Best 288mm Brake Upgrade. Passat or Golf Calipers?

[science 0]

I'm upgrading from 280mm standard vr front brakes.

I've already replaced the rears for mk4 jobbies and don't want to add excessive pedal travel.

I'm going for braided hoses so the Passat screw or Golf banjo connectors shouldn't be a problem.

 

Are the Passat 57mm piston calipers any better the Golf 54mm for braking force / pedal feel?

 

It looks to me like the Golf ATE 54mm calipers can be easily identified by the diamond hole in the side, is that the same for the Passat ATE 57mm calipers?

[Roger Blassberg 0]

Depends what you want. A 57mm caliper piston will give 11 percent more braking force than a 54mm piston at the pad for a given pedal force, at the expense of a longer pedal travel (because you have to shove more fluid down the pipe to move the larger piston). Think of it as a lever - the longer the effort end moves, the greater the force at the load.

 

I'll get back to you on the identification marks - I have a B4 Passat (I assume with 57mm 288mm calipers/discs) and the VR Corrado with Golf Mk3 GTi 288 setup.

 

Best wishes

 

RB

[fendervg 33]

The 54 mm are fine - with the 57 mm you don't need new hoses, you can reuse or replace with original ones.

 

Here's a pic of 288s on, afaik these are the 54mm ones.