Sub-to-Dub's 2017 GTI Sport

[Sub-to-Dub]

September 2021

Project: pad/rotor install, bleed brakes on PP equipped car
Products: Centric Posi-Quiet ceramic pads, Zimmerman rotors, OE hardware
Cost: ~$350
Install time: 4 hours
Difficulty: 2/5


I'm taking a cross-county road trip next month and figured it was a good excuse to do brakes. The car only has 30k miles on it and given the pad material left I probably had 30k more miles left but the dust and noise has been driving me nuts. The replacement parts are nothing special, just OE level stuff but I'm expecting the pads to dust less and remain quiet in all conditions.

This isn't a how-to but here's a quick outline of the tools needed and some tips/observations. The parts and notes below are for a performance pack equipped car.

Required tools/materials:

• 17mm socket -- lug bolts
• 13mm socket/wrench or M8 triple square-- caliper slide bolts
• Thin 16mm wrench or needle nose vise grips -- to counter-hold the caliper pins
• 21mm socket -- front caliper carrier bolts
• M14 triple square -- rear caliper carrier bolts
• Torx T30 -- rotor set screw
• Socket wrench
• Torque wrench (one that can handle 200Nm)
• Caliper piston retracting tool. I used this model from Amazon
• Wire brush/sandpaper/wheel/etc to clean up the hub faces
• Grease (for caliper pins, shims, back of pads, etc.) Make sure it's safe for rubber if doing the caliper guide pins. I used SIL-Glyde.
• Minimum hardware: rear caliper carrier bolts (4 of N91168901) as recommended by the service manual since they are torque-to-yeild

Optional tools/materials:

• (4) front caliper carrier bolt -- N91084901
• (4) Rotor set screw -- N10648301
• (8) Caliper guide pin bolts -- WHT010085
• Anti-seize -- for the hubs
• 11mm wrench -- for caliper bleed nipple
• DOT 4 LV fluid, I used a liter of ATE SL.6

Installation notes/tips:
This wasn't much different than doing a brake job on any other car. The only thing that was new for me were the rear calipers (which use the caliper piston for the parking brake vs a separate shoe). This means you'll need a special (but inexpensive) tool to get the job done. Most folks probably know these things but here's a list my past self would have found useful before starting this job:

• For the bolts on the front caliper carriers, turn the wheel all the way to one side so you can get a breaker bar and torque wrench in there. I was working on jack stands and there's no way I would have been able to achieve the 200Nm required for those caliper carrier bolts without that extra space to work.
• Remember to open the fluid reservoir cap when retracting the pistons and watch for spillage.
• Make sure to have your parking brake off when doing the rears.
• If you have one of these universal caliper tools, make sure you use the tool labeled "RH". This will allow you to turn the caliper piston clockwise while the tool pushes against the caliber body opposite the piston. Don't be like me and waste time thinking "LH" and "RH" are for the different sides of the vehicle. Doh! The pistons need to be turned clockwise while being pushed in order to retract.
• If the piston boot is twisting with the piston as it retracts try applying a little silicon spray to help it stay put so it doesn't tear.
• For the rear caliper carrier bolts, if you're on jack stands like I was, using a socket wrench with a swivel head allowed me to break the bolts by aiming the tool in front of the strut and out the wheel well.
• The replacement pads came with a wire for the wear sensor. My '17 Sport doesn't need this so I just snipped the wire.
• I wasn't able to get my torque wrench in to tighten the rear carrier bolts so I just snugged everything up tightly.
• If the brake rotor won't come off with a few whacks with a mallet, spray a little penetrating fluid on the hub and in the bolt holes and wait a few minutes. Don't be afraid to really hit it (I had to get out the small sledge hammer for a few).
• Clean and remove any rust from the hub surface of rust before installing the new rotors. It's probably overkill in most cases but why not start with a fresh surface and minimize any chance of vibration?
• I applied a very thin layer of anti-seize to the hub before putting the rotors back on. I know folks have differing opinions on this but given how stuck a few of my rotors were this seemed liked good insurance for future me, just don't over do it.
• Pay attention to the caliper guide pins. My car only has 30k on it but the grease on most of the pins was really dirty and runny (maybe some water got in?). It certainly can't hurt to apply some fresh grease. Whatever you use make sure it's safe for rubber.
• If you're anywhere near the service interval for bleeding the brakes, consider doing it now. A power bleeder make this a 10 minutes job.
• Bed in the pads according to the pad manufacturer. For these pads Centric told me: "make 10 stops from 50mph down to 10mph or so, in relatively quick succession. Being careful not to come to a complete stop during the 10 stops."

