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upgrading brakes

Location
St. Olaf
Endless MX72 dont have pads for the 312mm brakes. The reason I have brought this up is that I can get a used Audi S3 front brakes for a reasonable price. And I dont track my car but I like spirited driving.
I remember a friend asking and they said they'll make any kit on special
order without extra fee.
However, if the price is resonable get the S3 brakes and paint them red.

On a side note, if you have the ROW/Euro spec 300 mm rears I'd leave
them alone, since that's pretty much suffcient. ;)
 

leo

Ready to race!
Location
china
I remember a friend asking and they said they'll make any kit on special
order without extra fee.
However, if the price is resonable get the S3 brakes and paint them red.

On a side note, if you have the ROW/Euro spec 300 mm rears I'd leave
them alone, since that's pretty much suffcient. ;)

We have the same rear disks as Europeans. You have always been very helpful,BB
 

jay745

What Would Glenn Danzig Do
Location
Slightly Outside Chicago
Car(s)
Mk6 racecar, Tacoma
Dude, do you love bringing coals to Newcastle? :)
Did you know the GTI Performance is getting better reviews regarding brake
feel and modulation even compared to some competitors with fixed calipers?
Did the OP say he's planning on tracking his car? For that reason:
Don't you think you're a bit overplaying with your recommendation?

just my 2 cents

You're entitled to an opinion and I'm entitled to mine. My thought is why would anyone want to upgrade if they aren't tracking the car? The stock brakes are fine for street driving.

Remember, if you can lock up your brakes, thats the most braking you'll ever get. Stock brakes can do that.
 

leo

Ready to race!
Location
china
You're entitled to an opinion and I'm entitled to mine. My thought is why would anyone want to upgrade if they aren't tracking the car? The stock brakes are fine for street driving.

Remember, if you can lock up your brakes, thats the most braking you'll ever get. Stock brakes can do that.

You got a point man. But street brakes are not good for spirited driving.
 
Location
St. Olaf
You're entitled to an opinion and I'm entitled to mine.
Several reviews claiming the PP brakes feel better and measure better is a matter of fact
and not just my opinion. Read some reviews for example on the Peugeot 308 GTi equipped
with Alcon 6-pots or comparisions between the Golf R Wagon compared to the Leon Cupra
ST equipped with Brembos. Granted, I too would not have expected the fixed calipers to
perform that poorly by comparison. But in general it's not the principle alone, but what you
make of it.



My thought is why would anyone want to upgrade if they aren't tracking the car? The stock brakes are fine for street driving.
Excuse me, but this is up to the OP, not to us. He did even say why.



Remember, if you can lock up your brakes, thats the most braking you'll ever get. Stock brakes can do that.
I agree with that and I don't doubt his brakes will easily lock the tires. That said,
using proper pads can help to improve overall feel. Basically PP brakes do the same,
as well as offering far better pad choice.
 
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jay745

What Would Glenn Danzig Do
Location
Slightly Outside Chicago
Car(s)
Mk6 racecar, Tacoma
Several reviews claiming the PP brakes feel better and measure better is a matter of fact
and not just my opinion. Read some reviews for example on the Peugeot 308 GTi equipped
with Alcon 6-pots or comparisions between the Golf R Wagon compared to the Leon Cupra
ST equipped with Brembos. Granted, I too would not have expected the fixed calipers to
perform that poorly by comparison. But in general it's not the principle alone, but what you
make of it.



Excuse me, but this is up to the OP, not to us. He did even say why.



I agree with that and I don't doubt his brakes will easily lock the tires. That said,
using proper pads can help to improve overall feel. Basically PP brakes do the same,
as well as offering far better pad choice.
eh people can say what they want. I'm guessing a lot of them have never really pushed their brakes enough to really test them. I've been tracking for years and been in all kinds of different cars with various brake setups. There's a reason you don't see floating single pistons on racecars.
 
Location
St. Olaf
You're getting me wrong, Jay. I did not question the raison d'être of BBKs per se.
I'm an automotive engineer and I'm tracking for years, but that's not the point.
The point is Leo's question, whether retrofitting S3/R/PP/CS brakes would improve
things. And I guess very most people think they'd do. ;)
Don't you think it's a bit odd to say either leave it entirely stock or get a full BBK,
as there's something between for a fraction of the cost of a proper quality BBK.
 

jay745

What Would Glenn Danzig Do
Location
Slightly Outside Chicago
Car(s)
Mk6 racecar, Tacoma
You're getting me wrong, Jay. I did not question the raison d'être of BBKs per se.
I'm an automotive engineer and I'm tracking for years, but that's not the point.
The point is Leo's question, whether retrofitting S3/R/PP/CS brakes would improve
things. And I guess very most people think they'd do. ;)
Don't you think it's a bit odd to say either leave it entirely stock or get a full BBK,
as there's something between for a fraction of the cost of a proper quality BBK.

