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a914622
Samba Member
Joined: July 29, 2004
Posts: 907
Location: Westend of HWY2 , Wash
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 Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 2:30 pm Post subject: Rear disc brake caliper comparison |
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Recently the question was asked “why would you run Jetta calipers on our 5000 lb rigs”? I remember is when so far as to say using Jetta was putting you life and everyone on the road with you in jeopardy. I am going to try to show you what I have learned the last few years.
The Jetta I’m talking about are the rears from 2006-2013
First the piston bores
Jetta= 1.57 , 41mm
Eurovan = 1.47 , 38mm
Second the ebrake arm from center to center of cable
Jetta = 2.300
Eurovan = 1.75
Third pad size: almost the same square inch but one big difference. The eurovan has the old style spring that pushes up on the caliper. So if the bushings in the guide pads ware out your pad is offsetting the caliper.
The Jetta uses the caliper carrier to hold it in place.
Caliper material
Jetta = aluminum
Eurovan = cast steel
Also note in the pics the ears that hold the pad. The Jetta are wider but that could be because of the material differences. Also note the top ear is thicker on the Jetta. Carrier pin spacing is almost the same if not the same.
Carrier pin size is the same
I will upload pics and add them here later
_________________
87 gl powerd buy 2.5subaru
75 914 getting 2.2t subaru scratch that SVX subaru
Last edited by a914622 on Sun May 09, 2021 9:48 am; edited 1 time in total |
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a914622
Samba Member
Joined: July 29, 2004
Posts: 907
Location: Westend of HWY2 , Wash
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| Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 2:39 pm Post subject: Re: Rear disc brake caliper comparison |
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Pics
Jetta on bottom
Jetta on left
Jetta on left
Jetta on bottom , see differences in ear with
Jetta pad on bottom
Jetta ebrake arm
Eurovan ebrake arm
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87 gl powerd buy 2.5subaru
75 914 getting 2.2t subaru scratch that SVX subaru |
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kjono09
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Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 200
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2025 10:40 pm Post subject: Re: Rear disc brake caliper comparison |
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In conclusion Which do you prefer?
_________________
87 Wolfsburg Vanagon GL (The Caterpillar)
84 Retro-Westy GW 2.2L (Vincent)
67 Bug 2007cc (WBX in progress) (Davey)
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ALIKA T3
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Joined: July 30, 2009
Posts: 7119
Location: Honolulu,Hawaii and France
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4Gears4Tires
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Joined: October 08, 2018
Posts: 4041
Location: MD
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| Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2025 5:05 am Post subject: Re: Rear disc brake caliper comparison |
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You mean the jetta ebrake arm?
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'87 Syncro Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition
'85 Westy Sciuridae Domus Edition |
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a914622
Samba Member
Joined: July 29, 2004
Posts: 907
Location: Westend of HWY2 , Wash
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| Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2025 7:24 am Post subject: Re: Rear disc brake caliper comparison |
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So 4 years in and I did have a caliper go leaky on me, but no issues.
I prefer the Jetta ( but I never ran the others)
It’s the Jetta calipers that have way more leverage. I used the parking brake cables off the Jetta as well. So a modern linened cable system improves everything.
Thanks
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87 gl powerd buy 2.5subaru
75 914 getting 2.2t subaru scratch that SVX subaru |
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raygreenwood
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Joined: November 24, 2008
Posts: 23029
Location: Oklahoma City
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| Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2025 12:25 pm Post subject: Re: Rear disc brake caliper comparison |
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So a couple of things:
The Jetta calipers do not have any more "leverage". Though they have a longer arm for the e-brake....and that does give a benefit....its not a leverage benefit.
The way these work as I am sure you know is that it is a helical drive screw inside that the arm is turning. What the longer arm gives you is simply more degrees of rotational arc of that helical drive screw that pushes the piston. More rotation means more pressureagainst the pad.
If you like the Jetta calipers, look at later model Jetta and Golf calipers. The later model Jetta and golf calipers are cast iron instead of aluminum. The aluminum Jetta caliper bodies are notorious for getting eaten up with corrosion.
If you had one that started leaking...that is probably part of the issue. They also very commonly snap off the brake fluid line because they corrode together.
I think the aluminum ones were Jetta mk4. Look at Mk5 and Mk6. I know there were three different rear calipers and rotors available on Mk6 Golf and they all bolt up to the same cars.
Many people WANT the aluminum Jetta/Golf calipers. They do radiate heat away a little better and they are much lighter so the racer guys like them. Not really that big of an advantage for a Vanagon.
Ray |
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kjono09
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Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 200
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2025 1:23 pm Post subject: Re: Rear disc brake caliper comparison |
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So…. Do you happen to know if the aluminum and cast iron calipers have the same bolt pattern and this “could” be a direct swap?
Also, pardon my ignorance but between the two is the diameter of the rotor going to stay the same, as well as the pad contact area? And what would be the newer diameter of the rotors?
I do appreciate all the work done in Everett on this, making rear discs viable and well investigated.
