breaks change

hey fellow vdubaholoics  !!

 i was gonna change my front break pads never done it before  but  can afford  to have   it done. i have 2 questions   is ther a site where i can get step by step  instructions? and  do i need  a special vw tool  

Tool-wise you'll need (depending on year/body style) a jack & jack stands, and a metric hex bit. I can't recall the size right off, but they're available at Sears, automotive and most home improvement stores. You'll also need at least a 6" c-clamp to push the piston back into the caliper, and about a foot-long piece of metal coat hanger. You MIGHT need a stout flat-blade screwdriver should you have to do any prying, but really you shouldn't.

As far as the procedure, it's really simple. Jack up the car, place jack stands & lower the car onto them. Remove the wheels and unplug the brake pad wear sensor if equipped. Do your brakes one side at a time so you have a point of reference if you need to see how things go together. Then, using the hex bit, remove the two bolts that secure the caliper to the spindle. Slide the caliper & pads off the rotor together. Either lay the caliper on the spindle or hang it from a hole with a piece of coat hanger to keep from stressing the brake line while you're getting to the next step. Pay attention to which pad sits where in the caliper and remove the old pads. Check the rotors for wear and grooves. The general rule is, if you can catch your thumbnail on the grooves, either replace it or have it resurfaced at a brake shop. If you replace the rotors, make sure you wipe them down with brake cleaner to remove the anti-rusting agents!

Next thing is to compress the piston back into the caliper. It's easier to do if you open the bleeder screw, but you run the risk of getting air into the system and then you'll have to bleed the brakes. Probably not a bad idea anyway, but that's up to you. Take the c-clamp and fit it over the caliper body and inside the piston. Try to keep it as straight as possible and screw the clamp until the piston bottoms out. Once that's happened, close the bleeder screw if you opened it and remove the c-clamp.

Clean up any brake fluid and dust/dirt with brake cleaner. If your hands are dirty or greasy, wash them or put on some gloves at this point. You don't want to contaminate your new pads with anything, much less grease or oil! Now you can replace the pads with the new units, installing them in the exact place of the old ones. If you've got the wear sensors, that pad goes to the inside of the caliper body. Once the pads are in the caliper, slide the assembly back over the rotor and secure it with the two hex bolts. Plug in the wear sensor. At this point, you are largely done. Just bolt up the wheels, jack it up, remove the jack stands, lower the car.

Start it up, pump the pedal a few times to build brake pressure. Once you have some good braking, take your car to a safe place where you can get up a little speed (60 mph) and do some panic stops. This will help bed the brakes and make them better.

Good luck!