Front Brakes replace on a 2016 GTI PP

**jdw** · 24-11-2020, 06:40 AM

So yesterday I had the big 60,000 service done on the GTI PP at my usual dealer ....k's were 55,00 but the 4 years was up.

They tell me the front brakes are down to the minimum ....4 mm...and the whole lot needs replacing apprx $1,000....bear in mind these cars have upgraded brakes over a normal GTI at the time.

My question is for Brisbane members do they recommend a non dealer brake specialist in Brisbane and is it worth looking at non VW brakes or stick with OEM. My wife now drives the car so it has an easy life, not tracked and I guess we dont need top performance.

**Lucas_R** · 24-11-2020, 08:18 AM

I just replaced the pads on my 2015 GTI PP (had 48,000km on it at the time). The disks are still ok although I will probably replace them in the next 12 months. The pads still had some life left in them but the reason I wanted to change them was due to the excessive amount of brake dust.

I used ATE Ceramic pads, which although not cheap (just over $500 for all 4 corners) are very good quality and extremely low dust.

You just need to buy the Golf R pads and disks as the GTI PP uses the Golf R brakes. You can buy them from Harding Performance.

Front pads: ATE Front Ceramic Brake Pads - MK7/7.5 R, 8V S3 - Harding Performance
Rear Pads: ATE Rear Ceramic Brake Pads - MK7/7.5 R, 8V S3, MK7/7.5 GTI - Harding Performance

Front disks: ATE Front Brake Discs (Pair) - MK7/7.5 R, 8V S3 - Harding Performance
Rear disks: ATE Rear Brake Disc (Pair) - MK7/7.5 R, 8V S3, MK6 R, Scirocco - Harding Performance

Some pics here of my pad install if you are interested: My Mk7 GTI PP....turns out I cant resist the VAG.

**jdw** · 25-11-2020, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by Lucas_R

I just replaced the pads on my 2015 GTI PP (had 48,000km on it at the time). The disks are still ok although I will probably replace them in the next 12 months. The pads still had some life left in them but the reason I wanted to change them was due to the excessive amount of brake dust.

I used ATE Ceramic pads, which although not cheap (just over $500 for all 4 corners) are very good quality and extremely low dust.

You just need to buy the Golf R pads and disks as the GTI PP uses the Golf R brakes. You can buy them from Harding Performance.

Front pads: ATE Front Ceramic Brake Pads - MK7/7.5 R, 8V S3 - Harding Performance
Rear Pads: ATE Rear Ceramic Brake Pads - MK7/7.5 R, 8V S3, MK7/7.5 GTI - Harding Performance

Front disks: ATE Front Brake Discs (Pair) - MK7/7.5 R, 8V S3 - Harding Performance
Rear disks: ATE Rear Brake Disc (Pair) - MK7/7.5 R, 8V S3, MK6 R, Scirocco - Harding Performance

Some pics here of my pad install if you are interested: My Mk7 GTI PP....turns out I cant resist the VAG.

Thanks Lucas...good usefull information as always. I wonder if I can get away with just pads initially, they say they are at 4mm with the discs at 28mm.
Is 28 mm borderline or still ok?

**Lucas_R** · 25-11-2020, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by jdw

Thanks Lucas...good usefull information as always. I wonder if I can get away with just pads initially, they say they are at 4mm with the discs at 28mm.
Is 28 mm borderline or still ok?

28mm is approx 2/3rds worn. The original pads are quite harsh and the disks are quite soft, so the disks wear out very quickly (hence so much brake dust on your rims).

Disk thickness when new is 30mm, and 27mm is considered time to replace them. So if you are at 28mm theoretically they still have some life in them (assuming they aren't warped or excessively rusty or damaged in some way etc). So with that in mind you should be ok to just change the pads and carry on for another 10,000-15,000km or so until the disks need replacing.

If you decide to fit the ATE ceramic pads like I linked to above, these are much kinder on your disks so they will last quite a bit longer.

**gregozedobe** · 26-11-2020, 08:36 AM

ATE recommend new (or near-new) disks when fitting their low dust ceramic pads.

**jdw** · 26-11-2020, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by gregozedobe

ATE recommend new (or near-new) disks when fitting their low dust ceramic pads.

Ok I didnt know that .....before I read this I was going to try and get away with not replacing the disks in the short term but I guess thats false economy.

**gregozedobe** · 27-11-2020, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by jdw

Ok I didnt know that .....before I read this I was going to try and get away with not replacing the disks in the short term but I guess thats false economy.

If you are going to replace the disks consider painting the centres of the new ones so they don't rust, it's much easier to do before you fit them to the car. Mine (st R disks) are starting to rust a bit and it looks a bit off.

**jdw** · 09-02-2021, 08:14 AM

Originally Posted by Lucas_R

I just replaced the pads on my 2015 GTI PP (had 48,000km on it at the time). The disks are still ok although I will probably replace them in the next 12 months. The pads still had some life left in them but the reason I wanted to change them was due to the excessive amount of brake dust.

I used ATE Ceramic pads, which although not cheap (just over $500 for all 4 corners) are very good quality and extremely low dust.

You just need to buy the Golf R pads and disks as the GTI PP uses the Golf R brakes. You can buy them from Harding Performance.

Front pads: ATE Front Ceramic Brake Pads - MK7/7.5 R, 8V S3 - Harding Performance
Rear Pads: ATE Rear Ceramic Brake Pads - MK7/7.5 R, 8V S3, MK7/7.5 GTI - Harding Performance

Front disks: ATE Front Brake Discs (Pair) - MK7/7.5 R, 8V S3 - Harding Performance
Rear disks: ATE Rear Brake Disc (Pair) - MK7/7.5 R, 8V S3, MK6 R, Scirocco - Harding Performance

Some pics here of my pad install if you are interested: My Mk7 GTI PP....turns out I cant resist the VAG.

Hi....Harding Performance are telling me that the OEM brakes for the R and GTI/PP are actually ATE brakes re branded. I wonder if this is true ?

**Lucas_R** · 09-02-2021, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by jdw

Hi....Harding Performance are telling me that the OEM brakes for the R and GTI/PP are actually ATE brakes re branded. I wonder if this is true ?

It could well be true because car manufacturers do not make their own individual components like brake disks and pads. I know on my SQ5 the factory disks are made by Zimmermann.