MK4 brake upgrade

[dylan8]

just a thought... if you were to upgrade the front two brakes on a car (for example a 2lt Bora) to bigger brakes, eg 312mm of a Audi, can you swap the existing front brakes onto the rear...? weather its to keep a similar ratio in size front vs back, or just to put something slightly bigger on the back to fill the wheel out a bit more

Can't say iv paid much attention to the brakes on my car before so have no idea at all

[Manaz]

You need to deal with the handbrake at the rear, so the front and rear setups can be quite different, and are likely incompatible with each other.

Brake bias can be an issue, but less so than the front/rear differences.

[dylan8]

didn't think of the hand brake, good point!
So with the brake bias, whats happens when you just stick big brakes on the front and leave the rears? surely that cant be great either when they are so tiny on the back?

[Manaz]

The R32 had 334mm fronts and 256mm rears - the Bora V6 4Motion had the same rears, but the fronts were only 312mm, so there's some allowable variation in front:rear ratios. Most of your braking's done at the front anyway, so unless you're making huge changes to one or the other, you probably won't have a significant negative impact.

[dylan8]

The R32 had 334mm fronts and 256mm rears - the Bora V6 4Motion had the same rears, but the fronts were only 312mm, so there's some allowable variation in front:rear ratios. Most of your braking's done at the front anyway, so unless you're making huge changes to one or the other, you probably won't have a significant negative impact.

ok, so refer to the comparison you made between the r32 and 4mo, would they have something set up differently pre front brakes? like a booster, or more pressure etc? i probably need to under stand more about how they work first.

You upgraded your brakes didn't you...? think its worth it?

[Golf Loon]

Most Mk4 rear brakes are the same Dylan.
Only the 4wd ones are different on the back.
Most braking is done wiith the front, so that is where the bigger stoppers usually go.
Rear rotors are a different shape from fronts so that wont work either.