So that's it, just a few thoughts on the job. Overall it was pretty straightforward, just take your time with those rear pistons.


All the parts ready to go. You really only need to replace the rear caliper carrier bolts but I got all new hardware (yes, definitely overkill).

PP fronts. They'll never looks this nice again

The rears were more difficult (at least on jack stands) due to tighter bolt access and having to retract the pistons.

 

[Sub-to-Dub]

I'm a very visual person and when I was researching how to perform a spring/damper install I naturally looked at as many photos and watched as many videos as I could.

After completing the work I put together a basic illustration that approximates the front and rear suspension layout to help folks understand how the various parts and hardware fit together. Will this actually be of help to anyone? Who knows, but it was fun to make!

In terms of what additional parts are needed for suspension work, folks replace/reuse hardware to varying degrees but consider the age of the existing hardware and potential for noise or other issues if reused as well as guidance from the factory service manual. Obviously this isn't a proper technical diagram but hopefully it helps give an overall impression.

Location	Diagram #	Description	OEM part #	Qty/side	Replacement req?
Front	1	Strut top nut	N91021601	1	Recommended (most aftermarket struts provide this part and override the OEM part) (aftermarket struts may use a different size than OEM)
Front	2	Strut mount bolt	N10127707	3	Recommended
Front	3	Strut mount	5Q0412331E	1	Consider
Front	4	Strut bearing	5Q0412249E	1	Recommended
Front	5	Bump stop	1K0412303B	1	No (unless you want a spare to trim to pair w/ lowering springs) (some aftermarket springs come with replacements and some aftermarket struts have internal bump stops)
Front	6	Dust boot	5Q0413175C	1	No
Front	7	Coil spring	---	1	---
Front	8	Lower spring pad	5QM412545	1	No
Front	9	Endlink nut	N0150816	1	No
Front	10	Endlink	5Q0411315A	1	No
Front	11	Strut	---	1	---
Front	12	Spindle nut	N10106402	1	Recommended
Front	13	Spindle bolt	N90954802		Recommended
Front	14	Outer axle bolt	WHT005437A	1	Recommended (if removed during install)
Front	15	Ball joint nut	N10332002	3	Recommended (if removed during install)

---

Location	Diagram #	Description	OEM part #	Oty/side	Replacement req?
Rear	1	Cap	1J0512135A	1	No
Rear	2	Shock top nut	WHT007127	1	Recommended (most aftermarket shocks provide this part and override the OEM part)
Rear	3	Shock mount	5Q0513353E	1	Recommended
Rear	4	Shock mount bolt	N90648402	2	Consider
Rear	5	Bump stop	5Q0511357P	1	No (unless you want a spare to trim to pair w/ lowering springs) (some aftermarket springs come with replacements)
Rear	6	Dust boot	5Q0513425J	1	No
Rear	7	Shock	---	1	---
Rear	8	Upper spring support	5Q0512149F	1	No (unless you need a thicker pad to correct reverse rake. Audi TT pads are commonly used)
Rear	9	Coil spring	---	1	---
Rear	10	Lower spring support	5Q0512297D	1	No
Rear	11	Endlink	5Q0505465C	1	No (good time to check for damage or to install upgraded units)
Rear	12	Endlink nut	N90183803	1	Consider
Rear	13	Endlink bolt	N10776501	1	Consider
Rear	14	Shock nut	N10106402	1	Recommended
Rear	15	Shock bolt	N10628301	1	Recommended
Rear	16	Lower control arm nut	N10106402	1	Recommended
Rear	17	Lower control arm bolt	N10640501	1	Recommended

