How to Upgrade the Front Brake Pads and Rotors on Your MK7 GTI

A performance car’s power output means nothing without the proper braking force needed to stop it. On a MK7 GTI, upgrading your brake pads and rotors won’t just help you stop better in emergency situations, but is a way to shave precious milliseconds in the corners off of your lap times.

Should I go with street or track pads?

This will depend on the purpose of your MK7 build and what you can tolerate during day-to-day driving.

As the name implies, track pads are recommended for cars that see a lot of track use, where your brakes will frequently reach extreme low and high temperatures. The tradeoff for driving with track pads installed is that they tend to stop much more aggressively, and are far noisier than street pads. These pads also only work properly at normal driving temperatures, and on cold days have much longer stopping distances.

Street pads are much more ideal for commuting MK7s with the occasional spirited canyon drive in mind, and are designed to function well regardless of the weather. These pads are not recommended for track driving however, as they struggle to handle the aforementioned brake temperature fluctuations.

Can I drive my MK7 normally after installing new pads and rotors?

No. Like new motors, new brake pads need to be broken in before they can be used properly. Brand new pads need to be bedded first, which is the process of applying brake pad material to the rotor in order for the two components to mesh together well.

EBC has a guide to bedding their specific pads (such as the ones used in the video below), but the general process is moderate city driving for a few hundred miles, then quickly slowing down multiple times in a row before letting the brakes cool off for several minutes, then repeating the process. The brakes will still need some time to settle afterwards, but you can resume driving and braking normally after bedding them.

Video Tutorial: How to Install Mk7 GTI Performance Front Brakes:

--Parts and Tools Mentioned in this Video--

NOTE: This tutorial only covers installation of the front brake pads and rotors. Refer to the first video below for information about installing these components on the rear wheels.

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