Brake improvement - mk5 GTi

[Panthera]

I am loving my GTi thus far, but I feel the brakes could be improved especially since I am 'last of the late brakers' type of driver.

The pedal was great, very sharp and responsive when I first had the car and now I am 'playing' more now, I want to improve them.  I seem to be able to boil the brake fluid without even trying it seems.

Without spending ££££ on new brake set-up from the likes of Brembo, etc... I want to improve the stock brakes so they can perform at their best.   

So, I thought about changing the OEM DOT 4 brake fluid for DOT 5.1 (basicially something with a higher boiling point), braided brake lines and do the discs and pads.  So what is out there for me to get this done? 

Cheers

N.B. Fast road use only - no track days

[ScottA]

Personally, I wouldn't bother with 5.1 and stick with 4. I think 5.1 would absorb water faster than 4 anyway. A fluid change wouldn't harm tho and might actually make a good difference.

Not able to comment on the brake lines but I'd only replace the discs if your current discs are excessively worn. New pads would help a little. Another option would be look for a set of R32/S3/Cupra R brakes, front or front/rear, and fit them. Probably looking at £300-400 for fronts alone, all in excl labour.

[Panthera]

Personally, I wouldn't bother with 5.1 and stick with 4. I think 5.1 would absorb water faster than 4 anyway. A fluid change wouldn't harm tho and might actually make a good difference.

Not able to comment on the brake lines but I'd only replace the discs if your current discs are excessively worn. New pads would help a little. Another option would be look for a set of R32/S3/Cupra R brakes, front or front/rear, and fit them. Probably looking at £300-400 for fronts alone, all in excl labour.

My current discs front and rear look okay, they have a slight lip, but thats about it.   That does surprise me about the 5.1 brake fluid.  Maybe get something like this fluid as I am sure I have heard that this stuff is pretty good...ATE Super Blue.

[mattGTI20]

I have a mk5 gti as well and have the same problem I love the car so much but I have not been impressed with the at all I have overheated them twice now to the point where they were really badly smoking and fading and I wouldn't of said that I was using them that aggressively, also these were new brakes in march but it is always the rears never had a problem with the fronts

[danny_p]

start of with some performance friction pads,  once they have munched through your disks  put some posh disks on.

when that fails  ring brembo,    ask for big anchors get your credit card out then bend over

[DOA]

start of with some performance friction pads,  once they have munched through your disks  put some posh disks on.

when that fails  ring brembo,    ask for big anchors get your credit card out then bend over

Meh, if you knew how little Brembo's stuff actually costs, you would be even less happy with the price to the customer. And wheres the advice to go for Performance friction  .

[Panthera]

I know Brembo brakes are frightfully expensive.

But back to what ScottA posted that I should not bother with 5.1 brake fluid. Now from my understanding 5.1 has to be replaced more frequently than 4, but if I keep with DOT 4 I am going to have to replace this fluid about 6-7 times a year - whats cost effective then?

When I had my Impreza sport (N/A) that I modified quite substantially. One of the upgrades was brakes. The front brakes  from stock 1 pot callipers to 2 pots, from rear drums to single pots. Grooved and ventilated discs (Not cross drilled), Mintex M1155 pads, braided lines and 5.1 brake fluid and I had so much confidence in the braking I could brake from silly speeds in next to no time, time and again. 

So surely I can do similar, but by keeping the stock calipers?  Better brakes, pads combo and braided lines and 5.1?

[LUCKO]

ive just collected a mk5 gti and brakes are poor

brembo discs and ferodo ds2500 cure this??

[boneybradley]

Depends why and what you mean they are poor, as poor quality or/and worn discs would make them perform/feel bad.

My advise would be go for some proper quality discs (I personally recommended using Ferodo premier discs over Brembo) and would also advise using their normal premier pads too before going for performance type unless you are a hard user of brakes, then look at ds or similar performance pads