Recommendation on 2010 GTD brakes, suspension and Tune.

[fiendish]

Hi,

I have a 2010 GTD that will soon require a bit of maintenance and I thought now could be a good time to install some new kit. At the moment everything is stock, and I have owned the car since new.

The front suspension is starting to sweat but is ok and the rear needs new

The front and rear and front and rear brakes will need replacing soon as well.

I am now in a place with the car where I can have a play and install some performance kit instead of stock replacements and possibly a tune as well.

It would be great if anyone could recommend equipment and any shops in Canberra who could do the work. Price would be handy too if you know it.

The local VW place sells Revo kits and I am happy to use these as a Tune if recommended.

Cheers

Pat.

[Kachingg]

With brakes go with ate ceramic pads and new rotors you won't be disappointed
I can't help you with a tune in Canberra but if your visiting Melbourne underground performance in moorabbin did my tune and its transformed the way it drives

[Lucas_R]

As mentioned above the ATE Ceramic pads are well regarded and are much lower dust than the factory pads. Another similar alternative is Akebono ceramic pads.

With your car being a 2010 model, you should have the TRW rear caliper and slightly larger disks. In 2011 they changed to a Bosch caliper and a slightly smaller disk. So best make sure you have the TRW calipers on the rear before ordering (the caliper will be embossed on the top with the TRW logo).

Front:
ATE Disks: ATE Front Brake Discs (Pair) - MK7/7.5 GTI, MK6 GTI - Harding Performance

ATE Ceramic Pads: ATE Front Ceramic Brake Pads - MK6 GTI, Polo GTI 6R - Harding Performance

Rear:
ATE Disks: ATE Rear Brake Disc (Pair) - MK6 GTI (TRW Caliper) - Harding Performance

ATE Ceramic Pads: ATE Rear Ceramic Brake Pads - MK6 R, Scirocco, MK6 GTI (TRW Caliper) - Harding Performance

As for suspension, I replaced the factory struts in my 2010 GTI with Koni Sport (the yellow ones), which i have used on other cars previously and they were great. Koni now have a cheaper alternative which are called STR.T and these are supposed to be very good also, although i have not personally used the STR.T's.

Another replacement suspension option if you wanted to replace the struts and install lowerings springs at the same time: Racingline Sport Damper & Spring kit - MK5 GTI - Harding Performance

As for a tune, either the Revo will be perfectly fine, but some some alternatives you have Superchips Bluefin (approx $750) or Spectune which are both a DIY style of tune meaning you do not need to visit a workshop. Perhaps give this a read: Golf MK6 GTD Bluefin Stage 1 Tune Review

https://www.superchips.com.au/volkswagen-golf-mk6-gtd-ecu-tue-remap.html

[ryanjsoo]

Hi Pat,

Great to see another fellow GTD owner on here and thanks Lucas for sharing my review!

I've invested a little in performance modifications while keeping the bulk of the car fairly stock as you likely would. My thoughts on the tune are summed up quite well in that review and over longer ownership, I've actually seen slightly better economy as the temperatures in Australia have come down (so I'm not so prolifically using AC) and I've had a few highway runs to clean out the DPF. Of course, the main benefits of the Bluefin unit is the ability to do it yourself and switch between stock and stage 1 at your leisure with the handheld unit.

I would definitely recommend ceramic brake pads as well, they stop more linearly and without that on/off characteristic of the stock pads, making it easier to modulate braking. Just be cautious on the first few drives as you adjust, they do require a bit more foot pressure. They also save a lot of headache regarding wheel cleaning as they produce way less dust than stock if you care about that. I went with Akebono and am very happy, I've also heard good things about ATE, Hawks, EBC, however, the Akebono's were easiest for me to source in Sydney.

As many will tell you, tires have been the most cost-effective all around upgrade for me. I went with Michelin PS4's which are a common choice for the R and GTI as well. They're immediately more comfortable (smoother ride) and quieter than the Continental MC5's that came with my car (however, factor in that they are also newer rubber). They grip a lot better in the wet and dry with very minimal wheel spin where the MC5's would spin through first and part of second. If you do go down the route of upgrading brakes or suspension, you'll definitely want to have a good tire to take best advantage of both.

Hope that helps!
Ryan.