nkresho
suck, squish, bang, blow
- Location
- Pittsburgh
- Car(s)
- 2022 Q3
Good evening everyone. I just wanted to share what I've found researching, all in one place. Here's what I came up with.
The car in question
So, I wasn't able to find the unicorn I was looking for in April of 2016. I wanted an S model, pure white, with 4 doors and DSG with the PP and LP. Apparently, calling around and searching online, there were none at the time. The sport was not yet a thing and I did not want all the extras that the SE and higher came with. Nor did I want to pay for them.
I picked up my S with DSG and 4 doors and went on my way. Got some BECautoparts headlights to take care of the LP issue. Good enough for me with regards to lighting.
My history with this car and my driving style
Before I get too far into this, I'd like to mention my driving style. I don't track, ever. I'd love to, but I would never find the time at this stage in my life. I have an 18 month old at home now, and she gets all my non-working and non-sleeping hours. Actually gets some of the sleeping hours too, unfortunately. But, I do have this one issue... I find myself, pretty regularly, when there is no traffic, (on roads in Mexico) getting up to some pretty high speeds. 120-140 or so. Then, if I get near other cars, or the long straightaway (with clear side-to-side visibility) is coming to a turn, I have to get on the brakes. I get some brake fade at times, and it's a little scary. I really need a brake upgrade that can handle the heat of a high speed braking situation.
For those who will chastise me for this driving habit... I am always very cognizant of other drivers and don't drive fast near other people. Additionally, we've got deer where I live. I am equally cautious about their ability to dart at a 90 degree angle from the woods to the road. I don't drive fast when the woods are near the road. and they have somewhere to jump out of. I never drive fast with others (wife, kid, family, etc.) in the car either, unless it's a consenting buddy who wants a ride.
Also, I haven't had a speeding ticket in well over 10 years. I'm not hooning around everywhere. Onramps to my desired speed and some highway pulls. Nothing too crazy.
Why PP brakes?
I drove a PP model when test driving and was immediately blown away by the brakes. They bite hard and with minimal pedal input, but were easy to modulate after the first stop when my foot learned the pressure needed. In fact, on that first test drive, I repeatedly accelerated and stopped (on an empty road) just to feel the bite. I absolutely loved them.
I had been driving a mk5 with stock brakes, ATE super blue, and Hawk HPS pads.
So, after driving the new mk7, I eventually wanted to get the feeling I had with the PP brakes on that (and a few other) test drives.
I went with new fluid and Hawk HPS 5.0 pads in the front only. Kept the stock rotors, and bedded them. Took a week or so to get the pads completely bedded, as I had slightly grooved rotors. The feel was slightly better than stock, and better to modulate. Not quite good enough though. Here's that thread: https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35005
I searched for the right solution for me. I thought hard about the stoptech kits and the 17z/18z conversions. The issue is I don't think i'd be happy with the solid rears, even though it'd work ok from what I read.
After a few weeks of reading every thread I could find, then putting it all in my cart(s) on various sites, and working the numbers, I decided to pull the trigger on front and rear PP brakes, new. All stock save for the Ferodo DS2500 pads I picked.
So, yeah, I am going the PP brakes route to combat this high speed braking induced fade as well as to increase the initial bite I really wanted since I first felt it in a PP car.
What i'm upgrading
In addition to the standard PP parts, I am also adding the RS3 brake ducts for the fronts. Grabbed them from e-acca, with the other parts I ordered. I am concurrently adding most of the underbody panels to increase the highway stability when traveling over 80mph. The rear of the car feels a bit squirrely under braking at higher speeds. Full coverage OEM engine skid plate, front and rear exhaust tunnel covers, and the rear axle cover are all inbound. I will likely add pics of those to this thread after I get them in.
So this is my initial shot at this thread. I had a few questions when researching and they were not answered. I'll try to answer them as I go on with this project.
Questions i'll try to answer for posterity
First of all, the power pack front calipers come with the GTI emblem cover plates preinstalled. This was relatively unclear when I was searching. I did not order them, hoping they'd be included. For reference, they are.
Second, the rear brake dust shields are mounted behind the hub. I will take detailed pics of this install, as I was not able to find any. I grabbed a pair of the hub bolts as they're stretch. More to come on this.
