Best aftermarket brake discs?

[Jim Bowen 1]

right, should i go to VW and get discs from them, or gsf, and get black diamond, i'm really not sure what to do.

 

am getting a bit sick of giving VW loads of money then finding out i didn't need to :(

[Jim Bowen 1]

i did ask Rob (hesitates) about this the other day, and after reading this i'm more confused

 

what costs more, the mk3 golf discs from VW or black diamond discs?

[jackflash 0]

not sure about cost but black diamond are pretty good, they won't set any records but are better than standard discs imo

[gg7aph 0]

I'm finally getting around to fitting those 288mm calipers I bought at the end of last summer. I've been pondering what discs and pads to get to go alongside them.

 

In terms of discs I'm going along with what Rob said at the beginning of this thread, namely:

...Apparently new standard discs with Pagid Fast Road pads is a good option....

However, the 'standard' discs that GSF sell are vented. Was this standard on a Mk 3 Golf VR6?

 

As for pads I may stray from Rob's recommendation as I am not looking for anything more than spirited driving and may go for ECB Green Stuffs or DS2500...thoughts?

 

However, I'm also wondering if anyone knows what the 'VW Performance Pads' for a Mk3 Golf VR6 are that GSF flog for 40quid? Are the really rubbish?

[junkie 0]

If your not looking to do any more than spirited driving then i would say the Ferodo DS2500 would be overkill.

[Neil VR6 0]

Avoid EBC stuff

[mbaker8v 0]

I will add my 2p in to the pot...

 

I have run several different brake set ups on my corrado over the last 8 years, including standard VW disk and pads, standard VW disks with pagid pads, Zimmerman x-drilled front disks with Pagids and Brembo max disks with Pagids.

 

In my opinion, the best all round set up for road use was VW disks with pagid pads. The zimmermans warped, 2 sets of them, badly, and I dont sit wit hthe brakes on in traffic. At the time I was doing 120 miles a day on fast A and B roads with no sitting in traffic at all, but they stil lwarped so I would steer well clear.

 

The Brembo max disks are ok but they are soft, the "grooves" in them are cack and are meant to act as a disk wear indicator too, in which case they are about knackered and have only covered 30,000 miles.

 

When i replace will be going back to OEM, probably with mintex or ferodo pads.

 

For rear brakes, standard VW set up is much much more than adequate, just make sur ethe calipers have not seized up and can move freely.

 

Unless your going to do track days or drive like a complete tw*t on the road, theres no need for much more in my opinion.

[mbaker8v 0]

I'm finally getting around to fitting those 288mm calipers I bought at the end of last summer. I've been pondering what discs and pads to get to go alongside them.

 

In terms of discs I'm going along with what Rob said at the beginning of this thread, namely:

...Apparently new standard discs with Pagid Fast Road pads is a good option....

However, the 'standard' discs that GSF sell are vented. Was this standard on a Mk 3 Golf VR6?

 

Vented is different to drilled and grooved, and I would be pretty sure the VR6 came with vented disks as standard..... vented just means the disk is effectively in two halfs with cooling vanes in the middle to help cool the disks down. Pretty much standard on any heavy or quick car.

[Neil VR6 0]

Mbaker8v: Strange you and some other forum users had problems with the Zimmerman discs on your C

[mbaker8v 0]

Mbaker8v: Strange you and some other forum users had problems with the Zimmerman discs on your C

[CTWG60 0]

I've just warped a set of drilled Zimmermans in 2000 miles. I bought Zimmermans to reduce metal to pad contact as I also warped a set of oem discs. I might add I have S2 calipers on my G60. Anyone know of a good set of discs that are made of something other than cheese?

[Supercharged 2]

Black Diamond dude - the only thing apart from Genuine VAG that seem to last at all... work very well with the DS2500's too

 

I've tried most now, Zimmerman and EBC discs are absolute rubbish and plain Brembo / Brembo max / plain ATE / ATE power are ok but still no where near as good as the genuine ones considering they are only a quid or so cheaper.

 

Pads wise Genuine VW / Pagid / ATE / TRW / Ferrodo are much of a muchness and the only upgrade I'd bother with now (as you can't get Pagid FR) are the Ferrodo DS2500's which are awesome but more expensive and aggressive on discs.

 

Avoid EBC and Halfords own brand pads (crap feel and fall apart if heated up too much) and MIntex standard and eXtreme - seem to have too much metal in them and squeel / squeek.

