VW Racing Big Brake kit product review

[DaveB@Vagbremtechnic]

Whoah.

I do NOT like where this thread has gone.

Everyone knows Matt has a different version of the kit to most of the people who have voiced concerns over its make up. I do not think it is fair to kick his arse for his opinion of his brakes. It's like complaining my apple isn't as crunchy as his, it may have come from the same orchard, but it ain't the same apple.

Matt knows VWR, so what? I couldn't give a rat's ass if he was given a hundred pounds to put those brakes on his car, because I know for a fact he isn't disingenuous.

There's a lot of people taking kick-backs and cheap/free stuff to be test mules or for their gear to be seen on 'halo' cars, it's gone on since the dawn of time. I was pretty much given a WALK kit, does anyone doubt my integrity or reviews of it? Speak now, of forever hold your hypocrisy.

Shame on some of you. If you've got a problem, see VWR/Caparo - don't moan at Matt.

Mike

If you in your review you stated that your walk kit would enable you to hover 6 Inches of the ground and self park into a gap two thirds the length of your car, I would take you to task about it too not for my sake but for the other people who actually need the kit to do what is being said it will achieve.

lots said, lots of comments made about how good they are on track to promote sales, comments now found false, apologies made on the other thread,rudeness received, don't care, as you say it happens move on.

I've said it before they're not bad brakes, if Matt likes them good for Matt

Can't see how wanting a more open candid declaration is hypocritical, and I've no problem at all thanks very much unlike some people who have bought these brakes at an inflated price expecting them to work well on track

[tony_danza]

I've just read all of this again, I'm not going to start looking around for other threads, so excuse me if I miss something.

As far as I read it in summary:

Matt likes his brakes as does Jabbalad (who races for a living) and the latter having used his car on many track days and Ring trips without issue.
TEFF who had some problems with V2 of the kit, VWR fixed it.
SteveP and a few others have had issues with V2 of the kit. That is pending.
Matt said "mine aren't like that, acknowledged that there is a problem and advised them go to VWR and get it sorted"

As far as I'm concerned, Matt's and Jabbalad's opinions and review are valid. They are not however a review of V2 of the kit and whilst I believe this is clear reading the thread, prehaps a header on the first post is needed because of my suggestion thus.

This thread needs to be suspended, VWR given chance to address the problems with V2 and then owners of V2 should then contribute an amendment to be added to the first page. If it is such that these customers are not happy after attempts have been made to re-engineer the kit, then the review will reflect that.

VWR has to be given a chance to sort this, mistakes are made and you should judge people on how they deal with it. You've made them too I guess? It's only fair. Until then, let's just wait and see.  

[DaveB@Vagbremtechnic]

Mike

We've sort of drifted away from the point, I personally don't care, my main issue is the continued endorsement of a product that in my own personal opinion has issues over a period of time and is over priced, that's MY take on reading the thread.

Last time I looked I can say what the hell I like as can Matt

As I said perhaps previously on this thread I played the man not the ball and I apologised for it.

That said theres the other issue of pseudo sponsored endorsement and it's worthy of discussion IMHO even if nothing changes we've all had the chat

Your summary seems good apart from the fact that VWR are aware of the problem and advocated turning the caliper upside down already. If that's the fix you're referring to then we all know where we are.

[tony_danza]

Fair enough chap, I wasn't actually making reference to you in any of my points BTW - so don't think I'm having a pop.

Forums, their member's cars and the tuning scene is all to some degree bent. You just have to know who can be relied upon to still give an honest opinion from those with a hand up their arse who can't. I don't believe Matt is the latter, it just seems he's somehow got the kit everyone else should have.

Pricing, well that's their call. I think it's too steep for the sum of its parts and pedigree, especially as I paid £1700 for my Alcon kit back then.

[DaveB@Vagbremtechnic]

And just to come back to you after your 5.37 edit Mike, yes mistakes are made by everybody it's what you do when things don't go to plan that's a measure of an organisation and an individual.

I'm struggling to think of a time when things didn't go to plan and I didn't stick with things until they were resolved or the money arrived back in the buyers account.

I've also done/supplied a lot of stuff for free Mike and if people have been daft enough to listen to my free advice then more fool them.

