brake hose was disconnected, do not forget to replace the sealing washers and bleed air from the brake system (see Section 3), the hose should not be twisted or kinked.

Note: It is sufficient to bleed only the circuit whose support was removed.

Check that the hoses on the front wheels do not touch them at maximum steering angle.

11. Further installation is carried out in the reverse order of removal. If the hose was disconnected, bleed the hydraulic lines of the service brake system drive (see Section 3), check the fluid level in the master cylinder reservoir and make the appropriate adjustments if necessary.

12 Before operating the vehicle, check that the brake system is functioning properly.