Best brakes pads for S3 2007?

NME

NME

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Had a quick look at the front today, and the front pads need replacing.

Anybody have a good / cheap supplier and a brand they would recommend?

They don't need to be for the track or anything, just want some quality stopping power when I need it.

Cheers!
 
really depends how you use the car, for a few hard stops in a row, say for some country lane fast road driving, then OEM stuff really isnt too bad, anything more then that and something like ferodo DS2500 pads are a good upgrade and not too expensive. whats worth doing is putting some braided lines on and some decent performance race brake fluid, those 2 things will give much better feel and consistent braking whatever the pad your using

oh any only down side to the DS2500 is they dont have pad level sensors in them, so youll have to trick the system into thinking they are fitted... but thats easy enough to do
 
Most of the aftermarket pads will not have sensors in them,but this isn't really a problem if you check them at reasonable intervals.

But,in answer to your question....anything but EBC.....these are noisy,they squeal and make a load of dust,and are no better than the stock pads.
 
Wouldn't touch DS2500 with a barge pole, they are not bad in their small operating window (slight fast road, but nothing heavy duty), but they are extremely dusty and can often judder badly on track (seems to vary car to car, but on BMWs there are often poor).

EBC Yellowstuff are very good pads for the money, have use these for trackdays for 5 years, very good on the road with little dust. I used Pagid RS29/Carbone Lorraine RC6 now though which are track/race pads. Don't both with EBC Red or Green though.

Depends on the budget PAGID RS29 are top end money but you do get what you pay for; very good cold or hot and they don't dust much and last AGES. But from what you wrote something OEMish is what you're after, but I would not discount EBC Yellowstuff if that's the case.
 
c_w said:
Wouldn't touch DS2500 with a barge pole, they are not bad in their small operating window (slight fast road, but nothing heavy duty), but they are extremely dusty and can often judder badly on track (seems to vary car to car, but on BMWs there are often poor).

EBC Yellowstuff are very good pads for the money, have use these for trackdays for 5 years, very good on the road with little dust. I used Pagid RS29/Carbone Lorraine RC6 now though which are track/race pads. Don't both with EBC Red or Green though.

Depends on the budget PAGID RS29 are top end money but you do get what you pay for; very good cold or hot and they don't dust much and last AGES. But from what you wrote something OEMish is what you're after, but I would not discount EBC Yellowstuff if that's the case.
Click to expand...

Ferodo DS2500 are the most popular performance pad in the VAG forums by a long way. They are well known for their low dust levels. Pagid RS29 like the Padgid blues i used to have on my turbo R32 sequel like hell for road use and the metal in the pads scores the discs.

Something cheap but better then stock EBC yellow are OK but Ferodo DS2500 are only about £20 more for a much better pad.
 
In my experience the DS2500 are not known for low dust levels! The wheels needed washing after every use. As I said my experience is using a BMW and of other people using them suffering from brake judder if they're pushed beyond average fast road conditions. Even people buying AP big brake kits (who supply DS2500 pads with them) still getting horrendous judder when they got hot. They may work in VAG cars but can't see dust not being as bad?

I don'r get squeal from my RS29s in my BMW, they work really well and from cold too - and dust is very low (major squeal from the sintered CL RC6 though! sounds like an old bus), I've not really noticed any obvious disc wear (same discs for 4 years), afaik they're ceramic pads and not high in metallic content.

An alternative I would say for low dust high performance upgrade is also the CL RC5+.
 
Last edited:
c_w said:
In my experience the DS2500 are not known for low dust levels! The wheels needed washing after every use. As I said my experience is using a BMW and of other people using them suffering from brake judder if they're pushed beyond average fast road conditions. Even people buying AP big brake kits (who supply DS2500 pads with them) still getting horrendous judder when they got hot. They may work in VAG cars but can't see dust not being as bad?
.
Click to expand...

That's interesting...

I have a VWRacing brake kit on my current car,and use DS2500 pads with it....

Brkae dust levels are not as bad as they were when I tried some EBC pads,and as for brake judder.....none.

I also used DS2500 pads with an AP setup a few years ago,and again had no problems with fade,judder or dust.
 
Wow, plenty of choice - thanks for all of the replies guys.

Its only going to be fast road, and I do want a reliable pad from cold. Like the sound of the DS2500's but not sure if it will make that much of a difference for the extra cost above OEM.

Main reason for needing to change them, is that the right hand brake piston seems to have seized, and has worn down a lot faster that the left on the front.

No warning light has come on, and it is REALLY low.

I do punish the front brakes a fair bit though.......decisions decisions!
 
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