Just a few questions.

[rocket _ronnie]

Hi all,

i'm soon to purchase my very first gti r but before i do i thought i would just ask a couple of questions as u lot seem pretty clued up :-D

1, are these brakes as crap as everyone says? if so does it make a difference if i just upgrade the disc and pads?

2, is the gearbox gonna break everytime i launch? i've read many of the articles on here and i'm getting mixed results.

Thats if for now guys. Thanks for your help.

 

[AJ4]

1 : yes and yes
2 : no

 

[Ninja_tune_factory]

HI mate and welcome

1. iv found that fitting bigger discs and beter pads and brake line has help to make the standerd stoppers a bit beter but they are not as good as haveing a bigger caliper on there as well.

2. the box will not brake every time u launch it but if your goin to give it stick all the time it will give up on you at some point like anythink.

 

[youngsyp]

Changing the OE brake set up for some larger discs (308mm in my case), stickier pads and braided lines will transform the braking power and feel of your R. I always remember jumping on the brakes on an A road once and it was like I hit a brick wall. I was very impressed by how much speed the bigger brakes took off.
4 pot calipers are a good idea but, expensive and imho, unless you're running 350 bhp + or on the track regularly, a waste of time. The bigger discs will shed more heat and allow the OE calipers to get more leverage so, giving increased stopping power. The pads will give better fade resistance and generally offer more grip on the disc due to the better compound.

The gearbox issue is always popping up. It seems if you treat it with some care and run a organic clutch and under 350 bhp, it'll last all day long. If you up the power from there, use a paddle clutch and abuse it, it'll turn into a ticking bomb. You need to remember that the gearboxes are also between 12 and 16 years old now, if they haven't been rebuilt. So, a rebuild could be on your list if you wanna run big power or spend your life down the drag strip !
I believe that the later cars (94 models) had strengthened casings as well so, that might be worth thinking about before you buy. Oh, and getting some good quality oil in the gearbox, transfer box and rear diff will make a big difference to the feel and possible the longevity of the transmission too !

 

[rocket _ronnie]

cheers for the advice guys. i'm gunna buy a R with about 300 bhp and hopefully that will have all the upgrades (clutch,brakes etc) that you've mentioned.

Cheers again