Mk4 Brake Upgrades!

[aztecducky]

Feel free to post your own brake upgrades here!

Here's my 03 Jetta TDI. I used 986 generation non-S Porsche Boxster Brembo 4 pot calipers front and rear with OEM Brembo pads and hardware. I went with these over the 17Z/18Z big 6 pots so I wouldn't have to install a different master cylinder as the factory one doesn't move enough fluid to actuate those big brakes effectively.


Front adapters are Creations Motorsport BR0023 with their BL01 *front* stainless brake lines.

Rear adapters are Creations Motorsport BR0035 with their BL01 *rear* stainless brake lines.

Rear parking brake calipers are mk4 R32 calipers.

Front rotors are 312x25mm from the mk4 Anniversary GTIs and some first gen TTs

Rear rotors are 280x22mm which are factory size mk4 2.0/TDI *front* rotors


In order for the fronts to fit, I used Audi TT front knuckles, ball joints, and control arms. You can also use R32 parts, and probably 1.8T/VR6 parts. Car is on Airlift Performance bags and I'm running custom made 18x8.5 et30 wheels.

Front caliper fitment was very tight, rear fitment required grinding about 0.5mm of metal from the inner corner of the Brembo calipers. Everything else bolted up as it should and fit perfectly. Here are some pics:

OEM front brakes vs the replacement parts:

Front brackets installed on TT knuckles:

Rear brakes installed:

Front brakes before:

Front brakes after:

Rear brakes before:

Rear brakes after, you can see where I had to clearance the calipers slightly:

Everything installed:

Front brakes are a very tight fit but don't rub:

 

[scrambld]

Nice! On my 2015 Passat TDI I used 2008 R32 front calipers/brackets/dust shields/345mm rotors and on the rear I used the same 2008 R32 rear calipers/brackets/some aftermarket dust shields/310mm vented rotors. Everything fits and works as it should...all looks OEM. I do have Porsche Macan 4 pot front calipers to swap on in the future. I too avoided the urge for the 17/18Z 6pots because of the volume. People who have done that swap do say the calipers have incredible clamping power but it comes with extended pedal travel/low pedal, I wanted to avoid that.

Just wanted to add an edit. My front calipers (Macan calipers too) and brackets came from the boneyard. My rear R32 calipers and brackets I got off a failed project from an ad placed on VW Vortex. Those a big ticket items to buy new....I'm frugal. Plus everything can be cleaned up and painted. Look and function great!

 

[northern diesel]

Front rotors are 312x25mm from the mk4 Anniversary GTIs and some first gen TTs

I wonder whether this big of a rotor would fit without issue in an aftermarket 16inch rim …?
I’ve got a mk4 wagon (also grey) with a 2inch lift.
I just tried to fit up my new rims , and they come into contact with the calipers, so I’m thinking one way to solve this would be to upgrade my brakes. But not sure if that means following your lead with the steering knuckles as well in order to mount the larger calipers.
312 mm front and back would hopefully work.

 

[scrambld]

^^^ Not sure how different your 06 MK4 waggy was to my old 06 MK5 jetta. But I upgraded to 312mm fronts with ONLY rotors, caliper brackets, and dust shields.....used the original calipers as they were the same from the...?288mm front rotors. OEM 16" wheels fit fine

 

[northern diesel]

^^^ Not sure how different your 06 MK4 waggy was to my old 06 MK5 jetta. But I upgraded to 312mm fronts with ONLY rotors, caliper brackets, and dust shields.....used the original calipers as they were the same from the...?288mm front rotors. OEM 16" wheels fit fine

Yeah thanks - I’ll do some more research. Just the steering knuckle I’m not too sure about mk4 - mk5. But your way would save a bunch of money

 

[northern diesel]

I’m thinking I’ll go with something like this …

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-assembled-by-ecs-parts/vr6-18t-spindle-conversion-kit-with-caliper-carriers/esr407255kit/

Unless there’s a better bang for buck option out there.
Today I shaved down and cleaned up my rear Calipers so that my spacers and new rims will fit.
https://flic.kr/p/2qqYWSm https://flic.kr/p/2qqZnp3 https://flic.kr/p/2qqXCjE Unfortunately though the front contact points are with the brake pads themselves - so I will need to convert to larger rotors and bigger brakes.
I don’t think I need to go TT or R32 - to run their rotor and brakes - according to these super helpful write ups about big brakes conversions.
https://www.myturbodiesel.com/d2/1000q/a4/BB-upgrade-kit-mk4-VW.htm

https://www.myturbodiesel.com/d2/1000q/a4/audi-tt-spindle.htm

Anyone done the ECS option above
Satisfied ?