 

[Sub-to-Dub]

August 2021

After months on backorder I finally picked up a set of BBS COs. I purchased these as a set with tires from Tirerack and this is my first set of wheels that wasn't sourced from the OEM catalog.

The wheels are 18x8 with a +44 offset, they use the OEM hardware (bolts and covers), and hub-centering rings are not required. They're about the same weight as the Austins (right around 24-25lbs). Some may say that's silly but I chose them purely for aesthetic reasons and I'm ok with that . They're perhaps not as complementary of the angular sharpe of the MK7 as some other designs but I've always loved this style on older VWs and Audis.

Tires are Continental ExtremeContact DWS06+ in 235/40-18. I decided on the Contis over the PSAS4 since I suspected the comfort factor would be greater. I had the AS3+ previously and while they were amazing in the dry, their snow performance was weak, they were loud on the highway, and didn't wear well.

So far the DWS06+ are quiet and great in the dry and wet. The biggest cons are some initial vagueness right off center and the tread width/design gives the sidewall a very inner tube look: it doesn't have the chunky sidewall like the AS3+ or the Comp-2 A/S. Certainly not a reason to pass on these but it's definitely a con in the looks department.

Remember, if you're changing to a different tire size, be sure to adjust the pressures accordingly (I used this calculator as a guide). For example, the pressure recommended from the factory on the 225/40/18s is 37psi all around, with these new tires at 235/40/18 the equivalent psi is around 34. That felt a little soft so I upped it to 36 and that's a good middle ground. I'll keep an eye out for any uneven wear as time goes on.

So far I've done about 500 miles on the new setup and am really enjoying the change!


Showing the final ride height with B8's and DG springs after about 1,000 miles.

I contemplated spacers in the rear but ultimately decided I didn't want to deal with spacers or different sized bolts anymore. Maybe I'll change my mind down the road.

I missed a great opportunity to ceramic coat (or at least wax) the wheels when they were new. Excitement got the better of me and I put them on as soon as I could.

 

[Sub-to-Dub]

Spent some time this weekend prepping the car for a road trip out to Colorado. With a few stops it should be be just about 4,000 miles round trip. I'm bringing the bike to do some mountain biking so I dusted off the hitch rack as well. Here was the checklist:

• Oil and filter change - I noticed Mann changed the part number at some point, new filter material maybe?
• Checked coolant, tire pressures, battery, etc.
• New OEM wiper blades - still haven't found ones I like better (at any price).
• Cleaned and Rain X'd windows.
• Installed new dash cam (cheap Amazon one stopped working at some point).
• Cleaned up the EcoHitch since it was starting to accumulate some surface rust.
• Washed and applied sealant

With the new suspension, brakes, and tires the car has never felt better. Looking forward to the long drive ahead!

 

[Sub-to-Dub]

Successfully completed a 3,600 mile road trip from VA to CO and back. The car was completely packed with the wife, dog, luggage, camping gear, and a mountain bike on the hitch.

The drive out was great aside from a little vibration at 75ish. Considering the fresh alignment and new wheels/tires I was kinda annoyed. Between the extra weight, steady gain in altitude, and my lead foot the average fuel economy was about 31mpg. Otherwise the car did great.

The car did feel the altitude some (we were staying at about 8,000ft) and the turbo kinda became an on/off switch but there was more than enough power for passing all those RVs.

As a side note, biking out in CO is absolutely amazing. So many gorgeous trails for a wide range of skill levels and moods. I can't wait to go back!