Next was the brake pads. I had to go through two separate sites to get a set of all four. MAPerformance had the fronts with no rears and Bestbrakes had the rears. Originally I ordered based on a part number I found (for the rears) and they were incorrect. I must've gotten R pads (if they are different). The tabs that contact the carrier were hooked on the sides, where the one I needed are just straight tabs. I paid a 20% restocking fee to correct this problem. Just an FYI on bestbrakes.com.
Also had to do a little research on the mounting direction of the rear carriers. They point with the weighted end pointing down. Mine came without packaging and no discernible part numbers printed on them. Stock didn't have counterweights on them.
Part numbers for the pads are as follows:
Front:FCP4425H
Rear:FCP1636H
These are both DS2500 street/track pads. From what I've read initial bite is OEM or better, and they still handle heat pretty well for a streetable pad. I'll post my observations after I get them installed and bedded.
Another thing that was pretty well discussed is the rear lines. Stock non-pp work fine for the fronts. Rears have to be replaced since the PP has a larger fitting for the banjo bolt.
I also weighed all the PP parts and will weigh the non-pp ones I remove to determine an actual difference. I'll post the charts of all the part numbers and weights here when I get it all finished.
So yeah, stay tuned here for updates as I get this all rolling. I'll take a ton of pics of the install and i'll note my findings and the end results.
I have everything on-hand. Just gotta find time in the next few days to get it all installed. Hoping I can get to it before the weekend, but it should be done by Saturday or Sunday at the latest.
Part Numbers of what I got:
Fronts
part p/n
rotor x25Q0-615-301-G
caliper (P)5G0-615-124-A
caliper (D)5G0-615-123-A
dust shield (P)5Q0-615-312-F
dust shield (D)5Q0-615-311-F
carrier (P)5G0-615-126-A
carrier (D)5G0-615-125-A
ferodo front padsFCP4425H
Rears
part p/n
rotor x25Q0-615-601-E
carrier (D)8U0-615-425-A
carrier (P)8U0-615-426-A
dust shield (P)5Q0-615-612-H
dust shield (D)5Q0-615-611-H
caliper (P)5F0-615-424
caliper (D)5F0-615-423
lines x25QM-611-775-D
ferodo rear padsFCP1636H
Weights of the items (in ounces):
Front
part weight (each side)
rotor x2378.2
caliper (P)170
caliper (D)169.6
dust shield (P)6
dust shield (D)6
carrier (P)80
carrier (D)79
ferodo front pads50
Rear:
part weight (each side)
rotor x2242
carrier (D)47
carrier (P)47
dust shield (P)15.5
dust shield (D)15.5
caliper (P)64
caliper (D)64
lines x2 0
ferodo rear pads19
carrier bolts x4 N91168901 0
wheel bearing bolts x2 WHT007150 0
Pics:
Here's the diameter of the piston on the non-pp vs the pp
front rotor size difference
front pad difference
Rear pad difference
Hanging the first caliper to install the line
brake duct installed
anti-sieze on the center and the hub
My bleeder and choice of fluid (had to wash out my last can of super blue
fluid looks a little rough
hanging the new caliper so I could swap over the lines
carrier fitted
Rear hub cover off
rear hub off
new rear dust shield
one time use stretch rear carrier bolts
One time use rear axle bolt
handbrake line
I like the feel, but I think I need to re-bleed them. It's not as crisp as I expected and there's a ton of blue still in my brake fluid. I wanted to get it together and hoped the bleeding I did would be sufficient. Also had a problem with my bleeder hoses starting to leak (it's almost 20 years old). I had to cut the ends off and re-clamp them on to the cap and the reservoir. Clamps I had in the garage weren't too tight, so I need to get some new hose and better clamps. I only pumped it to 10psi and it started to weep a little at the clamps.
Here's the weights, part numbers, and prices of everything (sorry, saved as an image, so you can't copy and paste)
I didn't add the price for the rear brake pad anti-rattle clips. They're coming from a parts dealer in Ohio, soon, and the PN is 117.33037, made by centric and $14.19 for the set (i'll confirm fitment here once I get them)
So, I got impatient and grabbed a cheap set of brakes from autozone, to use the anti-rattle clips. They almost fit, but weren't wide enough to clear the rotors. Here's a few pics of the trimming I did. Fit perfectly now. No more clacks.
Driving impressions today (day 2) are considerably more grab, initially, with a good deal more confidence inspired by the feel. These brakes are exactly what I was looking for. I am super happy with the upgrade. Haven't taken them out to mexico yet, but I will post back when I do. No squealing, good feel when they're cold or hot. Not too touchy, but way more responsive with a bit less pedal pressure needed than the non-pp brakes had.