 

[northern diesel]

Cascade German sells on eBay - this kit comes
With the brakes and brake lines.
I think I’m going to do it

NEW VW Mk4 20th Anniversary 280mm to 312mm Eurospec Front Big Brake Upgrade Kit | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for NEW VW Mk4 20th Anniversary 280mm to 312mm Eurospec Front Big Brake Upgrade Kit at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.ca

 

[J_dude]

Unfortunately though the front contact points are with the brake pads themselves - so I will need to convert to larger rotors and bigger brakes.

Maybe I missed it but how are bigger brakes going to work if the stock size is already hitting the wheel?
And yeah basically for anything bigger than stock you need 1.8T/VR6 spindles with carriers, which you could probably find at your local pick-n-pull for a lot less than ECS.
Kicking myself for not grabbing the big brake set on a car at Bucks Auto in Regina a couple weeks back but I just didn’t have the time for that. Didn’t measure but they looked like 312mm fronts.

 

[northern diesel]

Maybe I missed it but how are bigger brakes going to work if the stock size is already hitting the wheel?
And yeah basically for anything bigger than stock you need 1.8T/VR6 spindles with carriers, which you could probably find at your local pick-n-pull for a lot less than ECS.
Kicking myself for not grabbing the big brake set on a car at Bucks Auto in Regina a couple weeks back but I just didn’t have the time for that. Didn’t measure but they looked like 312mm fronts.

I feel you- I passed up a 1.8T that showed up with totally decent brakes and shocks too- it was not the day- and then the whole car was gone.
No, my issue is rubbing on the inside diameter.
I bought a stupid set of rims with a massive bolt pattern - no returns or refunds.
it was impulsive and now I’m going to make them fit.
spacers arrived yesterday and it’s the outside edge of the spacer that contacts the calipers on the back and the brake pads on the front.
back is solved now- but in order to fit them in the front I need to upgrade to the vr6 or Tt.
After shipping and customs it’s going to be pretty pricey - but I will have the ability to play with different brakes if I ever need in the future.

 

[aztecducky]

I wonder whether this big of a rotor would fit without issue in an aftermarket 16inch rim …?

I'm running 290mm front rotors with OEM WRX 2 pistons calipers on the front of my Forester on 16" wheels and I've still got a good amount of room. It all depends on how thick the calipers are and how far they stick out past the diameter of the rotor. I know the factory 1.8T/VR6 brakes will fit in a 16" wheel, and those are bigger than TDI stocks. Keep in mind you'll have to change out your knuckles if you're changing to different brakes. The 2.0/TDI front knuckles are really weird and have the brake caliper bracket molded into them so it's all one piece.

 

[oilhammer]

Heh, even in Texas, Subarus rust out....

(sorry, couldn't resist... the joke in our family when we had one was 'on a quiet night, you could hear it rusting' )

 

[aztecducky]

Heh, even in Texas, Subarus rust out....

In all fairness, the rust was there when I bought it. The car spent the first 150k miles of its life in New Jersey
It hasn't gotten any worse since i bought it 9 years ago lol

 

[oilhammer]

We had to retire ours when the floorboards got to the point that the two front seat passengers were leaning shoulder against shoulder because there was no more seat mounts left underneath. It was an '80 GL wagon. Great car for reliability, the old pushrod carbureted 1.6L. No headgasket problems, slow as heck, and just a four speed. But it always started, and we ran it hard off road for the last decade of its life.

 

[bigsexyTDI]

The Jazz Solo Cup livery is so so so good...