MK6 Replacement Brake Pad Thread

[MkVIGTI]

Hi guys, the recent service for my GTI has got me thinking. The standard brakes on the GTI (and R for that matter) are not exactly outstanding from the numerous reviews that I've read. So without wanting to change the actual discs and rotors, will aftermarket brake pads noticibly improve the braking performance? Any thoughts and recommendations?

[gslrallysport]

Remsa, which are rated at 650 degrees (or 100 degrees better than say something like a Bendix Ultimate), what we supply for vehicles like Porsche, Lambo etc, and are phenomenally good pad for the money with low dust and rotor wear. To suit Mk6 GTi, $115 for the front, and $89 for the rear. That price also includes the electronic wear sensors as standrd.

[ethosguy]

Remsa, which are rated at 650 degrees (or 100 degrees better than say something like a Bendix Ultimate), what we supply for vehicles like Porsche, Lambo etc, and are phenomenally good pad for the money with low dust and rotor wear. To suit Mk6 GTi, $115 for the front, and $89 for the rear. That price also includes the electronic wear sensors as standrd.

Are these less grabby than stock pads?
GTI & Tiguan use the same pad? Can anyone verify? Is there a Tiguan fitment too?

[Lucas_R]

Golf R brake pad upgrade (applies to GTI's and other VW's as well)

I have a few things that i would like to do to/change on my Golf R when it arrives.

One thing is the changing the brake pads. Not necessarily for better performance, but for reduced brake dust and rotor wear as standard European pads are dreadful for this.

I have had a bit of a look at EBC Redstuff / HAWK etc. Has anyone else changed their brake pads at this point in time? If so:

1) What brand of pads did you use
2) Where did you source them from and price
3) Part numbers (if you have them)
4) Feedback / results? Have they cured the brake dust issue and how do the pads perform.

Thanks,
Lucas

[Corey_R]

Hey mate, I merged your thread with this one that was also on the MK6 forum front page. I don't believe we need individual threads for each MK6 model on this topic. Your first point might be to look at gslrallysport's post and contact him to see if they have suitable pads for the R. I'll also look through the rest of the thread listings to see if there are older threads on the topic...

[REXman]

Call me crazy.. but if its anything like the other threads.. 200+ pages long of just "Golf R observations" or "Golf R questions".. Wouldnt it be easier to let model specific threads be available as far as VWWATERCOOLED being an info source goes to other owners..

I have sometimes you'll get new owners, asking an old question to which we say "hey why didnt you check out page 134?".

I dont know might be an idea to allow for some more threads cause it feels like all I ever write in is in Golf R observations.

[Corey_R]

You're crazy!

There have been two threads created on this topic in the entire history of the MK6... both in the last week. So there is no need for a thread on the same topic for each of the individual models...

[REXman]

I knew I left that open soon as I hit enter.. lol.

But seriously you should consider a bit of freedom in the opening of threads dept. Maybe not this topic if you like.. but like I said the Golf R Observations topics etc are getting a bit crowded and it feels like that is all I can ever contribute to.

[mr gee]

I have an Audi TT Mk2 to which I recently fitted Hawk HPS to, The hawk gives the brakes a better and more reassuring bite at the loss of some initial brake feel until a little warmth gets to the brakes. The plus side is no more squeal and lost less brake dust.

The TT brakes are the same as that on the Golf GTI and I think the 118 TSI

[gslrallysport]

Are these less grabby than stock pads?

What do you mean by grabby, ie. what is the problem you're trying to solve? There's alot of reason why a brake setup can be 'grabby' without it directly relating to the pads.

GTI & Tiguan use the same pad? Can anyone verify? Is there a Tiguan fitment too?

Nup, definitely not the same as GTi. Remsa to suit Tiguan are $145 for the front, and $135 for the rear.

Regards,
Greg

[MkVIGTI]

I think he is refering to the actual braking performance of these pads compared to stock?

[Ryan_R]

If the GTI and 118TSI pads are the same, I might be interested in upgrading "one day" at least to reduce the excessive brake dust.

[Lucas_R]

DIY - Changing front brake pads in Golf R

Alright guys - not sure if anyone has posted details on changing the brakes on a Golf R before (i couldn't find one anyway), so i decided to take some pictures tonight while i removed the factory pads and fitted new Remsa pads.