Returning home, I pegged it to get up to speed entering an onramp, touched redline, and promptly got a check engine and EPC light. The check engine light went out and I was left with the EPC light and limited performance. Limped to the next exit, turned the car off and on, the EPC light went out and all was well. A scan with OBDeleven revealed several misfire codes. No issues after that but it sure gave me a good scare. I was low on (91) gas and maybe the car didn't like running at full steam under those circumstances? Thankfully the rest of the trip was uneventful.

This was my first big road trip in the GTI and wouldn't hesitate to do another!

Small car but it sure holds a lot of crap

Some great roads out west!

Only car at the trailhead

 

[Sub-to-Dub]

I've seen a few questions in other treads about the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06+ vs the Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4. I can't comment on the Michelins (they sound like a great tire) but having spent some quality time with the Contis I wanted to offer my thoughts for anyone considering these tires.

Pros:
-High levels of dry and wet traction
-Quiet on the highway
-Comfortable ride overall
-Priced lower than the Michelins (as well as the Goodyear, Bridgestone and Pirelli offerings)
-I can't comment on snow traction but if the original DWS06s are any indication these will be solid

Cons:
-Steering feel is a little vague
-Not super confidence inspiring at the limit (a little floaty maybe?)
-So-so hydroplane resistance
-Sidewalls/profile isn't very meaty looking (not a big deal but worth mentioning, the tread pattern is cool though)

You trade some responsiveness for the more compliant ride but they're perfect for 95% of the driving I do. I was so close to going with the PSAS4 but was put off by the firmness, poor tread life, and noise of the AS3+ I had previously. I suspect the new AS4s fix some of those negatives but I wanted to try something different and price of the Contis sealed the deal.

If anyone has specific questions about the tire feel free to ask, hopefully I can answer.

 

[uvasteven]

When I have my mtb on the hitch it kills my mpg. It's like a big windsail! Car looks great, I almost got those wheels. I ended up with 18" Pretorias and the same tires.

 

[ckuhns]

When I have my mtb on the hitch it kills my mpg. It's like a big windsail! Car looks great, I almost got those wheels. I ended up with 18" Pretorias and the same tires.

Yeah.. I recently did a 3hr trip with a bike, got 26mpg on the highway, on the way back without the bike (or the bike rack!) just over 30mpg. Whenever I'm doing a trip and don't have anything else in the back, I try and toss the bike in the back of the car rather than the rack to help a bit.

 

[reddaugherty]

September 2021

Project: pad/rotor install, bleed brakes on PP equipped car
Products: Centric Posi-Quiet ceramic pads, Zimmerman rotors, OE hardware
Cost: ~$350
Install time: 4 hours
Difficulty: 2/5

Hey @Sub-to-Dub , now that you've had that pad and rotor combo on your setup for awhile, how would you say it compares to the OE brakes, especially in regards to initial bite and dusting?

 

[Sub-to-Dub]

Hey @Sub-to-Dub , now that you've had that pad and rotor combo on your setup for awhile, how would you say it compares to the OE brakes, especially in regards to initial bite and dusting?

Overall, I'm satisfied with the pads and rotors, especially for the price.

The Posi-Quiet ceramics definitely dust less than the OE pads, maybe half as much if I had to try and quantify it. There's no initial grab like the OE pads and the feel is pretty linear. The pads work well in the cold and I've had no issues with fade on some spirited back-road drives. The Zimmerman rotors are fine, zero noise and the coating has resisted rust so far.

I'd probably try another set of pads next time just to mix things up but no regrets this time around. I think they're a great replacement for a daily driver just don't expect any real performance benefits.

 

[Sub-to-Dub]

June 2022

Project: subwoofer installation
Product: Helix subwoofer
Cost: $220
Install time: 1 hour
Difficulty: 2/5


Installed the Helix sub this past weekend. Snagged it from VW of Murrieta during the Memorial Day sale. I've almost pulled the trigger on this a dozen times over the last few years but the prospect of increased prices and reduced availability finally made me commit.

