New EBC Red Stuff brake pads

[daveflynn]

Hi all

Have just fitted EBC red stuff pads to the front of the car, will be doing the rears at the weekend.

After much cursing and swaring and having a little tantrum they are now fitted. Still trying to get the black off my hands!

Quick overview of front pad Change.
Loosen wheel nuts
Jack and axle stand car (do both sides its easier)
Remove wheel.
Ther is a spring on the caliper joining the two parts together, ping this out, remember how it goes. It is attatched to the brake pad with a little flange that points downwards. This need lifting up and out to get it out.
Remove little plastic cover over caliper pins.
7mm Allen key removes pin.
G cramp to pull caliper pisten back in.
Remove Caliper
Change pads
Replace Caliper
Grease caliper pins, screw them back in, stick on covers
Replace spring.

(now is a good time to make those calipers pretty, remember the paint, mine are now chav red!)

Stick on wheel, do other side, lower torqu upe wheelnuts. Go for a gentle drive round the block, after pupming pedle.

Will give a write up after the rears are done and they've bedded in a week.

No photos as it was too dark and stressful. Will try to get some of the rears, and sone photos of the pins on the front but they're fairly obvious.

 

[alfiejts]

Thanks - EBC Red pads used to get a rave write up on the Alfa forum when I had my 156, so its good to know they're just as good on the A3 for when I need to change mine....

Having said that I can't get over just how good my standard A3 brakes are compared to my 156 ones, so I won't be rushing to change!

 

[daveflynn]

Ok so I Have done the rear calipers and have some photos


You will need
13mm Spanner
15mm Spanner
Screwdriver to use a pry
6" G cramp
Mull grips
New Pads!
Lubrication
About an hour of time

1. Put car in gear, take off handbrake and chock front wheels.
2. Loosen wheel nuts, jack up car, put on axle stands.
3 Remove wheel. Looks Like This

4. Now remove the caliper. There is a bolt holding the caliper onto its guide that are connected to two slider pins. These are shown on the picture. The red one is a 13mm bolt, the blue is a 15mm nut on the end of the slider pins. You need to remove the bolt. Repeat for the one on the bottom

5. Caliper now will come free, might need a bit of levering with the screwdrive. Notice the end of the caliper.

6. I now installed the new pads. The picture shows the spring retaining clip. This is more of a guide than a spring and the pads pull out horizontally.

7. Now to get the piston back. If you brake resevoir is full put some cloth around it or remove some fluid. Place a large g-cramp along the piston and gently tighten.

8. Now using mole grips or something similar grab the piston, being very careful not to tear the boot. You need to turn it clockwise to get it to retract. There is a special tool available to do this but.... I don't have it!

9 Piston will be now fully retracted

10. lubricate slider pins by pulling boot off them

11. Reassemble and your done

Deliberate mistake - the first picture is of the other side to the rest!

 

[JaminBen]

Great review!

These went on your used standard rotors, correct?

Have you tracked them at all?

Are you using Audi brake fluid, or have you changed that as well?


TIA,

 

[fjtwelve]

Wish i'd seen this a couple of months ago before i tried to slice part of my thumb off doing it wrong. Do you have to turn the piston back anti clockwise after it's retracted?

 

[daveflynn]

These went on your used standard rotors, correct?
Have you tracked them at all?
Are you using Audi brake fluid, or have you changed that as well?
TIA,

They had been fitted to the oem rotors. I'll let you know how the wear goes!
The pads have a special coat which allows them to be used straight onto the existing disc(rotor)
What do you mean by tracked?
Still have audi fluid.

Will wait and see how this fares......

Do you have to turn the piston back anti clockwise after it's retracted?

No you have to turn the piston to get it to retract which I believ is to do with the handbrake being used on a disc/caliper as oppossed to a drum. The front caliper does not have this and will retract in with just a g-cramp.

 

[marriedblonde]

Tracked: Done any track days.

 

[JaminBen]

Yes, that is what I meant: trackday use. Thanks for all the answers. I had been waiting for sport pads for a long time, but I've heard mixed reports from EBC. I look forward to seeing how they go for you, especially if you track them.

The following pic is from a US version 3.2, which has smaller, non-vented rer discs than our Euro 345/310 vented/vented versions. Nevertheless, I find it intriguing:

You can read more here:

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2799967



Anyways, looking forwrad to seeing how these fare on a Euro 3.2, thanks!

 

[daveflynn]

Hi Folks

Just a few picture then I'll give you my thoughts on them

Picture of the front of the caliper, the blue arrow points to the place to pry the spring out. You need o remove this first, and reinstall it last as it makes life a lot easier, in fact you can't replace the caliper with it on!

Back of the caliper. Under these plastic caps hides the caliper bolts, remove them with a 7mm alllen key. Remember to regrease them.


Ok so my Thoughts


These are significantly better than the OE ones. No fade, Less dust and better stopping. I have had to slow down once when they got too hot, and in the future would consider upgrading the front discs to help prevent this happening.

After two week I have no significant pitting or wear on them, and have had tested them well!

Stopping distance is improved, the limit of stopping is now tyre,road interface as oppossed to pad disc. I have found that the ABS works well, in the past barely noticed it in the dry (have you?)

Would I buy them again - definately

Would I recommend them - Yes, but do the front discs as well


I think that there could be a problem if you have unvented disc like JaminBen described if you use them consistantly under heavy braking with no cool down time, as as I mentioned this has happened to me once on the front (vented only), so I think a disc upgrade may be needed.