Rear brakes question

[andreigbs]

It's time to replace pads in the rear of my '04. The rotors don't look too good either, and I'm considering an upgrade. Tell me this please: is it possible to install vented discs in the rear, without any modification to the caliper? I remember on my old TDI, the front discs were solid and when I got new rotors they were vented and I was sweating thinking I got the wrong parts, but low and behold, they fit perfect (not to mention, stopped on a dime).

So, can I upgrade my rear discs to the vented ones without any other mods? Thanks in advance, kind helpful folk.

Andrei

 

[andreigbs]

nobody has tried installing vented rotors in the rear? i need brakes soon guys, give me a clue.

 

[Long_Range]

http://www.tdiparts.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=590

http://www.tdiparts.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=23_108&products_id=584

Their you go. With or without holes drilled. Holes cost much extra.
You can look above for links then click vendors to find a list. Or find some in the how to's.

 

[20IndigoBlue02]

nobody has tried installing vented rotors in the rear? i need brakes soon guys, give me a clue.

can't do it on the stock brakes. You will need a 337/20AE/GLI 1.8T (or TT/R32 w/spacer kit) conversion to use OEM vented rotors

 

[andreigbs]

thanks for links long_range, and IndigoBlue for clarifying that it is NOT possible without further modifications. That is exactly what I needed to know, much appreciated.

 

[andreigbs]

next question: if going to vented discs is not possible with stock configuration, are there any noticeable improvements with using, say, Zimmerman cross-drilled rotors (besides the coolness factor)?

if not, regular ole' Balo will do the trick and I'm thinking Pagid pads.

 

[20IndigoBlue02]

next question: if going to vented discs is not possible with stock configuration, are there any noticeable improvements with using, say, Zimmerman cross-drilled rotors (besides the coolness factor)?

if not, regular ole' Balo will do the trick and I'm thinking Pagid pads.

..and the cool sound it makes?

No real benefit. Actually, when I had them, over time, I started to get pretty irradic wear pattern on the rotors & pads, which I can only attribute to the Zimmerman x-drilled I had on the rear

 

[andreigbs]

reason i asked about x-drilled is because i used them on my older TDI when replacing fronts and i can't say i noticed an improvement other than aesthetics. I guess the question now becomes "if they perform at least as well as OEM, but look nice when you're stopped, is it worth $92 a pair?"

i'm looking to get about 2 sets of pads' life on these rotors.

 

[TDI_Convert]

I was told by a well known wrencher here on Freds that the stock rotors should be considered "consumables" along with the pads.

Different driving habits I guess, I have 92K on my stock brakes and still have plenty of pads left. Rotors are smooth too.......

 

[andreigbs]

i completely understand, it's just that i didn't buy the car new, so the rear pads already had 28,5k miles on them, and not very carefully used in that time. the pads had about half their thickness and now they're down to 1/8 in. or a little more. They look nothing like the front pads, so i ended buying new pads and rotors from Impex, new DOT4 fluid and the metalnerd rewind tool.

and yes, i went for looks over stock and bought the x-drilled zimmy's. when the time comes to do the fronts, i'll be "upgrading" those too. it looks nice when you're stopped and you have nice 16" GTI wheels. Why should the C230 Sport Kompressor Sedan have them and the Bora not?

 

[DrSmile]

The best bang/buck performance brake combination I've found is slotted rotors with GOOD pads. Cross drilled looks nice but the rotors crack and the performance gain is negligible. Many rotors that are priced cheap are actually made with inferior metal and come from China, I'd definitely stay away from those. By good pads I mean something like Porterfield R4S, not some wannabes like EBC Greens. Having said that, performance pads are expensive and the benefit is going to be minimal in the rear for a car that isn't set up for performance from the factory with either the right front/rear brake bias, adjustable proportioning valve, or a better weight distribution. The reason the TDI brakes are not vented in the back is because they are designed to minimally assist the front brakes for actual braking.

I personally accept the fact that my TDI is no performance vehicle. It's comfy, safe, and gets good mileage. It stops fine, but I'm not going to go into a turn at 90mph with it. I have my Evo to kill myself with for stunts like that.

 

[arvina]

.....i want an evo....

 

[andreigbs]

luckily the x-drilled zimmy's are made in germany AFAIK. i believe i got a good set of pads (PBR Deluxe),but if they're at least as good as OEM, as you said, the rears just help the fronts. i will report back with pics of the install, in my member's page, in case any of you are wondering what it will look like. as long as they don't squeal i'm ok.

 

[TornadoRed]

next question: if going to vented discs is not possible with stock configuration, are there any noticeable improvements with using, say, Zimmerman cross-drilled rotors (besides the coolness factor)?

if not, regular ole' Balo will do the trick and I'm thinking Pagid pads.

I hate the dust from Pagids. So I ordered some Akebono pads from BleachedBora ( http://forums.tdiclub.com/member.php?u=17172 ). I'd like to tell you how great they work, but I'm still running the crappy Pagids.

 

[andreigbs]

i've heard that most of the direct OEM replacements like Pagid, Jurid, Textar, etc. dust a lot, just like OEM pads dust. It's because of the softer organic compound i think. The stopping power is good though, better than semi-metallic pads, so i decided to stick with close to OEM for now. If I have to change rear pads every 50k miles or so i'll give each of the brands a try before i pass judgement. I've already tried Mintex, they dust plenty but have great bite and stopping power.

i'm willing to accept more dust but with quiet, good stopping power since i wash the car every week and dust doesn't accumulate too much.

 

[andreigbs]

today's update: i just installed my new Zimmerman x-drilles rotors with PBR deluxe organic pads in the rear, bled the brake lines and changed the fluid and came back from a spin around the block. the brakes feel much better now, they actually start slowing me down as soon as i apply them, it doesn't delay until i'm at the half of the pedal travel and then grabs like it used to. the pedal also has a firmer feel to it, but it's not THAT different as to make me say WOW, just a little firmer and the response is way better. also, without any adjustments of the parking brake, i now only need 2 clicks of the e-brake to park the car, whereas before it was about 4-5 clicks. i tested for drag, by feeling the temp of the tires, all 4 felt the same. i guess so far so good. These pads and rotors will last me at minimum 50k, but i think they should be good for up to 80k, since i do mainly freeway driving. i'll update later on after the pads are bedded in and comment on the dusting, if bothersome.

a quick thanks to you guys with the info about vented vs. solid, upgrades, and so on. i appreciate your input. this club and site rock!