# HYDE16 Reviews: StopTech ST-40 328mm Big Brake Kit



## HYDE16 (Aug 20, 2010)

*Disclaimer:
In NO WAY am I affiliated, paid by or benefiting from posting this information. I do not list hyperlinks or product advertisements, only my feedback to help people decide if they feel they would benefit from what I have paid to have installed in my own car.*

I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to test multiple performance pads, the Forge Motorsport 330mm big brake kit and now the StopTech ST-40 328mm big brake kit on my 2011 4-door MK6 GTI. For the big brake kits, I wanted to post a comparison on the parts and the performance. You may have read multiple reviews on braking upgrades but I feel I can offer a comparison on two big brake kits tested on the same car.

*Manufacturing & Replacement Parts: *
When I purchased the Forge Motorsport kit I went back and forth with the company to find proof that the kit was actually manufactured in the UK and not from a Chinese / Taiwanese supplier. At that time I was given manufacturing pictures and assurance that it was not a Chinese knock-off braking kit (like XYZ, Kema, K-Sport) so I went with the information I was given. StopTech is without a doubt manufactured in the USA. One of the main concerns I had was about sourcing replacement parts such as dust boots, screws, bolts, pins, retainers, and consumables that eventually will need replacing. StopTech makes it very easy to maintain their calipers and luckily *-Zeckhausen Racing-* is right in my backyard for any parts that I may need. I’ll get into the design aspect a bit more under the pictures section.

*Performance: *
My concerns from the start were braking balance, braking bias and overall safety of the components. One thing I did find odd about the Forge kit was that both rotor sizes (offered in 330mm and 356mm) used the same 6 piston caliper design whereas StopTech uses different caliper designs for different rotor sizes (328mm and 355mm). Some immediate pros of StopTech kit over the Forge Motorsport kit would be the dust boot system on the calipers, the better vane system on the rotor rings and properly specified piston sizes to maintain balanced brake bias. From a quality aspect, you can tell from seeing the StopTech kit in person that it is constructed of very high quality components and materials. All along, *-Redline Speed Worx-* has only recommended this system for my GTI, in the past I decided to forgo their advice and test the Forge Motorsport kit first.

*Forge Motorsport 330mm Big Brake Kit:*
The Forge Motorsport kit contained two 330mm rotors, two 6 piston calipers, two caliper brackets, Hosetechnik stainless steel lines, EBC yellow pads but *no instructions on how to install the kit*. This kit had a great / hard initial bite with initial brake pedal input. I never felt that the braking bias was off but then again I haven’t taken it to a track to push it to the limits to test brake fade, rotor wear or braking bias. I did feel an overall faster deceleration from the Forge Motorsport kit but that may have been due to the initial bite, larger pad and additional pistons. Over time I did develop brake shudder where the car would vibrate during braking in addition to excessive squealing in cold or warm temperatures. I re-bedded the brakes as per the instructions but no luck. Another strange occurrence was when I came to a complete stop and while my foot was resting on the brake pedal, the pedal could be depressed further all the way down to the floor with low resistance. With the StopTech kit, I am only able to depress the pedal a little bit further until it completely stops, well above the floor. For comparison, my full review of the Forge Motorsport big brake kit can be found here: *-HYDE16 Reviews Forge Motorsport Front Brake Kit-*.

*StopTech ST-40 328mm Big Brake Kit:*
The StopTech kit contained two 328mm rotors, two 4 piston calipers, two caliper brackets, hardware, StopTech stainless steel lines, StopTech Street Performance pads, detailed installation instructions and bed in procedure. The OEM rotor dust shields were removed to fit this kit, I plan on reinstalling them somehow as the Forge Motorsport kit retained them and I feel it would offer better protection of the system. This kit definitely had less of an initial bite and was much smoother, more refined like OEM braking with a higher level of braking force and control. The pedal modulation felt much better and overall it feels way more balanced. I am really looking forward to taking this out for an HPDE event this Spring. After bedding the brakes in as per StopTech’s recommendations they felt better and were dead silent. StopTech places tremendous emphasis on the concept of a balanced brake system. While they have several patents related to rotor cooling and caliper stiffness, what sets StopTech apart from other big brake companies is their dedication to preserving the factory balance. Each kit has specific piston sizes designed specifically for the GTI. Here is a GREAT background on how StopTech tests and designs their application specific kits: http://www.zeckhausen.com/Testing_Brakes.htm

*Weight Savings Per Side:*
OEM VW 1 Piston Caliper = 12.5lbs
Forge Motorsport 6 Piston Caliper & Bracket = 10.0lbs
Stoptech 4 Piston Caliper & Bracket = 11.4lbs
*Total = Stoptech is 1.1lbs lighter than OEM VW caliper but 1.4lbs heavier than Forge Motorsport*

OEM VW 312mm Rotor = 18.5lbs
Forge 330mm Rotor = 18.5lbs
Stoptech 328mm Rotor = 13.2lbs
*Total = Stoptech is 5.3lbs lighter than OEM VW rotor and Forge Motorsport rotor*

*Overall Weight Savings = Stoptech kit saves 12.8lbs compared to OEM VW brake system and 8.4lbs compared to the Forge Motorsport kit for the entire front end*

*StopTech Caliper Packaging:*
Packaging is flawless and professional



















*Caliper Unpackaged: *
I special ordered the gloss black caliper for that sleeper look and since my rear OEM calipers were powder coated gloss black as well.




























*StopTech Dust Seals: *
As noted above, the StopTech caliper contains 4 pistons and comes with a dust boot system.



















*Forge Motorsport Calipers:*
Just a comparison of the Forge Motorsport caliper assembly with 6 pistons and the lack of a dust boot system.



