The car in question
So, I wasn't able to find the unicorn I was looking for in April of 2016. I wanted an S model, pure white, with 4 doors and DSG with the PP and LP. Apparently, calling around and searching online, there were none at the time. The sport was not yet a thing and I did not want all the extras that the SE and higher came with. Nor did I want to pay for them.
I picked up my S with DSG and 4 doors and went on my way. Got some BECautoparts headlights to take care of the LP issue. Good enough for me with regards to lighting.
My history with this car and my driving style
Before I get too far into this, I'd like to mention my driving style. I don't track, ever. I'd love to, but I would never find the time at this stage in my life. I have an 18 month old at home now, and she gets all my non-working and non-sleeping hours. Actually gets some of the sleeping hours too, unfortunately. But, I do have this one issue... I find myself, pretty regularly, when there is no traffic, (on roads in Mexico) getting up to some pretty high speeds. 120-140 or so. Then, if I get near other cars, or the long straightaway (with clear side-to-side visibility) is coming to a turn, I have to get on the brakes. I get some brake fade at times, and it's a little scary. I really need a brake upgrade that can handle the heat of a high speed braking situation.
For those who will chastise me for this driving habit... I am always very cognizant of other drivers and don't drive fast near other people. Additionally, we've got deer where I live. I am equally cautious about their ability to dart at a 90 degree angle from the woods to the road. I don't drive fast when the woods are near the road. and they have somewhere to jump out of. I never drive fast with others (wife, kid, family, etc.) in the car either, unless it's a consenting buddy who wants a ride.
Also, I haven't had a speeding ticket in well over 10 years. I'm not hooning around everywhere. Onramps to my desired speed and some highway pulls. Nothing too crazy.
Why PP brakes?
I drove a PP model when test driving and was immediately blown away by the brakes. They bite hard and with minimal pedal input, but were easy to modulate after the first stop when my foot learned the pressure needed. In fact, on that first test drive, I repeatedly accelerated and stopped (on an empty road) just to feel the bite. I absolutely loved them.
I had been driving a mk5 with stock brakes, ATE super blue, and Hawk HPS pads.
So, after driving the new mk7, I eventually wanted to get the feeling I had with the PP brakes on that (and a few other) test drives.
I went with new fluid and Hawk HPS 5.0 pads in the front only. Kept the stock rotors, and bedded them. Took a week or so to get the pads completely bedded, as I had slightly grooved rotors. The feel was slightly better than stock, and better to modulate. Not quite good enough though. Here's that thread: https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35005
I searched for the right solution for me. I thought hard about the stoptech kits and the 17z/18z conversions. The issue is I don't think i'd be happy with the solid rears, even though it'd work ok from what I read.
After a few weeks of reading every thread I could find, then putting it all in my cart(s) on various sites, and working the numbers, I decided to pull the trigger on front and rear PP brakes, new. All stock save for the Ferodo DS2500 pads I picked.
So, yeah, I am going the PP brakes route to combat this high speed braking induced fade as well as to increase the initial bite I really wanted since I first felt it in a PP car.
What i'm upgrading
In addition to the standard PP parts, I am also adding the RS3 brake ducts for the fronts. Grabbed them from e-acca, with the other parts I ordered. I am concurrently adding most of the underbody panels to increase the highway stability when traveling over 80mph. The rear of the car feels a bit squirrely under braking at higher speeds. Full coverage OEM engine skid plate, front and rear exhaust tunnel covers, and the rear axle cover are all inbound. I will likely add pics of those to this thread after I get them in.
So this is my initial shot at this thread. I had a few questions when researching and they were not answered. I'll try to answer them as I go on with this project.
Questions i'll try to answer for posterity
First of all, the power pack front calipers come with the GTI emblem cover plates preinstalled. This was relatively unclear when I was searching. I did not order them, hoping they'd be included. For reference, they are.
Second, the rear brake dust shields are mounted behind the hub. I will take detailed pics of this install, as I was not able to find any. I grabbed a pair of the hub bolts as they're stretch. More to come on this.
Next was the brake pads. I had to go through two separate sites to get a set of all four. MAPerformance had the fronts with no rears and Bestbrakes had the rears. Originally I ordered based on a part number I found (for the rears) and they were incorrect. I must've gotten R pads (if they are different). The tabs that contact the carrier were hooked on the sides, where the one I needed are just straight tabs. I paid a 20% restocking fee to correct this problem. Just an FYI on bestbrakes.com.
