GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk3 => Topic started by: wheatobear on 03 September 2012, 23:04
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im wanting some new brakes... i got a gti 8v ...
1st.. what size brakes do i have now?
2nd .. what size can i go up to without much mods?
sorry about the n00b questions!
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What year is it?
Pre 1996 had 280mm brakes later 1996 onwards had 288mm brakes. Pretty much the biggest brakes you can fit under standard 15" alloys.
You can go 312mm brakes just about on some 16" wheels.
288mm brakes are good but tbh standard GTI brakes with a DECENT set of discs and pads are all you're gonna need on a standard car. Couple it with a decent fluid flush through, decent fluid and freeing up the calipers a bit and you'll be fine.
I found the 288mm brakes absolutely spot on with VW discs and pads, really braked well.
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ordered some brake discs and they asked me what car and they sent me 295mm discs...random
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The standard setup is more than enough on an 8v, with everything in good condition and nice clean fluid you'll be hard pushed to cause any fade issues.
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What year is it?
Pre 1996 had 280mm brakes later 1996 onwards had 288mm brakes. Pretty much the biggest brakes you can fit under standard 15" alloys.
280mm is mid 95 (and M platers can have either! but to check lift the rear seat up and if the abs ecu is located there then you have the 280mm)
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mine is an N reg...
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some EBC redstuff/green stuff pads, using either stock discs or grooved discs, fluid change and some braided pipes you will think you have fitted porsche brakes to it
if you use ATE super blue fluid you can be sure it's all bled through the system, then when you change it again (30k or so) use ATE 200 gold then again you will know when you have hit fresh fluid, as the name suggests they are different coloured fluids
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Well i ordered 288mm discs and there bigger than the discs i have on now so for some reason my golf hasnt got 288s on??
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Well you answered your own question. Yours is n reg and up to mid 95 golfs came with 280mm as said.
Pre 96 had 280mm as said!
Why you then ordered 288mm is beyond me. You asked a question, got a answer and then ordered the wrong part. :laugh:
Bit of advise. Only use places/sites that take your reg number to find the correct parts.
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Bit of advise. Only use places/sites that take your reg number to find the correct parts.
Not always correct. I went into the demontweaks shop in Wrexham and reg number came up with both options. I told him the smaller 280mm set up and he wanted me to identify my set up from a picture of the brake pad... like I'm supposed to know this :grin:
But on the whole you are correct :smiley:
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The europarts site uses your reg no and has been totally wrong on two occasions for me now.
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What do you guys use to flush the brake lines with?
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What do you guys use to flush the brake lines with?
Brake fluid
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tried that it keeps coming out dirty :sad:
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The europarts site uses your reg no and has been totally wrong on two occasions for me now.
+1, always know your engine AGG/2E etc when working with ECP.
Also if you own a 95/96 Mk3 they did have a lot of stuff wrongly listed when I last shopped there for my old Mk3 (ADY)
I Always take a picture and check it in the box on the counter or look on etka for vw part number and go armed with both.
If you can take the old part in even better.
Driftbridge Epsom has a load of Dub nuts working there (Lupo Boy ( ED38) and they know there bits, so if I'm flush I go there :grin:
I use ATE grooved discs and pagid pads from ECP, and bleed the system every brake change with fresh fluid, cant go wrong with that.
At least now you know what disc size you are :grin:
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I just use GSF now , they are a bit more expensive than ECP but they always seem to have the right part and you can still get a discount through the website.
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tried that it keeps coming out dirty :sad:
Keep going mate it will clear.
Bleed in this order. Driver rear, passenger rear, driver front, passenger front.
You doing it with a mate?
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What year is it?
Pre 1996 had 280mm brakes later 1996 onwards had 288mm brakes. Pretty much the biggest brakes you can fit under standard 15" alloys.
You can go 312mm brakes just about on some 16" wheels.
288mm brakes are good but tbh standard GTI brakes with a DECENT set of discs and pads are all you're gonna need on a standard car. Couple it with a decent fluid flush through, decent fluid and freeing up the calipers a bit and you'll be fine.
