The old Vr6 brake upgrade

[maff 10]

Well yesterday confirmed why I feel the need for a brake upgrade, the vr6 can get get quite a truck on with a spirited drive and yesterday the old girl really didn't give me a lot of confidence that I was a gonna 'a' end up in the hedge and '2' have a trip to a&e!

 

Ive done a bit of a search and obviously I'm limited as I'd like to keep the standard 15" speedline look if possible? so I take it the biggest I can go is the 288 setup from the mk4's? is it worth doing the rears as well?

 

So what are my options? and where's the best place to get the bits from, ebay?

 

cheers matt

[Jim 1]

288's are really worth doing - the difference from 280 -> 288 is fairly substantial. No real point in doing the rears - you could go from the MK2 to MK4 calipers just as a general improvement though.

[maff 10]

Cheers jim, is that the biggest I can go then with the standard 15" speedlines?

 

And are the calipers from the mk4? so I know what to search for on ebay:-)

[Jim 1]

Sadly 288's are the largest you can go if you want to stick with Speedlines. If you want 312's you need to go up to 16" wheels :(

 

And the 288's were used on the MK3 Golf (even the 16v's, not just the VR6) so that's where you need to be looking :) I'm not sure if the hoses are different (I think they are) and I'm pretty sure you'll need the matching caliper carriers too..

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1997-MK3-GOLF-288MM-FRONT-CALIPERS-CARRIERS-GTI-8V-16V-VR6-/281050444118?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item416fe97156

[maff 10]

Thanks for the info jim, great help:-)

 

---------- Post added at 10:34 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:31 AM ----------

 

Also I felt a bit of twisting, squirming from the front end when I really stood on the brakes, never had this on my other vr's so I'm thinking the strut turrets? so a strut brace would help there surely?

I was braking hard from about 100mph? felt quite strange, all the bushes are new and rear beam bushes have recently been done too?

[Kevin Bacon 5]

That's probably the rear end going light. The front end can feel a bit wayward in those situations if the road isn't dead flat.

 

As Jim says, 288s is your lot with standard Speedlines and even then many people have trouble with the calipers fouling wheel weights. Clearance is measured with rizla papers with new discs and pads.

[maff 10]

I don't think it was the back going light, I remember an occasion when I almost lost the back end in my old vr6 at well over 100mph, new trouser moment but she looked after me in the end:-)

I think with a combo of the car being lowered and quite stiff with the koni's set to firm maybe there was a lot of force Being transfered to all the components and it just felt like the front end was twisting actual metal, not weight transfer, more like flex? it was slowing from about cough#$ 1#€ mph into bumpy right handed corner so maybe most cars would be in the limit:-D

I always found the vr6 more fun the harder I drive it though, and I sure did need the weekend blast it was great fun

[emu 0]

I have 288, brembo disc and greenstuff pads on front and they are CRAP !!!!!! well, they are braking much better than standard oem 280mm setup but still not enough for me.

 

---------- Post added at 12:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:23 PM ----------

 

I got that for sale

 

http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?78388-New-4pot-Light-brakes

 

I believe you need 16" to fit them, calipers are light and small but didn't tried them under speedlines, 99,9% they won't fit.

[Jim 1]

Just use OE discs and pads. They're awesome. And seemingly indestructible - they've been on my car since I bought it.. I've done 20,000 miles at least, and I don't know how many the previous owner did. We stripped the brakes off this weekend and the pads and discs look like they have YEARS left on them.

[swampy 0]

I have 288, brembo disc and greenstuff pads on front and they are CRAP !!!!!! well, they are braking much better than standard oem 280mm setup but still not enough for me.

 

---------- Post added at 12:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:23 PM ----------

 

I got that for sale

 

http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?78388-New-4pot-Light-brakes

 

I believe you need 16" to fit them, calipers are light and small but didn't tried them under speedlines, 99,9% they won't fit.

 

That will be the pads!!

 

Green stuff are BEst used as paperweights!!!

[maff 10]

I have 288, brembo disc and greenstuff pads on front and they are CRAP !!!!!! well, they are braking much better than standard oem 280mm setup but still not enough for me.

 

---------- Post added at 12:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:23 PM ----------

 

I got that for sale

 

http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?78388-New-4pot-Light-brakes

 

I believe you need 16" to fit them, calipers are light and small but didn't tried them under speedlines, 99,9% they won't fit.

 

lol, cheers emu! filling me with confidence on the upgrade:-D

[emu 0]

That will be the pads!!

 

Green stuff are BEst used as paperweights!!!

 

I have greenstuff pads on my other cars and they were ok but brakes were bigger.

[seanl82 23]

288mm were on the all mk3 GTI from 95 onward, so you will be able to get them from the 8v versions too. :thumbleft:

[VR6 Lee 0]

288mm are great. On my mk4 golf I went from 288mm to 312mm and there was hardly any difference

[pbradley98 0]

Another vote for the 288s - very pleased with mine. They do just fit under speedies, but had to get my wheels rebalanced so that the weights were right up against the inside of the spokes if that makes sense, otherwise they rubbed (and made quite an annoying sound!) on the calipers.

[maff 10]

Well I'd defo like to keep the oe look with the 15" speedlines so ill go on the hunt for some 288's then!

 

And I just use my original corrado vr6 discs and pads right?

[GlosterOx 0]

Well I'd defo like to keep the oe look with the 15" speedlines so ill go on the hunt for some 288's then!

 

And I just use my original corrado vr6 discs and pads right?

 

You will need the Calipers, Carriers, 288mm discs and suitable pads from a Mk3 Golf GTI to do this upgrade.

 

Ian.

[maff 10]

I can't believe I just said 'use my old discs!' must of had a funny turn!

[pbradley98 0]

As Ian says you'll need new discs and pads as the main benefit of the upgrade is the increased pad contact area between the pad and the disc because the mk3 pads are so much larger - the actual diameter difference of 8mm makes very little difference as far as I understand....

[joebloggsVR69 0]

I've always wondered.. is it possible to just change the calipers & carriers to the 288 type, but keep the 280 discs?

Makes no difference to me anymore, as I'm on 288's :)

[maff 10]

You wouldn't think just 8mm would have such an improvement? But then that's round the whole diameter of the disc and the calipers are probably of better design and clamp with a bit force? And they are a cheap mod so ill report back!, good ridge hoses won't go a miss with this mod to eh?

[Peebee 0]

I've got 288's they are good, but im still to upgrade my master cylinder. It needs it too.

[science 0]

You wouldn't think just 8mm would have such an improvement? But then that's round the whole diameter of the disc and the calipers are probably of better design and clamp with a bit force? And they are a cheap mod so ill report back!, good ridge hoses won't go a miss with this mod to eh?

 

The pads have 1/3 more contact area, well worth the upgrade. Make sure you Goodridge send you the right bolts with the kit, mine were too short! They did send the right bolts next day for free though.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Bigger pistons aswell IIRC. If you can't improve braking power with leverage (disc diameter) because of wheel size limitations, good old extra friction comes a close second :D

 

288s should have been standard on a 146mph Coupe.

 

As others have said and as I have also confirmed, EBC pads are utter garbage. Steer clear. OE MK4 GTI pads are what you need and work LOADS better than EBC GreenSchitt.

[maff 10]

Thanks guys are the mk4 gti pads the absolute best ones to get? also just get the standard 288 vr6 mk3 discs?

 

only asking as I had a prodrive scooby that had the standard four pot brakes which were not particularly effective but the uprated pads made a huuuge difference, they were more for track work as you could feel them bite more and more as the brakes got hotter, not great when they were cold!