Macan Brembo owners who track their Golf, pls weigh in.

[ckuhns]

hey guys, just got back from Laguna Seca today.

I got a new PB with the Macan's and I'm happy to say that my car is about 2.5 seconds faster.
These are the only real differences from my previous best set in Jan 30, 2021:
- Tires are now 30% remaining (same set of A052's that were brand new in Jan), less grip than before.
- Clubsport S knuckles, no alignment done but I'm guessing it has the advertised 0.8 degree more camber than it had before
- Macan caliper with R4 pads vs EBC blues on PP brakes. 0.3mm titanium shims
- RBF600 instead of RBF660 before
- No power upgrades and no suspension changes not listed here.
- I can now confidently full throttle through turn 1 without fear of fade and running off.
- Temperature is about the same

On track, the pedal IS higher and engagement is a bit softer than PP, but there is NO fade, No boiling coolant, and I brake hard and I brake late.

I am not happy with the pedal but it did not at all prevent me from doing well on the track. I cannot comment about the modulation as I was regularly kicking in the ABS so it was modulating for me as I'm traction / tire limited.

I have no desire for more braking ability.

View attachment 232054View attachment 232055

Had a feeling that was you there, I had the red MK7 wagon.

 

[BeeryTravler]

Does anyone have experience running a Carbotech street/track combo with the brembos? I am a track/ax beginner and am thinking the next logical braking setup is a dedicated track pad. I like the lower cost pads and easy swappability of the brembos, but would rather run one set of rotors. I am considering the 1521 for street, xp12 for track/ax. Anyone with experience with this set up? Do you swap the the rears too or have one compound for the rears?

 

[GTIfan99]

Does anyone have experience running a Carbotech street/track combo with the brembos? I am a track/ax beginner and am thinking the next logical braking setup is a dedicated track pad. I like the lower cost pads and easy swappability of the brembos, but would rather run one set of rotors. I am considering the 1521 for street, xp12 for track/ax. Anyone with experience with this set up? Do you swap the the rears too or have one compound for the rears?

Don't take this the wrong way, but f your new to ax/track, unless you need pads right now, I doubt you're using the brakes to anywhere near what they're capable of stock.

Instead of spending money on a brake upgrade, seat time is more important when you're a beginner. If you need pads, get decent pads, fluid, RS3 deflectors and spend your money on seat time and tires.

Once you start out driving the stock brakes, decide how much you're going to be tracking. This isn't necessarily the best track upgrade, it's somewhere between a PP and a real BBK, but for me it was a good compromise.

 

[BeeryTravler]

Don't take this the wrong way, but f your new to ax/track, unless you need pads right now, I doubt you're using the brakes to anywhere near what they're capable of stock.

Instead of spending money on a brake upgrade, seat time is more important when you're a beginner. If you need pads, get decent pads, fluid, RS3 deflectors and spend your money on seat time and tires.

Once you start out driving the stock brakes, decide how much you're going to be tracking. This isn't necessarily the best track upgrade, it's somewhere between a PP and a real BBK, but for me it was a good compromise.

On understood and agreed. I am not outdriving my current brakes (PP with EBC YS, RBF600). My deflectors on are the way from Latvia, but I wasn't planning on doing anything else for this upcoming season. I'm more planning for when I burn these up, I am planning 4 track/DE days and 8 ax days this summer and am assuming they won't last that long.

 

[GTIfan99]

On understood and agreed. I am not outdriving my current brakes (PP with EBC YS, RBF600). My deflectors on are the way from Latvia, but I wasn't planning on doing anything else for this upcoming season. I'm more planning for when I burn these up, I am planning 4 track/DE days and 8 ax days this summer and am assuming they won't last that long.

PP will easily handle a beginner doing 4 track days and 8 autocrosses.

I'm not sure what you mean by "burn these up". When pads and rotors wear out, replace them.

Again, until you're driving hard enough to boil fluid, the Brembos won't do anything for you.

Once you get to that point, you need to decide how much of a track rat you're going to be. The Macans are great for 3 or 4 a year on 200tw or 300tw tires. Beyond that, use your PP's, save your money, and get a real track based kit.

Work on the driving, spend money on seat time, decide upgrade path when you start to have specific issues and you know what classes and events you want to do.

I'm a huge advocate for the Macan upgrade, as long as you understand the limitations. Several people in this thread did the entire upgrade, then sold it and went to a track focuses BBK.

 

[turbojzrr]

Interesting finding...

After a few weeks back from the track, I swapped back from R4 track pads to R4s street pads which are supposed to be compatible with R4 pad material. I'm running the Zimmerman blanks.

Just a weekend of driving and I am getting incredibly bad shuttering and it feels like the front end is falling apart when I lightly touch the brake pedal when the rotors are warm. When the rotors are cold, I get a good one or two steps of the brake without issue.

 

[jimlloyd40]

Interesting finding...

After a few weeks back from the track, I swapped back from R4 track pads to R4s street pads which are supposed to be compatible with R4 pad material. I'm running the Zimmerman blanks.