I found the 288mm brakes absolutely spot on with VW discs and pads, really braked well.
according this mine shud have 288mm discs......but doing some diggin found out all 8v come with 239mm discs!...so bellend was wrong...so now i need to buy some vr calipers
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No mk3 GTI came with 239mm discs, 280mm on 8 valvers
280 on 16v up to 1996 ish then 288 after that on 16v models.
The mk2 8v GTI came with 239 discs...
And later mk3 16v & vr discs and calipers are the same thing if your searching about for some
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No mk3 GTI came with 239mm discs, 280mm on 8 valvers
280 on 16v up to 1996 ish then 288 after that on 16v models.
The mk2 8v GTI came with 239 discs...
And later mk3 16v & vr discs and calipers are the same thing if your searching about for some
And gti 8v's
My p reg (96) 8v has 288mm. My n reg 16v (95) had 280mm
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No mk3 GTI came with 239mm discs, 280mm on 8 valvers
280 on 16v up to 1996 ish then 288 after that on 16v models.
The mk2 8v GTI came with 239 discs...
And later mk3 16v & vr discs and calipers are the same thing if your searching about for some
And gti 8v's
My p reg (96) 8v has 288mm. My n reg 16v (95) had 280mm
Aye, thort I'd typed that well spotted
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Keep going mate it will clear.
Bleed in this order. Driver rear, passenger rear, driver front, passenger front.
You doing it with a mate?[/quote]
No myself with a one way valve,I have already spent 13 euro on brake fluid, flushing one liter,but yea your right brake fluid is not that expensive,
Thanks mate :grin:
One last question which is best 1dot 2dot 3dot 4dot?
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They're not so good. Get a friend or even your mum lol
Dot 5.1 is best, but dot 4 is fine and is what I use. It's not a track car!
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They're not so good. Get a friend or even your mum lol
Dot 5.1 is best, but dot 4 is fine and is what I use. It's not a track car!
Ok Cheers
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What year is it?
Pre 1996 had 280mm brakes later 1996 onwards had 288mm brakes. Pretty much the biggest brakes you can fit under standard 15" alloys.
280mm is mid 95 (and M platers can have either! but to check lift the rear seat up and if the abs ecu is located there then you have the 280mm)
bit of a revival, is this accurate? mines a n reg 96 8v gti, first reg 06/96
as getting paranoid, i measured the discs yesterday and was certain they were 288, but now im doubting myself cos when you measure them the measure goes over the centre and its lifted from the surface of the disc, but im sure it wont make a big 8mm difference, my abs ecu isnt under the seat so looks like im on 288s, just wanted to check, as its too wet to go take a wheel off, lol,
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^^ easiet way is to check what calipers you have if you have LUCAS or GIRLING calipers then you have 280mm brakes and if you have ATE calipers you have 288mm brakes
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^^ easiet way is to check what calipers you have if you have LUCAS or GIRLING calipers then you have 280mm brakes and if you have ATE calipers you have 288mm brakes
Cheers for that, confuses the issue more for me, and in theory disreputes the quote i copied, they were Lucas calipers, but when I measured they were 288 but as I said that's going over the centre of the disc, I'm gonna get some vernier calipers on em so I'm def sure when I buy em.. :)
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abs ecu not under rear seat = 288mm (or check for a rear bias load valve next to/under the rear axle, if it has one then 280mm)
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abs ecu not under rear seat = 288mm (or check for a rear bias load valve next to/under the rear axle, if it has one then 280mm)
Cheers! ;) Im certain i dont have a bias valve as never had to adjust when lowered car, abs ecu I'm sure is under brake cylinder where the lines come from,, I may just whip a wheel off again so I'm 110% sure,,
Being looking at discs and pads and its a utter nightmare, so many different ones to choose from! Lol, gonna find out if Ecp pagid ones are German still, if not will look for some others, really wanted some groved ones but really it'd be more for looks as I don't drive like a thief in it.. :)
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It just so happens yesterday I was reading about the more recent batches of sub standard Pagid discs and pads and how the ECP ones now come from China instead of Germany and aren't anywhere as efficient.
Bit of of pisstake really when you expect better quality components from a renowned and more expensive brand.