It's subjective. My motto has always been if you're going to do something, then do it right.
 

GIACUser

Master Wallet Mechanic
Location
USA
Car(s)
MK 6 GolfR
Floating calipers contribute to a mushy pedal, as well as tapered wear on the pads. The feedback you get is much better from a fixed caliper

Just an FYI, I have been running Golf R brakes front and rear with with Hawk + pads at at the track for last couple of years and my pads have not worn in a tapered fashion (using Tyrolsport stiffner), I have enjoyed good strong pedal feel. These calipers along with decent pads allow you to pull the car down hard coming off of a 135mph straight into a tight turn. Using proper fresh fluid for each session I never suffered any brake fade. Huge upgrade over stock brakes.

Having said the above I absolutely agree that fixed lightweight multi-piston calipers are an upgrade over the above because of weight, ability to shed heat and the big thing I am looking forward to is increased modulation.

My car is currently getting a huge makeover and it is getting a set of Brembo 18z calipers up front and Brembo 4 piston in rear among many other upgrades.
 

Mk7user

Ready to race!
Location
Midlo
Car(s)
MK7 GTI 2015
So is the prevailing thought for spirited street driving on stock brakes (non-PP) still: tires & upgraded pads. & if one really wants an upgrade do the PP/R/S3 brake setup?

What if you throw in a Stage 1.5 ECU tune - are the above recommendation still applicable.
Also - are the PP/R/S3 brake setups just the fronts calipers & rotors or does the rears also included in this scenario?
 

CDM MK7

Ready to race!
Location
Canada
The PP rear rotors are also larger and vented instead of solid. The PP brake setup is a marginal step up from the 312mm standard setup, but an upgrade nonetheless. Only downside is the PP calipers add weight vs the standard.

For street/occasional track/Auto X the standard 312mm setup is more than adequate. Upgrade pads / rotors / fluid. I've taken this path and am extremely impressed with the results. They DO make Endless MX72 pads for the standard brakes (which I own) and they are absolutely spectacular for the given purpose, and whisper quiet - especially for the performance level on offer. I'd recommend stepping up to a better rotor that has a metallurgy designed for higher heat ranges that the pads produce. I find the standard VW rotors to be a little soft for more aggressive pads, but I'm sure you'll hear plenty of stories of people running them without issue. Finally, upgrade to Motul RBF600 or Type200 fluid. If your car is relatively new, skip the stainless lines. Get the best tires you can afford.

My 312mm setup:



 

nype

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Vancouver, B.C.
I’ve got PP brakes and was really tired of all of the dust that they create. Pads were about half-worn. Not recommended doing just a pad replacement so I replaced the rotors as well.

Went with Textar Pro+ high carbon plain rotors and Centric/StopTech PosiQuiet ceramic pads. I’m extremely happy with these rotors/pads. Compared to stock, they are much quieter and the pads produce 90% less dust. They feel less “grabby” and maybe don’t bite quite as hard, but I’m totally fine with this.

Just wanted to throw these pads into the mix. They are pretty cheap as well.

FYI - I wanted the Centric high carbon plain rotors (black painted hub portion). But I couldn’t find them in stock online, at the time.
 

sprinks

Drag Racing Champion
Location
United States
So is the prevailing thought for spirited street driving on stock brakes (non-PP) still: tires & upgraded pads. & if one really wants an upgrade do the PP/R/S3 brake setup?

What if you throw in a Stage 1.5 ECU tune - are the above recommendation still applicable.
Also - are the PP/R/S3 brake setups just the fronts calipers & rotors or does the rears also included in this scenario?

for spirited street driving good tires and pads should do you fine. I went with the PP/R setup fronts(pieced it together for a good price), oem lines, fremax rotors, and i'll be adding the vents etc for those back-road twisties. It won't be a ready-to-go track setup, but it'll be good enough for me.

All comes down to the end-user (as with all mods).
 
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