Big Brakes - We Take A Closer Look At Eight-Piston Calipers
Posted by John @ Vagbremtechnic on 9th Aug 2017
We’ve talked before about certain aspects of the Vagbremtechnic range and the science behind stopping, not to mention specifying the correct brake pad compound and how it can impact your car, but today we’re going to focus on something far more blatant, the thing that we’re perhaps best known for, massive calipers! While size isn’t everything in the world of performance braking, it certainly plays a major role in the time taken to haul your car to a stop in as short a space of time as possible, and that’s before we touch upon the potential pub bragging rights…
The Brembo eight-piston calipers which form the bedrock of our most capable kits are true works of engineering art, managing to be both lightweight and incredibly capable – two aspects that have traditionally been very hard to reconcile. Said Brembos also display excellent piston size and location, an important but all too often overlooked facet of caliper design, and one which has a direct impact on the degree and spread of pressure the disc is placed under. It also ensures that cars with these kits fitted retain a pedal feel that’s
just like that of an OEM setup.
This is all very impressive of course, but it really shouldn’t be all that surprising, not when you learn where the Brembos in question come from; the Audi RS4, R8 and Lamborghini Gallardo, 3 of the most capable performance cars of the last 10 years, all with tangible links to the wider VW Group range. It’s long been a VBT belief that there’s a lot to be said for looking to the upper reaches of the OEM ranges for equally high end braking hardware, and these factory-fitted Brembos are a case in point. VW Group and Brembo spent countless millions in their development, meaning that they’re more than suitable for big power RS3s, Golfs and pretty much anything else you care to name.
Stunningly designed, beautifully engineered and tastefully finished (we can offer them in almost any colour with or without a logo) calipers are only one aspect of our most capable kits though, and all are underpinned by a slew of equally significant components. Our own caliper carriers are a good example, each having been painstakingly developed to work with certain calipers and to ensure a perfect, OEM-rivalling fit. They’re also made from lightweight aluminium, because we couldn’t have a VBT-branded part contributing too excessive increases in unsprung weight now, could we?
Size and lightweight were also of key importance when it came to working out which discs to use within this kit, and we eventually settled on a floating two-piece 362x32mm arrangement with AP Racing outer rotors, available in either a grooved or drilled configuration. These are matched with our own lightweight aluminium bells, complete with a stunning anodised black finish, plus a complete fitting kit consisting of high tensile M12x1.25 and quality spring washers.
Just how light are the discs included in this kit? A mere 8.6kg per corner, significantly lighter than the VW Golf Clubsport S’s stoppers (9.8kg per corner) – and they’re actually smaller in overall size at 340x30mm! It’s just another example of our commitment not just to high performance braking, but also clever design and lightweight.
Brake lines an all too often overlooked aspect of any brake setup, and ours have been specially made to our own exacting specifications by the good folk at Hel Performance. They’re supplied with stainless steel fixings and are finished in a carbon black sheathing.
The above should give you some idea as to the amount of thought that goes into assembling a brake kit of this nature, and we really do feel passionately about getting the most out of each and every single component. Our Brembo eight-piston caliper kits represent the last word in stopping power, all backed up by the peace of mind of knowing that you’re purchasing a proven product from an industry specialist.
Click the link below to check it out for yourself:
Included in our kit:
2x 8 Piston Brembo calipers
2x Caliper carriers
2x 362x32 2 piece front brake discs (Grooved Pictured, drilled is
available)
1x Braided front brake lines
4x Caliper to carrier bolts
4x Spring washers for caliper to carrier bolts
To complete this front brake kit you
will need:
1x Set of brake pads to suit your driving style
Brake fluid to flush system when installing
10mm Thicker Bell Option: This option acts as like a 10mm wheel spacer per side, we also include longer wheel bolts in this kit as well as a spigot extender.