Also it's fair to say my rates/kits are far from priced commercially, if you charge top dollar then the stuff better deliver, out of the box, first time every time

[tony_danza]

Sorry, yeah it was a question rather than a statement - we all make them, we fix them and learn from them.

I do agree VWR shouldn't be fixing and learning on customer's cars, that's crap form.

[stealthwolf]

Everyone knows Matt has a different version of the kit to most of the people who have voiced concerns over its make up.

If Matt has a different version of the kit, then surely his review is valid for only his type of kit? I'd have thought it could generally been applicable to other versions but would be invalid.

As far as I'm concerned, Matt's and Jabbalad's opinions and review are valid. They are not however a review of V2 of the kit and whilst I believe this is clear reading the thread, prehaps a header on the first post is needed because of my suggestion thus.

+1 agree with this point. The review needs to reflect the version of the kit so others are aware.

[SteveP]

I don't believe there are differences in the callers, the difference is in the disc bell, I.e. standard or wide, the wide version being the one to support oem wheels as it has the 10mm spacer built in.

[the bruce]

Whoah.

I do NOT like where this thread has gone.

Everyone knows Matt has a different version of the kit to most of the people who have voiced concerns over its make up. I do not think it is fair to kick his arse for his opinion of his brakes. It's like complaining my apple isn't as crunchy as his, it may have come from the same orchard, but it ain't the same apple.

Matt knows VWR, so what? I couldn't give a rat's ass if he was given a hundred pounds to put those brakes on his car, because I know for a fact he isn't disingenuous.

There's a lot of people taking kick-backs and cheap/free stuff to be test mules or for their gear to be seen on 'halo' cars, it's gone on since the dawn of time. I was pretty much given a WALK kit, does anyone doubt my integrity or reviews of it? Speak now, or forever hold your hypocrisy.

Shame on some of you. If you've got a problem, see VWR/Caparo - don't moan at Matt.

 

[Janner_Sy]

I don't believe there are differences in the callers, the difference is in the disc bell, I.e. standard or wide, the wide version being the one to support oem wheels as it has the 10mm spacer built in.

Are we any further with your brake solution steve?

[MAT ED30]

Mats in the USA at the mo not back until end of next week I think

[SteveP]

I don't believe there are differences in the callers, the difference is in the disc bell, I.e. standard or wide, the wide version being the one to support oem wheels as it has the 10mm spacer built in.

Are we any further with your brake solution steve?

While my car was at KPM this week for some other work they were requested to reverse the calipers around by Matt @ VW Racing as I understand he is aware of this thread.

As our resident VWR PR man says  Matt is in the states at the APR dealer conference so I am waiting until he returns to pick this up with him.

Having not driven the car yet I can't say anymore at this stage but Kev and Pies at KPM tell me there is no noticeable difference to the pedal feel or stopping power.

[Janner_Sy]

Having not driven the car yet I can't say anymore at this stage but Kev and Pies at KPM tell me there is no noticeable difference to the pedal feel or stopping power.

That seems good news then

[MAT ED30]

I only know he is in the states as I tried to get hold of him as I am concerned nothing more nothing less and I am not a pr man at all for Vwr you go to them more than I do I was trying to get hold of mat to see if he had heard of the problems 

[DaveB@Vagbremtechnic]

Without going over it all again there'll also be track day upgrade kit being manufactured for this kit, comprising a fully floating bell with built in front face cooling, bobbin kits complete with bobbin springs so theyll be quiet on the road and if I supply rotors they'll get temp paint

Designs done, I'm guessing the original VWR rotors were a copy of a common AP design with a 8.5" mounting PCD, just need to confirm final measurements which if Caparo have the same design safety minima as me will see 3-5mm on the rear of the rotor face / bottom ball joint.

There will be one version without spacer, hopefully the bell will go straight onto the VWR rotor otherwise the kit will require the purchase of some AP rotors, I very much suspect the VWR rotor will match the AP design.

Purely stating facts here, the cost of the VWR kit plus upgrade kit will put the buyer into the price bracket of some seriously capable kits so people can pays their money and make a choice.

As previously mentioned been asked for this a few times well before me and Matt had some forum sword fencing action on here. PS burgers are on me at Inters Matt