_________________
87 Wolfsburg Vanagon GL (The Caterpillar)
84 Retro-Westy GW 2.2L (Vincent)
67 Bug 2007cc (WBX in progress) (Davey)
Submariner |
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raygreenwood
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Joined: November 24, 2008
Posts: 23029
Location: Oklahoma City
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| Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2025 6:33 pm Post subject: Re: Rear disc brake caliper comparison |
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| kjono09 wrote: |
So…. Do you happen to know if the aluminum and cast iron calipers have the same bolt pattern and this “could” be a direct swap?
Also, pardon my ignorance but between the two is the diameter of the rotor going to stay the same, as well as the pad contact area? And what would be the newer diameter of the rotors?
I do appreciate all the work done in Everett on this, making rear discs viable and well investigated. |
Lots of choices. What I can do that might help is I just broke the catalyst downpipe on my Golf Mk6. I have to be under it in the next couple days.
I can measure the center to center on the rear caliper bolts, tell you bolt sizes, give you a few photos and measure the inner hub diameter and disc to tire mounting depth, rotor diameter and thickness.
One thing ai can tell you is that as I said. Lots of choices. There are three different calipers and rotors available. They are all the same thickness but are 2-3mm different in diameter and on a Golf.....each caliper type has to be used with its respe time rotor because of the diameter difference.
All else is the same. All three calipers bolt up to any mk 6 Golf or jetta and use the same bracket/Carrier.
So there are ATE, Bosch and TRW calipers and rotors. You can bolt on a TRW or ATE rotor....but if you use a Bosch caliper.....somewhere around 50k miles you start getting an odd vibration. Then your rear brakes stop working. What happened is the pads were 2mm larger than the rotor diameter on the OD....and they wore down until the pads touched!....no more brakes!.  ....ask me how I know!. ECS had sent me the right caliper but wrong rotor.
So the moral is use whatever brand of rotor is sized for the brand of caliper.
I know mk4 FRONT calipers do not interchange with mk5 and mk6. But there IS a lot of interchange in the rear.
Ray |
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a914622
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Joined: July 29, 2004
Posts: 907
Location: Westend of HWY2 , Wash
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| Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2025 6:12 am Post subject: Re: Rear disc brake caliper comparison |
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This thread is beading down a useless rabbit hole!! The original post was because I was asked about the differences between burley was using and what I was using AS it refers to the calipers.
Yes the are a ton of options, I have a 55 gallon drum filled with them!! Not the point…
Iron is better than aluminum?? I’m sure Brembo will be thrilled to hear this.!?!
Yes a ton of calipers will fit on the brackets from an 06 Jetta including electric ebrake ones and other makes as well.
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87 gl powerd buy 2.5subaru
75 914 getting 2.2t subaru scratch that SVX subaru |
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raygreenwood
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Joined: November 24, 2008
Posts: 23029
Location: Oklahoma City
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| Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2025 9:11 am Post subject: Re: Rear disc brake caliper comparison |
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| a914622 wrote: |
This thread is beading down a useless rabbit hole!! The original post was because I was asked about the differences between burley was using and what I was using AS it refers to the calipers.
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Ok...I'll bite...if this is trashing up your thread,....I will be happy to delete it.
However, I would have thought that while you are answering the question (which was a good one)....you would have KNOWN...that the Jetta Mk4/A4 caliper....while it is/was the darling of upgraders and swappers far and wide across a wide range of platforms (not just Vanagon)...that the Aluminum versions SUCK.
As for why would Brembo be using aluminum if it were not SUPERIOR....? There is not one single thing superior about Brembo calipers....simply BECAUSE they are aluminum.
The primary function of being aluminum is weight savings expecially when using the large monoblock style 4-6 piston calipers.
They also "mostly" have aluminum pistons on the 4-6 piston calipers and that is a HUGE issue with transfering heat to the fluid.
Some stock replacement have steel pistons and thats a huge corrosion issue.
Your best best if you MUST use Brembo aluminum calipers is to use a Titanium piston upgrade from L&N or Silverlake/Design911.
So....you racing your 3500-5000 lb Vanagon? Not likely....so having aluminum calipers has not one single useful parameter for you. And....the contact area of the single sliding caliper has very little extra heat shedding ability from the cast iron caliper.
Many VW repair shops for years now have refused to install new replacement or rebuilt aluminum calipers in certain regions (midwest and northeast) simply because its hard to warrant them for very long is areas with lots of rain and/or salt.
There are good reasons why "most" (not all) of the VW golf and jettas past mk4 use cast iron/steel calipers. Unless you are driving a sport model like an R32 or Golf R and plan to spank them around the track....aluminum calipers are a lifespan liability.
You can get "NEW" mk4 aluminum calipers but if you do, they should be OEM because there are a lot of issues with some of the aftermarket aluminum and cast iron. Look for ATE and Budweg.
The "used" caliper core market for mk4 aluminum calipers sucks. Too many times you order a set of clean looking used aluminum calipers to eiter use or rebuild and they are corroded to hell. Been there and done that.
Yes I totally agree with your answer to the question this thread brought up....the mk4/A4 caliper on a Vanagon is an excellent mod. Along with the HUGE range of choices for pad materials and rotors it will have no problems....its worth the time and effort.
My suggestion is that you might gather that a lot of other people are looking at these threads for more than just a one dimensional answer.
Ray |
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ALIKA T3
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