1979 300D - Changing Shoes/Pads (Brakes) on rear wheels??
 

Last summer I managed to change my front brake pads myself with the aid of a nice pictorial tutorial somebody on this site linked me to.

Now I'm in need of changing my rear wheel brake-pads or shoes... and I first of all don't even know if I have rotors or drums back there!?

Can somebody help me out... this is for a 1979-300D model W123.

If I have drums back there, is it a PITA to get the drums off and get inside for replacing the shoes?

Thanks,

- Teo -

You have 4 wheel disk brakes.

Replacing the rear pads is no different than replacing the front pads.

BTW, if you don't know what you have, how do you know you need new pads.

The rear brakes are exactly the same as the front. Though the rotors in the rear are actually drums and discs. The brakes are disc brakes, but the parking brakes are drum brakes with shoes. But you don't need to worry about the parking brake when replacing the pads in the rear.

I do not know if the Brake Pads are different on the different makes of Calipers or not but some Cars will have Girling Calipers and some will have ATE calipers.

Go to your favorite internet parts seller and get some info on that for you year and model.

You may need to get under the Car and find out what make of Calipers you have.

The Rear Brakes are easier than the Front Brakes as you do not need to remove the Rear Wheel Hub to get the Rotor off.
Ounce you remove the Wheel and the Caliper the Rotor; not being bolted on pulls straight off the Rear Wheel hub.

The pads are the same regardless of caliper brand. The calipers are 100% interchangible also. Same mount bolts, same diameter piston.

Thanks for the info.

Is Brake-Paste Neccessary?
 

OK,

I figured out that I actually have a set of four new pads that came with the ones I got for the front... so that would explain why there were eight pads in the box! (doh! :o)

I was just about to dig in and change my rears when I realized that I used a type of silver-ish paste that came with the pads. Unfortunately I seem to have lost the original tube of the stuff. Is that paste absolutely necessary? If it is, is it something that's easy to find at NAPA or somesuch?

Thanks Again.

That is anti squeal paste to be used on the back of the pads and the metal part of the sides.
A local auto parts store should have some. I would use it.

I use the anti-squeal paste on my pads.

This is from the Haynes manual, it's good for some things.