Also had to do a little research on the mounting direction of the rear carriers. They point with the weighted end pointing down. Mine came without packaging and no discernible part numbers printed on them. Stock didn't have counterweights on them.
Part numbers for the pads are as follows:
Front:FCP4425H
Rear:FCP1636H
These are both DS2500 street/track pads. From what I've read initial bite is OEM or better, and they still handle heat pretty well for a streetable pad. I'll post my observations after I get them installed and bedded.
Another thing that was pretty well discussed is the rear lines. Stock non-pp work fine for the fronts. Rears have to be replaced since the PP has a larger fitting for the banjo bolt.
I also weighed all the PP parts and will weigh the non-pp ones I remove to determine an actual difference. I'll post the charts of all the part numbers and weights here when I get it all finished.
So yeah, stay tuned here for updates as I get this all rolling. I'll take a ton of pics of the install and i'll note my findings and the end results.
I have everything on-hand. Just gotta find time in the next few days to get it all installed. Hoping I can get to it before the weekend, but it should be done by Saturday or Sunday at the latest.
Part Numbers of what I got:
Fronts
part p/n
rotor x25Q0-615-301-G
caliper (P)5G0-615-124-A
caliper (D)5G0-615-123-A
dust shield (P)5Q0-615-312-F
dust shield (D)5Q0-615-311-F
carrier (P)5G0-615-126-A
carrier (D)5G0-615-125-A
ferodo front padsFCP4425H
Rears
part p/n
rotor x25Q0-615-601-E
carrier (D)8U0-615-425-A
carrier (P)8U0-615-426-A
dust shield (P)5Q0-615-612-H
dust shield (D)5Q0-615-611-H
caliper (P)5F0-615-424
caliper (D)5F0-615-423
lines x25QM-611-775-D
ferodo rear padsFCP1636H
Weights of the items (in ounces):
Front
part weight (each side)
rotor x2378.2
caliper (P)170
caliper (D)169.6
dust shield (P)6
dust shield (D)6
carrier (P)80
carrier (D)79
ferodo front pads50
Rear:
part weight (each side)
rotor x2242
carrier (D)47
carrier (P)47
dust shield (P)15.5
dust shield (D)15.5
caliper (P)64
caliper (D)64
lines x2 0
ferodo rear pads19
carrier bolts x4 N91168901 0
wheel bearing bolts x2 WHT007150 0
Pics:
Here's the diameter of the piston on the non-pp vs the pp
front rotor size difference
front pad difference
Rear pad difference
Hanging the first caliper to install the line
brake duct installed
anti-sieze on the center and the hub
My bleeder and choice of fluid (had to wash out my last can of super blue
fluid looks a little rough
hanging the new caliper so I could swap over the lines
carrier fitted
Rear hub cover off
rear hub off
new rear dust shield
one time use stretch rear carrier bolts
One time use rear axle bolt
handbrake line
I like the feel, but I think I need to re-bleed them. It's not as crisp as I expected and there's a ton of blue still in my brake fluid. I wanted to get it together and hoped the bleeding I did would be sufficient. Also had a problem with my bleeder hoses starting to leak (it's almost 20 years old). I had to cut the ends off and re-clamp them on to the cap and the reservoir. Clamps I had in the garage weren't too tight, so I need to get some new hose and better clamps. I only pumped it to 10psi and it started to weep a little at the clamps.
Here's the weights, part numbers, and prices of everything (sorry, saved as an image, so you can't copy and paste)
I didn't add the price for the rear brake pad anti-rattle clips. They're coming from a parts dealer in Ohio, soon, and the PN is 117.33037, made by centric and $14.19 for the set (i'll confirm fitment here once I get them)
So, I got impatient and grabbed a cheap set of brakes from autozone, to use the anti-rattle clips. They almost fit, but weren't wide enough to clear the rotors. Here's a few pics of the trimming I did. Fit perfectly now. No more clacks.
Driving impressions today (day 2) are considerably more grab, initially, with a good deal more confidence inspired by the feel. These brakes are exactly what I was looking for. I am super happy with the upgrade. Haven't taken them out to mexico yet, but I will post back when I do. No squealing, good feel when they're cold or hot. Not too touchy, but way more responsive with a bit less pedal pressure needed than the non-pp brakes had.
Last edited:
