How-to-Guides

Useful tips for mechanics

Practices worth knowing

Hands-on instructions for your workshop

ZF Aftermarket provides you with practical tips on professionally replacing car parts, inspecting them for potential damage and reinstalling them. Our technical experts have collected a comprehensive set of tips for detecting replicas and plagiarism and everything for the professional service in terms of safe vehicle part replacement.

Our guide to everything that workshops should consider. To make the best of our products – in your workshop, for your clients.

How-to-Guides Overview

Find the instructions you need – quick

Below you will find all useful tips available for workshops.

You can filter the results by clicking on one of the product category boxes. There may be more tips available than initially depicted. Just click on "More results" to find further instructions on your topic.

Brake

Information on the correct Installation of brake pads

TRW brake pads are manufactured to correspond to the original parts and are supplied to our customers with the suitable installation accessories.

Brake

Superkit – the easiest way to repair drum brakes

Despite the increasing number of vehicles with disc brakes on the rear axle, drum brakes remain a fixed component of vehicle engineering.

Brake

Electric Park Brake (EPB) - emergency release

This article discusses a problem that only rarely occurs on mechanical versions – when the brake fails to release.

Brake

Brake judder

The ongoing development in the automotive industry has resulted in increased requirements for braking systems in vehicles.

Brake

Original vs counterfeit – quality characteristics of the Electric Park Brake (EPB)

When it comes to comfort and safety, electric park brakes offer several crucial advantages over conventional hand brakes with cable actuation.

Brake

Replacing the brake disc on an HCV

A step-by-step how-to-guide

Brake

Fault tracing on the brake booster

So is the brake booster defective or is it not?

Brake

How to change brake pads - with EPB

This how to guide shows and describes how to change the brake pads when a car is fitted with TRW electric park brake (EPB).

Brake

How to change the caliper - with EPB

This how to guide shows and describes how to change the caliper when a car is fitted with TRW electric park brake (EPB).

Brake

How to replace a brake drum with bearing (superkit)

A step-by-step useful tip for workshops

Brake

How to replace a brake hose

Whether or not a brake hose is worn or damaged as shown, TRW recommends that hoses should be changed every 50,000 km or after five years at the latest.

Brake

How to measure the boiling point of brake fluid using YWB214

The YWB214 brake fluid tester is specifically designed to measure the wet boiling point of brake fluid in situ on the vehicle.

Brake

How to change the brake fluid reservoir on a VW Passat

A step-by-step useful tip for workshops

Brake

How to diagnose a fault when a car presents an ABS fault light

When a car is presenting an ABS fault light, start by plugging in your diagnostic service tool, select the ABS system and the correct vehicle make and / or model and read for any fault codes.

Brake

Pre-filled brake calipers from TRW

As with any closed hydraulic system, the safe functioning of a vehicle braking system depends on it being free from air.

Brake

Replacing the brake caliper on a HCV disc brake

Our practical advice manual shows and describes how to replace a TRW replacement caliper on an HCV.

Brake

Essential guide to park brake systems

There are three types of park brake systems: Conventional (manual) Park Brake, Electric Cable Puller and Electric Park Brake (EPB).

Brake

Changing Brake Pads on an HCV Disc Brake

Changing brake pads on an HCV disc brake does not present any major challenges for trained mechanics, who should be the only ones carrying out this task. There are still a few fundamental things to take into account.

Brake

Frequently asked questions about brakes

Here we answer frequently asked questions of our users.

Steering

Frequently asked questions about steering

Here we answer frequently asked questions of our users.

Brake

Active Pad Retraction (APR)

CO2 emissions as well as minimizing noises in the increasingly growing number of electric vehicles in the future are matters of urgency concerning vehicle manufacturers.

Brake

Dissembling a blocked brake drum

A sudden locking of the rear axle while driving is one of the most dangerous defects that can occur in a vehicle.

Brake

Measuring the residual slip torque on a front axle disc brake

This how-to guide addresses this issue and tries to find the cause by measuring the residual slip torque of the front axle brake system.

Brake

Electric parking brakes on rolling test bench

Electric systems such as electric parking brakes present workshops with ever increasing challenges for diagnosis and repair.

Brake

Checking and replacing handbrake cables

Unlike brake pads or brake discs, handbrake cables are not exposed to high mechanical stress, but are still subject to a certain amount of wear.

Brake

Pre-filled brake calipers including carrier

TRW offers pre-filled brake calipers including pre-installed carrier for specific vehicles.

Steering

Assembly of Belt Pulleys and Adapter Flanges

Despite the ever growing proportion of electrical steering systems, there are still new vehicles and older models that have conventional power steering.

Steering

Correct Mounting of Bellows

Despite the introduction of an increasing number of electronic components, the causes for mistakes leading to damage on the steering are still the same.

Steering

Function Principle of Electro-Hydraulic Power Steering

EHPS (electrohydraulic power steering) is an electrically assisted power steering system from TRW which combines the advantages of electronically controlled, demand-based steering with robust hydraulic actuation.

Steering

Electro-hydraulic noise emission

Electrically powered hydraulic steering (EPHS) is an intermediate technology on the path to fully electric steering (EPS – electrically powered steering).

Steering

Installing Electric Steering Columns, Gearboxes and Electro-hydraulic Power Steering Pumps

This practical advice will help you to allocate the required measures to the different components.

Steering

Installation kit EPHS steering JKR104 – VW Polo

ZF Aftermarket offers a complete installation kit for electrohydraulic steering for a range of vehicles from the VW Group (Seat, Skoda, VW).

Steering

Remove and Refit an EPHS Steering Pump

Our step-by-step guide on how to remove and refit an EPHS Steering Pump.

Steering

Replace the Rear Track Control Arm

Our step-by-step guide on how to replace the rear track control arm.

Steering

Replace a Steering Pump on a Ford Focus

Our step-by-step guide on how to replace a steering pump on a Ford Focus.

Steering

Replace a Steering Rack on a BMW 3 Series

Our step-by-step guide on how to replace a steering rack on a BMW 3 series.

Steering

Replace a Steering Rack on a Volkswagen Passat

Our step-by-step guide on how to replace a steering rack on a Volkswagen Passat.

Clutch

Automatic Clutch Cables – resetting before Installation

Automatic clutch cables are equipped with a safety device to prevent unlocking of the adjustment mechanism of the cable.

Suspension

How to re-programme the valves in direct TPMS systems

The TRW easycheck TPMS function can used to re-programme the valves in direct TPMS systems.

Suspension

How to change the shock absorbers on a VW Golf 4

Our step-by-step guide on how to change the shock absorbers on a VW Golf 4.

How to change the rear shock absorbers on a VW Golf 4

Suspension

How to change the rear shock absorber on a VW Golf 4

Our step-by-step guide on how to change the rear shock absorber on a VW Golf 4.

Suspension

How to change a suspension strut mount

Our step-by-step guide on how to change a suspension strut mount.

Suspension

Diagnosing faulty ball joints

The checking and testing of ball joints is a difficult thing to do. This tip will give your technicians a good basis on how to test these parts.

Suspension

Multi-link suspensions – more comfort through more arms

Multi-link suspensions have largely replaced conventional wishbone suspensions. The modern design offers increased driving dynamics as well as substantial added comfort.

Suspension

Information on Multi-Link Suspension Systems

The basic elements in a multi-link suspension are two pairs of upper control arms (front and rear), two pairs of lower control arms, stub axle, stabilizer, connecting rods, shock absorbers and springs.

Suspension

TRW Rubber Bushes

Rubber bushes are installed in the suspension. They improve handling during steering and braking, which is particularly important on uneven road surfaces.

General note

Our useful tips provide only an overview. The installation instructions and operating instructions provided by the vehicle manufacturer and the warning and safety instructions contained therein must be observed! All work must be performed by a trained professional.

The pictures used and the procedure described in our tips are examples and may vary depending on the vehicle manufacturer and axle design.

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