Some recent mods on my TDI.........

[petea4]

Though i'd share some of the mods i've done this past month.

The white/cream headliner has always bothered me. I drive with my windows open often. The sunroof is always open, winter or summer, doesn't matter. Either full heat, or the A/C is cranked with the roof open. The cream headliner then gets dirty, and it doesn't clean up well.

Last weekend, stripped out the headliner and other bits:

20th/GLI black headliner:

Very happy with the result.


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Week before the headliner swap:

I take good care of the brakes, but i still manage to warp the rotors. So it was time to do something about it. Sourced a set of 20th/337 brakes, and headed up to Caledon Village to visit with our fellow TDI'er lanciaf1. He offered to help with the brake swap in his shop.

The car on the hoist, with the rear axle out:

20th/337 setup to go in. 12.3 vented fronts/10.1 vented rears:

Installed:

All done, rolling out with the stock setup in the trailer:

Today the antenna base was replaced, and the front/rear Aero wipers were installed.

New tires are next, then off to TDIfest..................

later,
Pete

 

[mo_focus]

wow, looks amazing pete.

 

[Sweeps]

LOVE the black headliner.

 

[RichDiesel]

Love the garage set up. So jealous.

 

[redlinedave]

Looks awsome.

 

[LNXGUY]

I'd love to do that rear conversion.. I hate solid rotors...

 

[SilveR316]

Looks amazing. I might have to do an interior swap like that at some point.

 

[volkswheels]

Looks great!

 

[lanciaf1]

Looks really good Pete, how much better is your braking now vs stock?

 

[Bob_Fout]

I'd love to do that rear conversion.. I hate solid rotors...

All MK IVs are vented on all 4s I thought?

 

[je]

OEM rears are solid.

Here is my old one:

 

[Toronto_Vento]

Interesting...if it looks like I'll keep the car for a few years, I might just end up swapping brakes all around.

Good job!

 

[petea4]

Looks really good Pete, how much better is your braking now vs stock?

It's much better. Inspected it all on Thursday, and found my driver wheel showed signs of a brake fluid leak. The brake line bolt wet, so backed it off, retightened, and bled. It's all good now!

I really like your setup. If i move out to some property, i'm setting up shop like yours.

later,
Pete

 

[PHAT-DUB]

you can't go wrong with the GLI/20th set up for brakes i did this 3 season's ago along with all my other major mods.

I only have a few more thing to complete to say that i am complete....maybe


PS looks good pete....now get that rust fixed on the hood.

 

[Bob_Fout]

OEM rears are solid.

Here is my old one:

Well I'll be dipped in chocolate, they are solid. Seems pretty odd since the rears do most of the braking...

 

[jamieson32]

Seems pretty odd since the rears do most of the braking...

I think you're a little confused on that one.... it's the other way around.

 

[Sweeps]

I think you're a little confused on that one.... it's the other way around.

Not on these cars actually, they have a rear brake bias.
My rears need doing twice as often as the front's.
At 188,000km, my rears were done 40k ago, and my front's have more than 50% life left on the originals.

 

[LNXGUY]

I think you're a little confused on that one.... it's the other way around.

Nope, Bob was wrong on the rotor but is correct in saying the rears do most of the work.

Anyone know the exact brake bias? You'd think VW would have put vented disks in the back..

Pete, any issues with steelies over those rears now?

 

[REDNECKDZL]

I wonder if it would help just putting vr6/1.8t brakes on teh front and GLI brakes on the rear

then you'd have 11.3 in the front and 10.1 in the back, plus a vented rotor

Plus you could still run 15s all the way around, if you wanted to

 

[ThaWeezord]

approved

 

[JettaSportTDi]

I wonder if it would help just putting vr6/1.8t brakes on teh front and GLI brakes on the rear

then you'd have 11.3 in the front and 10.1 in the back, plus a vented rotor

Plus you could still run 15s all the way around, if you wanted to

I don't think you can fit 15's on the Rear of a GLI I think the Vented rear rotors require 16's. Don't quote me on this but I have been looking to do this mod as well. http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q_how_to/a4/BBupgrade.htm

 

[petea4]

Nope, Bob was wrong on the rotor but is correct in saying the rears do most of the work.

Anyone know the exact brake bias? You'd think VW would have put vented disks in the back..

Pete, any issues with steelies over those rears now?

I'm sure they will fit over the rears, but the issue is the front. I tried my spare tire on the front, and they are not even close to fitting. So i'm on the lookout for a set of 16' steelies to run this winter.

I went through 2 sets of front brakes before replacing the rear. I'm surprised to hear the rear is biased more.

 

[JettaSportTDi]

I'm sure they will fit over the rears, but the issue is the front. I tried my spare tire on the front, and they are not even close to fitting. So i'm on the lookout for a set of 16' steelies to run this winter.

I went through 2 sets of front brakes before replacing the rear. I'm surprised to hear the rear is biased more.

They are Rear biased depending on your driving style, if your passive the car mainly will it use the rear, but if you brake hard a lot, the front brakes come into play. I still have the original front brakes with 136,000km rears I changed at 90,000km. Still and have good feel and no fade.

 

[TDIMAXIMA]

Guys, the brakes look amazing. However, they are not a signifact upgrade unless you drive the car harder. Of all my mods, the GLI brake upgrade could be the biggest dissapointment. I'm not saying I wouldn't do it again, cause they look amazing with my Aristos! Oh, another thing, your handling will take a turn for the worse. Cheers!

 

[LNXGUY]

I'm just looking for less wear and tear on a 10.1 inch vented rotor compared to a 9.4 inch solid..

Better braking, less warping, longer life, etc etc..

 

[odinsjetta]

I don't think you can fit 15's on the Rear of a GLI I think the Vented rear rotors require 16's. Don't quote me on this but I have been looking to do this mod as well.

15" wheels will for sure not fit with 10.1" vented rotors. Well, they fit but the wheel doesn't turn very nicely. For some reason the caliper is very thick and takes up alot of space. If it was designed more like the front, no problem. Maybe to incorporate the emergency brake? Aluminum instead of cast iron?

 

[LNXGUY]

Any chance of grinding down the caliper? I would have assumed that the rears would be very similar to the stock 10.4 vented front setup, which a 15 fits over just fine.

 

[odinsjetta]

Any chance of grinding down the caliper? I would have assumed that the rears would be very similar to the stock 10.4 vented front setup, which a 15 fits over just fine.

Not sure if you could or not. Front calipers are very tight to the rotors and don't add much to the overall diameter of the braking system. The rear calipers probably add ~2" from the 10.1" setup. They are much larger than the stock calipers. You sure wouldn't need to take much off to get them to work with 15" wheels, maybe 1/2" or less.

 

[petea4]

Guys, the brakes look amazing. However, they are not a signifact upgrade unless you drive the car harder. Of all my mods, the GLI brake upgrade could be the biggest dissapointment.

You must have not spent much time with the OEM setup. These are much better, loving them. I hammered on them today after some dumbass changed lanes from his stopped lane to my moving lane. I stopped in time, but a little voice in my head said, "damn... with the stockers, could have had a nice respray!"

 

[TDIMAXIMA]

Both Omega and myself agree that initial stopping performance is the same. I switched brakes when my stock ones were new. if yours were very old, maybe you are just noticing the fact you have new brakes period. My 0.02.