New rear brakes for the Passat.

Well after 53,000 miles (see Post below) the Passat is ready for some new rear brakes. I checked prices for OEM (VW) parts, and the rotors were $162 and the bads were $65 for a parts total of $227. Well, out of curiosity (actually because I wanted better parts) I checked the aftermarket to see what was available for my car. I found some very interesting parts, as well as prices. Tirerack offers Brembo rotors for my car. They are OEM size so they are meant for the stock caliper. The official name is Brembo Sport Slotted rotors (see http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/brakes.jsp?make=Brembo&model=Sport+Slotted+Rotor for information). They are (obviously) slotted rotors. Although many aftermarket brake kits offer cross-drilled (and some manufacturers as well), I have heard that slotted cool nearly as well and last longer too. We'll see. I also found upgraded pads as well from Hawk. They are the Hawk HPS High Performance Street brake pads (see http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/brakes.jsp?make=Hawk&model=HPS+Street+brake+pads for more information). So, I added up the price and the total came to $231 and change (including 2 day shipping). So essentially I got superior performing parts for $4 more than the OEM components. The braking performance should be noticeably improved, and that will be accentuated when I need to replace the fronts and do so with the Brembo/Hawk combination there as well. I have been looking for, but unfortunately unable to find braided stainless steel brake lines, but I hope to do that as well. The brake lines added to the Brembo/Hawk combination I think should really improve on the performance of the stock brakes. I am getting them put on tomorrow and hope to be able to take some pictures of them installed before they put the wheels on. Hopefully more on this later...

Back (inside) side of Brembo rotor... 

Brembo Sport Slotted Rotor... 

New pads and rotors... 

Road trippin' summer...

So I put a lot of miles on my car this summer. If you'll recall, I bought it about four months ago and it had just under 40k miles on it. Well, it now has nearly 53k miles on it. Here is why: After picking it up in Ohio, had to drive back down to Winston via Asheville (long story); mileage = 518. I went to the beach with my friends after exams; mileage = 564. I drove down to see my brother; mileage = 129. From there I drove up with him and his wife to meet my family in Williamsburg, Virginia, went out to Norfolk, then back to Winston; mileage = 633. I drove out to California (from North Carolina) to visit my best friend in Redlands via Asheville, North Carolina; mileage = 2,413. From there I drove up the coast to see some friends at Pismo Beach and then continued on up to Portland, where I was spending the summer; mileage = 1,121. Commuting to work every day from Portland to Hillsboro for the whole summer; mileage (daily round trip) = 44. Trip to Salem from Portland for work; mileage = 102. One trip to Mount Rainier, plus driving around Mount Rainier National Park; mileage = 476. One trip to Walla Walla from Portland; mileage = 499. And the grandaddy of them all, Portland to Winston-Salem, via Ruffin, South Carolina (I had to pick up a puppy dog); mileage = 3,191. That's how the majority of the miles got piled on there. But the majority of them (~90% or more) are highway miles, so hopefully it wasn't too hard on her.

Here are some numbers for the latest (and greatest) trip I made. Portland, Oregon to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, via Ruffin, South Carolina: 3,191 miles; it took me 55 hours (including 8 1/2 hours of sleep and one hour spent picking up the puppy); 120.698 gallons of premium unleaded consumed; average fuel economy was 26.4 miles per gallon; average speed (including gas, sleep, and puppy stops) was 58.0 miles per hour. For the first 900 miles I averaged (including gas stops) 74.8 miles per hour, which if you do the math including the stops for fuel, is hauling ass. During one hour's period of time I averaged 85 miles per hour (including slowing down for traffic, etc., etc.). Those are some of the numbers from my trip. I hope next May is the last time I ever have to do it again. It will be a lot slower in May--moving truck and all, you know...

About five hours into the trip... 

Making pretty good time through southern Idaho...

50 hours in...I look it, don't I?