The reason for the pad change is plain and simple - i hate the immense amount of brake dust that the pads on European cars emit. After only 400km of easy driving, i have had to clean the wheels 3 times already.

Firstly, the front pads are only slightly bigger (about 5mm all round - checked against my friends 2007 GTI) than a GTI, although the rear pads are exactly the same. The Remsa pads were sourced through Greg @ GSL Rallysport and he was very helpful and easy to deal with. GSL RallySport, The Motor Sport Revolution!

Front Pads

Time Needed: approx 40 minutes or so
Tools Needed: 7mm allen key, several flat blade screwdrivers, some masking tape to protect the caliper from scratching.

Image of front pads: Stock VW ones on the right, new Remsa pads on the left. Note the plug is for the low brake pad warning sensor and is fitted to the passenger side of the vehicle.



Step 1) Once you have the wheels off, on the rear of the caliper there are 2 plastic caps that need to be removed to gain access to allen key bolts. Using a 7mm allen key, loosen the allen key bolts and remove them - this will allow you to separate the caliper and gain access to the pads.






Step 2) You will also need to remove the spring on the face of the caliper (the part with the R logo on it). In order to protect the paint on my calipers, i chose to put some masking tape over the areas at risk of being scratched. Insert a flathead screwdriver at each end of the spring arms to lever the spring arms away from the caliper slightly. Once you have done this, several decent tugs on the spring (towards the centre) will have it pop off. Just keep a good hold of it because it has some spring-iness in it and will fly off if you aren’t holding onto it.




Step 3) Once you have removed the 2x allen key bolts from the rear of the caliper and removed the R spring on the face of the caliper, you will now be able to wiggle the caliper off. I would suggest getting something (piece of wood/box etc) about 20cm high to rest the caliper while you change the pads, to avoid stretching the brake lines.




Step 4) Now if you have travelled some kilometres in your R, you will need to use a brake piston compressor to push the piston back inside the caliper unit before fitting the new pads. Because my R had only 400kms on it when i did the pad change, this step wasn’t necessary for me.

 Remove the old pads, and replace them with the new pads. Note that the passenger side brake pad features a low pad sensor (as shown in the 2nd image below).








Step 5) Once the new pads have been fitted, and your caliper piston has been compressed back in to the caliper, you can re-fit the caliper body that you removed earlier.

 In reverse order of the stages you took to dismantle the caliper, re-fit the two allen key bolts into the rear of the caliper (don’t forget the dust caps) and then the fun part........re-fitting the spring with the R logo. This is a pain in the neck and you will need to use your muscles. One side took me about 10 mins to get the spring back in, and the other side only took about 1 minute - so just keep persisting if you are having trouble. Then put your wheel back on.





Obviously, double check that all bolts have been tightened up and then pump the brake pedal a few times to push the caliper pistons onto the new pads. You may need to pump the brake half a dozen times before the pedal regains its feel again. Then take the car for a carefull drive and check that everything feels ok.

[Lucas_R]

DIY - Changing rear brake pads in Golf R

Rear Brakes
Tools Needed: 13mm and 15mm open-ended spanners
Time required: Approx 5-10mins each side once you have the wheel off

Image of the standard pads with the new Remsa pads.(new pads on the top, stock pads on the bottom)




Step 1) Once you have the wheel off, locate the two bolts on the rear of the brake caliper which secure the two parts of the caliper together. You will need a 13mm open ended spanner to undo the bolts while simultaneously using a 15mm spanner to prevent the bolt from spinning (hard to explain but see the 2nd image below)






Step 2) Once you have the two bolts undone, remove them from the body of the calliper. You should now be able to wiggle centre part of the caliper off and gain access to the brake pads.






Step 3) This is pretty much a common sense exercise now. Remove the stock pads from the caliper and replace them with the new pads. The pads sit in a specific area of the calliper so you’d be hard pressed to get it wrong here.






Step 4) Once the new pads have been put in place, re-fit the central caliper section over the top of the pads. Note, that you may need to use a caliper piston compressor to re-set the piston into the caliper at this stage.

Re-insert the 2 bolts that you removed in Step 1 and 2 and do them up tightly. It should now look like this.




Lastly, put your wheel back on and pump the brake pedal until you get a firm pedal feel, then take the car for a cautious drive and double check everything feels and works ok.

[Corey_R]

Great post Lucas_R! Thanks for that