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your brakes are only as good as the tyre it has to stop turning.
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Well not really, repeated heavy use of brakes sh!t tyres or not can still leave you with no brakes.
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ah you mean if they fade. I just meant if you hit your brakes in an emergency and they lock up and car skids onwards. all depends what the cars going to be used for.
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You should have said :wink:
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yeah i suppose so but i thought you would have figured it out. :wink: but to get fade during normal driving you would really need to be doing something sinister :evil:
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You dont lock up with ABS! :rolleyes:
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You dont lock up with ABS! :rolleyes:
:)
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^^ easiet way is to check what calipers you have if you have LUCAS or GIRLING calipers then you have 280mm brakes and if you have ATE calipers you have 288mm brakes
Cheers for that, confuses the issue more for me, and in theory disreputes the quote i copied, they were Lucas calipers, but when I measured they were 288 but as I said that's going over the centre of the disc, I'm gonna get some vernier calipers on em so I'm def sure when I buy em.. :)
if its lucas calipers they are definately 280mm and you have just said that when you measured them you had the tape bent over the disc so it will read bigger than that the disk actually is
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^^ easiet way is to check what calipers you have if you have LUCAS or GIRLING calipers then you have 280mm brakes and if you have ATE calipers you have 288mm brakes
Cheers for that, confuses the issue more for me, and in theory disreputes the quote i copied, they were Lucas calipers, but when I measured they were 288 but as I said that's going over the centre of the disc, I'm gonna get some vernier calipers on em so I'm def sure when I buy em.. :)
if its lucas calipers they are definately 280mm and you have just said that when you measured them you had the tape bent over the disc so it will read bigger than that the disk actually is
I agree, but it was in the high 290s and it only bowed a small amount so basically, im gonna get some vernier calipers on em, cos if I go by your method they are 280 and if I go off the fact its a 96'on and the abs ecu location in the engine bay they are 288, so wheel off again at weekend.. :)
thanks all :)
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Just take a pic and show us.
288mm have a thing metal pad spring.
280mm has nothing.
Easy to tell difference just by looking at them
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Just take a pic and show us.
288mm have a thing metal pad spring.
280mm has nothing.
Easy to tell difference just by looking at them
just a pic of the wheel square on? or more of the caliper?
ive just being a bit ingenious as dont wanna go take off a wheel now, as only just got in from work from 7 this morn, so got some wire and fed it around the disc around the middle (so sat on the vents), through the caliper aswell :) then took the length of wire, lay it down and measured, and got d = 885/3.14 = 282,
but the groved bit is slightly smaller diameter than the disc, so in actual fact it isnt conclusive but looks like 280s, haha i hate golfs at times, lol :)
anyway ill go take a pic :) just to see what u reckon :)
edit
(http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab269/mark3gti/Golf%20Mk3%20GTI%208v/null-3.jpg) (http://s870.photobucket.com/user/mark3gti/media/Golf%20Mk3%20GTI%208v/null-3.jpg.html)
(http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab269/mark3gti/Golf%20Mk3%20GTI%208v/null-2.jpg) (http://s870.photobucket.com/user/mark3gti/media/Golf%20Mk3%20GTI%208v/null-2.jpg.html)
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You have 280mm
how easy was that :wink:
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You have 280mm
how easy was that :wink:
Hahaha! Love it! Cheers!
What does a 288 look like then?
I know people say the m reg is the crossover, but mine was reg early 96 so could be a bit of a mixture as well cos could of being made late 95 sometime, I'm guessing, ;)
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if you get yourself a piece of wire like a coat hanger or similar and bend it in to a u shape and stick it through wheel spokes to measure disc. may have to adjust it a few times to get it right. then lay it down carefully and measure gap.
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For the record if anyone searches, I'm guessing this is a 288 caliper :)
(http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab269/mark3gti/Golf%20Mk3%20GTI%208v/null-5.jpg)
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if you get yourself a piece of wire like a coat hanger or similar and bend it in to a u shape and stick it through wheel spokes to measure disc. may have to adjust it a few times to get it right. then lay it down carefully and measure gap.
Good idea that! Better than mine, lol
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Yes that is a 288mm