Brake pad upgrade

[Julian Edgar]

No; just the 312mm discs. You keep the OE callipers but you need new brackets so that they calipers are positioned correctly.

Thanks for that. Where do the brackets come from?

[Julian Edgar]

..and I also see that there are a few different versions of the 312mm discs apparently available. Which ones fit the Roomster? Thanks!

[bahnstormer vrs]

Thanks for that. Where do the brackets come from?

VAG group dealer

[bahnstormer vrs]

..and I also see that there are a few different versions of the 312mm discs apparently available. Which ones fit the Roomster? Thanks!

Look for one for Fabia, Polo or Ibiza; remembering that the Roomster hub has a 5 x 100 PCD and therefore a disc for a Golf Mk V won't fit as this is 5 x 112 PCD.

[Julian Edgar]

Thanks for your help. In this country Fabia and Ibiza are not sold but lots of other VW and Audi products are.

Do you know what Audi or VW products had the right discs (312) and the right caliper mounts (same caliper as Roomster but 312mm discs)? eg did Polo GTi?

For example, I can find specs for 312mm discs for VW and Audi products but they don't all have the same offset - if I knew specific models, things would be a lot easier!

Edited 4 November, 2010 by Julian Edgar

[Jonny5ive]

FWIW I would look at just the pad upgrade to start with, that is unless you have upped the power of your Roomster?

I had to use (in anger) the brakes on SWMBO's Roomster Scout the other day and was surprised at the response of them. Obviously nowhere close to the 312mm DS2500 setup on the fabia but more than capable TBH

[Julian Edgar]

FWIW I would look at just the pad upgrade to start with, that is unless you have upped the power of your Roomster?

Power upgrade is happening now

[Julian Edgar]

Note: Audi / VW 312mm brake caliper carriers 8N0 615 125 (as widely used to upgrade front discs from 288 to 312mm while keeping std calipers and pads) DO NOT fit Roomster 1.9 diesel.

Ask me how I know...

[Julian Edgar]

Note: Audi / VW 312mm brake caliper carriers 8N0 615 125 (as widely used to upgrade front discs from 288 to 312mm while keeping std calipers and pads) DO NOT fit Roomster 1.9 diesel.

Ask me how I know...

I can now be more detailed.

The Audi / VW 312mm brake caliper carriers 8N0 615 125 DO fit the 288mm front brake Roomsters but the standard Roomster calipers do not fit these carriers. That is, you need to change calipers as well.

All references I have found on the web suggest that if you have 288mm front discs, the upgrade to larger 312mm discs can be achieved by just a disc and brake caliper carrier swap. However, as I just indicated, with the Roomster you also need to change calipers.

I have now sourced a pair of caliper carriers (from US eBay), a pair of ex TT / S3 calipers (from seller on local Aust VW forum) and brake pad anti-rattle springs (from Volkswagen Australia). I am currently sourcing 312mm grooved discs and EBC 'Red' pads (from RDA Australia).

Edited 22 December, 2010 by Julian Edgar

[Julian Edgar]

New front brakes.

312mm slotted RDA discs, Audi TT calipers, Audi TT caliper mounts, EBC 'red' pads. (16 inch Vento wheels)

Initial impressions very positive.

[bahnstormer vrs]

Looks good; well done!

[Julian Edgar]

On the road the results are excellent.

The brake bias is clearly more to the front, but this is noticeable only when reversing down a steep gravel driveway, where the fronts will ABS earlier than before.

The ability of the brakes to pull the car down from high speed with progression and feel is superb – vastly better than with the standard brakes. On a back road (hmm, I mean the track) you can drop from 150 to 60 km/h with literally a gentle push of the centre pedal – and do it corner after corner. In an emergency stop the ABS operates as it did with the standard brakes.

Downsides? There are some.

When the brakes are dead cold (in my normal daily drive I arrive at a roundabout after 30 kilometres of country driving that has had literally no brake applications at all) the pedal needs a distinctively firmer push. In normal urban braking that doesn’t occur (the brakes must retain some heat) and in spirited driving the pedal effort is clearly lower than with the standard brakes.

Each new disc has a mass that is 1.4kg greater than standard (interestingly, the new calipers and pads are 200 grams lighter than the old ones) and the Roomster is a car where the 1.2kg increase per side in unsprung weight can be clearly felt. When I went from 15 to 16 inch wheels, the latter fitted with larger tyres, I could feel the increase in unsprung weight, and the same has occurred with the new front brakes. The result is that over lumpy bitumen, the car does not ride as well.

Overall? Very impressive.

[tuscan30]

Julian Edgar - would that be the same Julian Edgar as in autospeed.com ?

If so let me congratulate you on your site - some very innovative and useful stuff on there. I'm looking forward to some more Roomster related projects coming up.....

If, on the other hand you're a different JE then forget I spoke !

[Julian Edgar]

Julian Edgar - would that be the same Julian Edgar as in autospeed.com ?

If so let me congratulate you on your site - some very innovative and useful stuff on there. I'm looking forward to some more Roomster related projects coming up.....

Thanks - we'll be running lots of Roomster-based modification stories this year.