brakes - long quotes reply

[tberk at sbcglobal.net (T Berk)]

Anthony Pelletier wrote:

> Hello everyone,
> 
> I am going to put a 2.0 16v in my 81 scirocco (finally
> going to get the power it deserves) and it needs some
> brakes bigger than 9.4".  I already have disc rear
> brakes with the stock master cyl & adj bias for the
> rear (rather than the usual scirocco proportioning
> valves).  
> 
> I am debating weather to go with audi daul piston
> 10.1's or get some 11" calipers from a corrado.  


Besides the increased power that you would consider needing better 
brakes for, there is also the need to haul down from speed a *heavier* 
car.

(In other words in such a light car like a Mk1 you need light, 
*reliable* brakes.)

Upgrading to vented rotors from solid, going with better than stock 
pads, and slapping on some super duper tires are the best improvement 
in braking- bang for buck wise.

I'm a fan or ATE atomic grooved rotors, and they look 'groovy' too.

(And of course a full brake fluid flush every two years if you can't 
be bothered to do it yearly should be on the care and feeding list.)

I understand the VW Fox has some larger rear drums brakes, but that 
about all I know about that.

(Ooooh, http://www.parts4vws.com is having some free shipping 
discounts on brake pads right now...)

Here is the smaller (stock size) ATE kit w/ the Mintex pads everybody 
was talking about, (they'll also bundle Ferodo pads as well.)
<http://www.parts4vws.com/catalog/product_detail.asp?PartNumber=9%2E4PS%2FMintex>


Here is some stuff I 'liberated' from http://www.newdimensions.com 's 
web site, just for general grins and tickles:

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Reasons to upgrade:
		
	
Increased safety in wet conditions
The ATE PowerDisc's continuous groove safely absorbs moisture which 
might settle between brake disc and pad and drains it off, like the 
tread of a tyre. Braking action starts sooner and brake travel is 
shortened, as numerous instances of use in motorsport, testdrives and 
bench-tests have demonstrated.

Inspection at a glance
Visual, electric and acoustic wear-indicators have long been available 
for brake pads. Until now the expert glance in the workshop has 
generally had to suffice for brake discs, since precise measurement 
was costly: special measuring equipment was necessary and the wheels 
had to be removed. Now the multipurpose groove makes objective 
assessment of the condition of the brake disc possible at a glance. If 
the entire groove has been. worn away, the disc has reached its 
minimum thickness and must be replaced.

Scoring-free wear
The multipurpose groove's cleaning action causes the brake disc to 
wear more evenly. Even in heavy-duty use hardly any scoring occurs on 
the brake disc or pads.

Reduced fading
In hard use, brake discs can reach temperatures of 800? C and more. 
The result: gas emissions develop on the brake pad, primarily because 
of the bonding material, which can lead to a "Gas-Planing Effect" 
(fading). A temporary decrease in the coefficient of friction is the 
result. The ATE PowerDisc channels off these gas emissions via the 
multipurpose groove and so prevents fading. That means there is no 
increase in the force required to depress the brake pedal a plus for 
safety!

Braking in comfort
Unevenly worn brake discs tend to rub during braking. It is precisely 
in the particularly vibrations sensitive range from 90 to 130 km/in 
that the ATE PowerDisc's advantages over conventional brake discs come 
fully into play, with clear improvement in braking comfort as shown by 
the above diagram of a heavy-load test.

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hth,
TBerk