*StopTech Rotor Packaging: *










*StopTech Rotor Unpackaged: *














































*Forge Motorsport Rotor: *
Just a comparison of the Forge Motorsport rotor assembly. Forge chose to go with allen key bolts and rattle proof K-nuts to assemble the 2 piece rotor.




























*Sanding Hubs: *
Just to avoid any front end vibration it is recommended to sand the hubs before installing new rotors.










*StopTechs Installed: *
Need I say more? GORGEOUS!


















*StopTech SS Brake Lines: *
The StopTech kit also came with their own stainless steel lines as did the Forge Motorsport kit.










Overall I am very happy with the StopTech ST-40 328mm Big Brake Kit.

Is it *better* than the Forge Motorsport 330mm Big Brake Kit? Possibly, but each had their own performance “personality”. The StopTechs are a more refined, balanced system still strong enough for road and track and built of quality parts that can be sourced in the US. The Forge Motorsport kit was more raw braking force, may not have been as balanced and did show signs of fatigue as per the brake shudder and squealing at various temperatures.

Thanks to *-Redline Speed Worx-* for their flawless installation and for their GE CarCareOne 0% interest financing options (lifesaver near the holidays).


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## HYDE16 (Aug 20, 2010)

TTT, weight savings added!


*Weight Savings Per Side:*
OEM VW 1 Piston Caliper = 12.5lbs
Forge Motorsport 6 Piston Caliper & Bracket = 10.0lbs
Stoptech 4 Piston Caliper & Bracket = 11.4lbs
*Total = Stoptech is 1.1lbs lighter than OEM VW caliper but 1.4lbs heavier than Forge Motorsport*

OEM VW 312mm Rotor = 18.5lbs
Forge 330mm Rotor = 18.5lbs
Stoptech 328mm Rotor = 13.2lbs
*Total = Stoptech is 5.3lbs lighter than OEM VW rotor and Forge Motorsport rotor*

*Overall Weight Savings = Stoptech kit saves 12.8lbs compared to OEM VW brake system and 8.4lbs compared to the Forge Motorsport kit for the entire front end*


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## jspirate (Jan 15, 2011)

How do the stoptechs look after a couple-three months? Pics please!


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## HYDE16 (Aug 20, 2010)

jspirate said:


> How do the stoptechs look after a couple-three months? Pics please!


 They look amazing, I put two coats of 22PLE VM1 Signature Rim & Metal Coat. 

Here's a recent cleaning when I switched to my summer wheels.


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## [email protected] (Apr 18, 2013)

We would like to announce that we have recently launched our
*GROUP BUY: TyrolSport Master Brake Cylinder Bracket Group Buy and 10% Off Sale*


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## HYDE16 (Aug 20, 2010)

Just had my Custom Powder Coated Stoptech 328mm ST-40 Front Brake Calipers installed: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthre...finishing-From-ThePowderCoater-com&p=84431659


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## fresh_paint (Sep 17, 2011)

Hey! You have some really awesome write ups, I must say! 

Out of curiosity, did you by any chance get to dyno with the OEM 312mm rotors and then with the 328mm rotors? Notice any HP changes? My questions may just be trivial, but I am curious. Thank you!

:beer:


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## HYDE16 (Aug 20, 2010)

fresh_paint said:


> Hey! You have some really awesome write ups, I must say!
> 
> Out of curiosity, did you by any chance get to dyno with the OEM 312mm rotors and then with the 328mm rotors? Notice any HP changes? My questions may just be trivial, but I am curious. Thank you!
> 
> :beer:


Thank you and that is a great question, I didn't dyno with the before and after.


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## logmk6 (Feb 21, 2014)

HYDE16 said:


> Thank you and that is a great question, I didn't dyno with the before and after.



Great write up once again. I want to get a brake kit for my GTI as well. How much was that kit? I know Linden VW offers a kit from HPA. Do you know how those compare to the Stoptechs?


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## HYDE16 (Aug 20, 2010)

logmk6 said:


> Great write up once again. I want to get a brake kit for my GTI as well. How much was that kit? I know Linden VW offers a kit from HPA. Do you know how those compare to the Stoptechs?


I have not tested the HPA kit so I can't comment on it's build or performance. As for the Stoptech kit, give Redline Speed Worx a call for current pricing.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

Don't know what the overall improvement would be with the HPA Big Brakes (made by a reknowned
American brake company named Baer), but with the exception of a U.K. company named PB Brakes
that has their Big Brakes made in Taiwan, no others offer a balanced 4 wheel set-up that I know of.
With approximately 75 to 80% of the braking being generated from the front wheels, I don't know
how much better the performance would be with these 4 wheel set-ups? Need Ryan (HYDE 16) to
'hopefully' get a chance to find out for us one of these days, for no one that I know of offers the 
extensive, honest evaluations he does for everything he tests.


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## HYDE16 (Aug 20, 2010)

ridgemanron said:


> Don't know what the overall improvement would be with the HPA Big Brakes (made by a reknowned
> American brake company named Baer), but with the exception of a U.K. company named PB Brakes
> that has their Big Brakes made in Taiwan, no others offer a balanced 4 wheel set-up that I know of.
> With approximately 75 to 80% of the braking being generated from the front wheels, I don't know
> ...


Thank you Ron.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

HYDE16 said:


> Thank you Ron.


You're welcome.


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## kemist (Mar 6, 2001)

*Will the ST-40 328mm fit an Audi a3 2.0T w/Quattro?*

Will this kit fit an 09 Audi A3 2.0T quattro? I am having a hard time finding an online configurator that tells me.... 

kemist


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## HYDE16 (Aug 20, 2010)

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kemist said:


> Will this kit fit an 09 Audi A3 2.0T quattro? I am having a hard time finding an online configurator that tells me....
> 
> kemist


I want to say yes, but the best thing to do is to call Stoptech to ask.


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