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How to increase stopping power and how Big Brake Kits benefit your vehicle
Jul
How to increase stopping power and how Big Brake Kits benefit your vehicle.
Checking out the ‘Big Brake Kits’
Stopping your car is just as important as making it go fast, and even all the power in the world won’t serve you very well if your vehicle’s stock brakes just aren’t up to the job.
Get faster track times with a big brake kit.
It’s well known in the performance community that if you really want to improve track times, then improving braking performance can make a bigger difference in some instances that just adding raw power.
If your vehicle can brake later on track you’ll be able to carry more speed in the run up and lose less time in the corners. Big brake kits will also resist brake fade much better than OEM brakes helping them to be a lot safer too and allowing you to stay on track for longer.
We recently had our own experience at Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome in a demo Audi S3 that went some way to showing this, with the stock brakes fading very quickly and frankly proving to be less than adequate for performance requirements.
What is in a big brake kit?
A big brake kit consists of a few hardware parts that come together to deliver exceptional braking performance.
Discs/Brake rotors
in most cases you’ll see brake discs on big brake kits be drilled or grooved to increase cooling performance of the brakes under load, in some aftermarket kits if you’ve got a very large budget you can even get carbon ceramic brake discs that will not only perform the best but last years.
You’ll likely see big brake discs as having 4, 6 or 8 pot, which simply refers to the pistons in the caliper, generally higher performance brakes will contain more pistons.
Brake Pads
Performance brake pads will have a lot more bite compared to OEM pads and in some cases they will squeal so don’t be alarmed if this is the case, it’s because they work best when warm so can make a noise when cold.
Brake Calipers
Big brake kit calipers will usually be larger and have space for a larger brake pad. You’ll also usually that even though they are bigger in size because they are made out of a higher quality material they can be lighter than the OEM set. They usually come in cool colours too but if you’re not happy with that you can always paint them to change the aesthetic to match your car.
Braided Hoses/Lines
You’ll get sharper and more responsive braking performance using braided brake lines over the standard rubber lines as they will be more durable and help to prevent expansion inside the hose from the brake fluid that you’d experience in the OEM set allowing for more consistent and reliable braking.
Progressive Parts big brake kits
So, what ‘Big Brake Kits’ can we offer here at Progressive Parts that could be just the thing for shortening your stopping distances and in the process, also your lap times?
Revo could have just the thing to revolutionise your braking performance
Revo has long been a name that discerning drivers can trust when it comes to bolstering on-track performance – and sure enough, we have supplied this brand’s hardware for many years here at Progressive Parts.
If you drive anything that is based on the MQB platform such as the Audi A3 (8V), Audi S3 (8V), SEAT Leon MK3 (5F), Skoda Octavia MK3 (5E) and the MK7 Golf then Revo’s Big Brake kit upgrade should be one of your considerations.
This brake kit has been developed by the world-leading brake manufacturer Alcon, and combines low rotational mass with improved pedal responsiveness and heightened on-track braking performance, as proven through extensive testing in various conditions.
Revo could have just the thing to revolutionise your braking performance
Revo has long been a name that discerning drivers can trust when it comes to bolstering on-track performance – and sure enough, we have supplied this brand’s hardware for many years here at Progressive Parts.
The Big Brake Kit Upgrade that Revo can presently offer for MQB platform vehicles such as the Audi A3 (8v), SEAT Leon Mk3 (5F), Skoda Octavia Mk3 (5E) and Volkswagen Golf Mk7 is therefore likely to be well worth your consideration.
This brake kit has been developed by the world-leading brake manufacturer Alcon, and combines low rotational mass with improved pedal responsiveness and heightened on-track braking performance, as proven through extensive testing in various conditions.
Alternatively, place your faith in the pedigree of Racingline
Other options that we are proud to be able to supply right now here at Progressive Parts include the Stage 2 and Stage 3 MQB brake upgrades developed by Racingline. This is not least thanks to their ‘Monoblock’ design comprising, in layperson’s terms, a single piece of compressed aluminium that delivers less flex and superior heat dissipation.
The Stage 2 upgrade, for instance, has been designed exclusively for Volkswagen Group (VWG) cars to be an ultra-durable fast-road and track solution. These brakes draw upon Racingline’s decades of motorsport experience, combining outstanding stopping power with affordability.
Not surprisingly given the lightweight Monoblock construction that is usually associated with the highest-specification motorsport kits, this upgrade enables significant unsprung mass savings, with the caliper, pads and bracket assembly weighing less than half as much as the factory Golf 7R kit.
You can even choose between black and red calipers, the former being a great hue for R models, while the red caliper is colour-matched to the factory GTI.
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Racingline Stage 3 Monoblock Big Brake Kit – 355/380mm Rotors & 6 Pot Calipers
£3,274.69 – £3,405.73
Racingline Carbon-Ceramic big brake kit for the MQB platform
If you are looking for the ultimate in stopping power, and absolute bragging rights then the Racingline Stage 3+ carbon ceramic big brake kit is for you.
This is one of the biggest and most badass kits you can invest in.
Each disk weighs approximately half the weight of the stock disks, but lasts up to 3 times longer on track in terms of heat management, you just cant get this kind of performance from a steel disk.
You’ll see it doesn’t come cheap but you’ll be glad you had them on your next track day.
Forge Motorsport BBK
Founded in 1996, Forge Motorsport have become manufacturers of World class products of the highest quality developed and made in Great Britain.
We stock Forge big brake kits for a range of vehicles from VAG hot hatches, to transporters and other hot hatches like the I30n and the Suzuki Swift Sport.
DBA
With over 40 years of experience of thorough R&D, DBA has become a global leader in brake rotor manufacturing.
With continuous improvements in engineering along with a thirst for innovation, DBA has managed to consistently redefine and deliver disc brakes solutions for an extensive range of vehicle applications and conditions.
Vagbremtechnic
Turn to a trusted VAG part supplier With the Vagbremtechnic brand’s own renowned brake pad hardware for MQB chassis vehicles also soon to debut on our site, if you’re looking to enhance your pride and joy’s braking capabilities to levels you might have scarcely imagined – and at a good price, too – you don’t need to look further than Progressive Parts.
Replacement pads
Upgrading your brake set up is great but unfortunately it doesn’t last forever especially if you’re pushing them to the limit on a track day. When the time comes for you to replace your pads to get that initial performance back then we’ve got you covered with a range of different compounds to suit your needs.
Check out our range of performance brake pads from some of the best manufacturers in the industry.
We’ve got everything in stock that you could require to transform your Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT or other VWG vehicle to new heights of speed, performance and driveability this year!