$899 for a rear brake kit!?!?  Well, that asking price is not too bad considering that all of the parts are new.  I shopped the parts separately and it costs about that, maybe less.  It is nice to have all of the parts in one kit for a one day swap over, but I just can't justify the cost.

Enter the junkyard parts... $65, slightly used but easily renewed.

I was lucky and scored my set off of an '87 GTI that seemed to have just had the rear brakes done.  Did need pads and didn't need the rotors turned.  Even if pads were needed, pads are cheap and rarely does a REAR rotor need much more than a couple turns to bring it back to life.  We're talking $30 max.  The bearings in my pull seemed good, too.  If yours are not, again, no big deal.  Bearings are a wear part.  They are very inexpensive at the store.  $20 tops.

The most important thing is to get the bulk of the parts.  Loaded calipers for a rear disc brake set is over $100 a piece and the spindles are a dealer only item.  So, you will want to bogart the backing plate, the spindle (which bolts directly to the axle beam), the rotor/hub assembly (which slides over the spindle, the caliper and all of the hardware.  You'll also want to grab the E-brake cables.

The transplant is as simple as parts off and parts on.  Move the brake line from the top side of the axle beam to the lower side (the brake line moves very easily with some bending and persuasion), bleed and go.

PROBLEM:  Yep.  You heard it.  Problem.  The stock proportioning valve does not offer enough pressure to the rear calipers.  There is no where to put the A2 proportioning valve on an A1 body.  Grr... Answer:  Scirocco 16V.  Why?!  The Scirocco is THE ONLY A1 to come factory with rear discs, and VW ran into the same problem I did with trying to retrofit the A2 proportioning valve to an A1 chassis.  The solution was the use of an inline valve.  The Scirocco's valves mount under the hood and thread in between the master cylinder and brake line.  Look for a trashed 16V or go to a parts store and ask for proportioning valves for a 1987 to 1989 Scirocco 16V.  Done.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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