Just a weekend of driving and I am getting incredibly bad shuttering and it feels like the front end is falling apart when I lightly touch the brake pedal when the rotors are warm. When the rotors are cold, I get a good one or two steps of the brake without issue.

Go out and do a few very hard stops from 50 MPH or so to clean the pad deposits off of the rotor.

 

[turbojzrr]

Go out and do a few very hard stops from 50 MPH or so to clean the pad deposits off of the rotor.

I thought so at first as well but it did not help. gonna take them off and see if I can resurface it.

 

[turbojzrr]

I'm a huge advocate for the Macan upgrade, as long as you understand the limitations. Several people in this thread did the entire upgrade, then sold it and went to a track focuses BBK.

Curious about the `track focused BBK`, is the caliper actually stronger going to the likes of a ST40 from Macan? or is it mainly the larger vented 2 piece rotors that does it?

 

[GTIfan99]

Go out and do a few very hard stops from 50 MPH or so to clean the pad deposits off of the rotor.

Or take some steel wool up the rotor surfaces in this doesn't work.

 

[GTIfan99]

Curious about the `track focused BBK`, is the caliper actually stronger going to the likes of a ST40 from Macan? or is it mainly the larger vented 2 piece rotors that does it?

It's the larger pads and 2 piece rotors of a true BBK.

But people have to remember that similar Brembo calipers have been used on thousands of STI's, EVO"s and 370Z's on track for a long time. I tracked both of my STI's with 4 pot Brembos without issue.

What makes a true BBK worth it is if you're a track rat and really pushing the car. My buddy Gino does 40+ track days, TT's or races a year. If you're doing a lot of tracking, the 2 piece rotors and larger pads will reduce heat and pad wear.

I mostly autocross the car and do 4 track days a year. A true BBK makes less sense for me.

Again, I'm a fan of the Brembo setup, but it isn't right for everyone.

 

[scrapin240]

Curious about the `track focused BBK`, is the caliper actually stronger going to the likes of a ST40 from Macan? or is it mainly the larger vented 2 piece rotors that does it?

according to Pagid, the size of the brake discs are the biggest thing in cooling. It's a huge heat sink.

 

[bobivy1234]

Curious about the `track focused BBK`, is the caliper actually stronger going to the likes of a ST40 from Macan? or is it mainly the larger vented 2 piece rotors that does it?

For my Macans, just want to say I got bad shuddering on my Zimmerman blanks during/after the track as well which was definitely a pad deposit issue that hasn't gone away assumingly due to high heat in the system. There was one turn during my second session that I must have locked up or something at VIR and immediately felt the brake feel change and it didn't go away, could smell the pad burn. Every braking zone was like driving through an earthquake and became less pronounced after a few sessions but still there.

I'm going to run dedicated rotors next year, blanks for daily and then some ECS cheaper 2-piece veined/slotted for track with dedicated pads. Bought the blank rotors from FCPeuro so getting fresh blanks to re-bed with my street pads and will buy the dedicated rotors early next year to use with the ST-43s I'm already using. Changing the rotors on these, while not ideal based on design of easy pad swaps, is really not an issue on these calipers.

I went to the track 12 days in 2020, 10 of those on PP+DS2500 and 2 on the Macans+ST-43. I really do believe the Macans are an upgrade in feel and bite at a great price point with solid pad availability and want to put it through its paces next year. The ST-43s being able to consistency bite at higher temps compared to the the DS2500s is very noticeable. Honestly though, the PP pads are larger than the Macans and plenty of race series use floating calipers so something to think about as the PP brakes are really solid with the right setup (ex XP10 F/XP8 R). Also nice rear pads do make a difference, need to keep bias in check.

For reference, I'm in a '16 GTI stage 2 hitting about 140. If the Macans disappoint me too much more, I'll go BBK but for now I'm keeping the faith. Its all about heat mgmt with these so I got Macan-specific titanium shims and the veined 2-piece rotor should help with heat evacuation (alongside RS3 deflectors and trimmed dust shields). Compared to other race cars like spec E46 hitting about the same speeds, blanks are great if there is ducting but these cars can't really fit ducts outside of the RS3 deflectors so heat really gets trapped in the wheel well with blanks. Could go crazy and get fender vents, that's about the only other option. I'm removing my fog lights and the plastic cover in the fender liner to get some more air in there also. Looking forward to 2021 to keep testing these out.

 

[GTIfan99]

according to Pagid, the size of the brake discs are the biggest thing in cooling. It's a huge heat sink.

I do think the floating disk helps with fluid temps.

With that said, 340 and 345 blanks are 30mm thick. BBKs are typically 330, 350, 355, 370 with 32 or 34mm thickness.

 

[scrapin240]

I do think the floating disk helps with fluid temps.

With that said, 340 and 345 blanks are 30mm thick. BBKs are typically 330, 350, 355, 370 with 32 or 34mm thickness.

My ST-60s helped with overheating and glazing the pads for sure.

I had that same disc issues with the zimmerman rotors and macan brakes with the shuddering. It was annoying to say the least