Installation was actually easier than expected and took about an hour. I was able to read the great info here and watch some videos on YouTube to help me prepare. The wiring reconfiguration was a breeze with the terminal tool. The most time-consuming part was removing the trim and routing the wiring harness to the back of the car.

Test fitting the sub over the spare:

(Carefully) removing trim off was the most time-consuming part for me:

Wiring was straightforward with the wire terminal tool (and great videos on YouTube):

Surprise under the rear seat-looks like the original packaging from the seat manufacturer never removed at the factory:

Overall, the sound is definitely improved even without programming. It's the first time I've actually wanted to turn the volume up because things sound clearer and less harsh. I have the bass and treble at zero and I can tell there is room for improvement but am happy with the upgrade.

I can't wait to program it and unlock its full potential (just need to wait on the dongle rental).

 

[Sub-to-Dub]

So after I installed the Helix sub I found myself with a lot less room under the hatch floor for stuff. Pre-Helix here's what I usually carried around:

• Basic tool kit (socket set, screwdrivers, etc).
• Jumper cables
• Jumper pack
• 12v air compressor
• First aid kit
• Fire extinguisher
• Quart of oil
• Straps/tie downs for rooftop cargo
• Rear seat cover
• Blanket for dirty dogs, impromptu picnics, etc.
• Reusable grocery bags

So now not everything fits and I'm not one to have stuff floating around the cabin so I went looking for some alternative storage solutions. To start, I stumbled on the VW first aid kit and thought it looked like a good way to move one item so I snagged a new one on eBay.

It has Velcro on the back and hooks onto the sides of the trunk. Time will tell how well it hangs on or if it rattles around but right now it feels pretty secure. Anyway, it's pretty inconspicuous and it frees up a little space for all the other crap I carry around.

The budget is tighter these days so the "mods" are getting less glamorous

 

[StealthGTI]

Hey,

I can't wait to program it and unlock its full potential (just need to wait on the dongle rental).

If you feel like a drive to Williamsburg, I'll program it for free and practically as soon as you want. I'll be in Toano this weekend. Just let me know. My website's "Contact" page is the fastest way to get in touch.

 

[Sub-to-Dub]

Hey,



If you feel like a drive to Williamsburg, I'll program it for free and practically as soon as you want. I'll be in Toano this weekend. Just let me know. My website's "Contact" page is the fastest way to get in touch.

Thanks, appreciate the offer! If I get impatient waiting for the rental I'll let you know

 

[Sub-to-Dub]

June 2022

Project: install a protective exhaust tunnel shield
Product: ECS tunnel shield
Cost: $220
Install time: 1.5 hours
Difficulty: 2/5 (not technically difficult but without a lift, it's physically challenging working in close quarters under the car)


I got the ECS tunnel shield installed today. I don't have a lift but managed to do this with the front wheels on ramps (with a slightly sloping driveway it gave me just enough room to access everything) but I will confess my shoulders are sore from contorting my arms under the car. Aside from a stubborn bolt holding the exhaust hanger bracket not wanting to tread back in, the installation was straightforward. Here are my impressions so far:

+ Fitment is great and the bolt holes allow for easy adjustability
+ Feels sturdy and well made
+ Price is reasonable for the quality and the fact it's a specialized part
+ Instructions (online) are high-quality and include all torque specs
- Front hardware doesn't feel as premium as the included OEM stuff for the rear
- Possibility for increased temperatures but just something to keep an eye on

Only time will tell how this holds up if it offers some basic protection but it's comforting having it on the car.


Shield and hardware

Installation requires the removal of a middle brace with four bolts as well as a rear brace with four nuts.

I found it easiest to get the back tabs tucked under the edge of the plastic with nuts threaded on to hold the rear

View of the front that attaches to a bracket added to the existing exhaust hanger

View looking towards the rear of the car