[CTWG60 0]

Black Diamond dude - the only thing apart from Genuine VAG that seem to last at all...

 

I've tried most now, Zimmerman are absolute rubbish and plain Brembo are ok but still no where near as good as the genuine ones.

 

Yeah I was thinking BlackDiamond! If they warp I'll have to go back to standard calipers. What others have you tried?

[Supercharged 2]

^ Just updated the above with everything I can think of... tried most off the shelf stuff now I suppose with standard brakes...

 

Using BD and DS2500's at the moment on the TDI and they are simply awesome with standard 280 calipers (new 3 years ago), it's running 155 BHP / 325Nm now, I brake hard and they feel great, no fade whatsoever and no excessive wear on the discs after 17k miles, pads 70% worn I think.

 

I'm using the grooved discs (you can get drilled and combo ones but not plain) and they drone under heavy braking, found it annoying at first but you get used to it - I actually like to hear them working now.

 

I've got the S2 / Girling 60's on the G60 with VAG discs / Pagid FR - they work well but heavy old things - from what i've read the Willwoods are the way to go and give better breaking than the Ibiza Brembo setup even with 280mm discs which is great if you want to keep standard wheels on it.

[KipVR 1]

If your having big problems with warping discs then it wouldn't be a bad idea to try getting a good cold air feed to the back of the disc where the vent inlets are. I'm not sure if the G60 already has the cold air feed to the wheelarch liner from the front of the bumper, I think it does, so perhaps you could try to duct the air from the arch liner closer to the disc somehow? Worth a look maybe :shrug:

[CTWG60 0]

If your having big problems with warping discs then it wouldn't be a bad idea to try getting a good cold air feed to the back of the disc where the vent inlets are. I'm not sure if the G60 already has the cold air feed to the wheelarch liner from the front of the bumper, I think it does, so perhaps you could try to duct the air from the arch liner closer to the disc somehow? Worth a look maybe :shrug:

 

Yeah maybe, they do have a feed from the front of the car to the arch liner, but I guess the extra pad area is just cooking the standard discs, just ordered a set of BD grooved discs so I'll see how it goes. If they warp I think I'll give up and just drive slower! :D

[Leonard 0]

Yeah maybe, they do have a feed from the front of the car to the arch liner, but I guess the extra pad area is just cooking the standard discs, just ordered a set of BD grooved discs so I'll see how it goes. If they warp I think I'll give up and just drive slower! :D

 

I doubt they will warp. But make sure you buy a hard compound pad to go with em or they will eat your std, ebc greenstuff type pads like a wolverine through a marmot :grin:

[CTWG60 0]

Yeah maybe, they do have a feed from the front of the car to the arch liner, but I guess the extra pad area is just cooking the standard discs, just ordered a set of BD grooved discs so I'll see how it goes. If they warp I think I'll give up and just drive slower! :D

 

I doubt they will warp. But make sure you buy a hard compound pad to go with em or they will eat your std, ebc greenstuff type pads like a wolverine through a marmot :grin:

 

Going to see what they are like with the pagid pads I have on there now, I really hope your right about them not warping. There £150!! :| Guess I'll have to put plenty of wax on my wheels if I'm to have any hope of keeping them clean!

 

EDIT: Please don't tell me if you can or have got them cheaper, please! :lol:

[Leonard 0]

Going to see what they are like with the pagid pads I have on there now, I really hope your right about them not warping. There £150!! :| Guess I'll have to put plenty of wax on my wheels if I'm to have any hope of keeping them clean!

 

EDIT: Please don't tell me if you can or have got them cheaper, please! :lol:

 

Would have thought the Pagids would be good. They are pretty darn expensive where ever you get em from and yeah you are right about the dust :lol:

[colinstubbs 0]

What are people doing to screw the Zimmerman discs?? :scratch:

 

I've been running drilled discs with Pagid FR pads for years with no probs at all. Just about to put my third disc set on the front and my last set of FR pads on the rear.

 

Maybe I brake like a :camp: except in emergencies :lol: :lol: That's looking ahead for you!

 

Nice and progressive pedal feel etc, etc. I worked through the front and rear pads and discs as they wore out from when I bought the C and they all made sucessive improvements on stock.

 

Braid hoses work nicely improving things too. 8)

[Leonard 0]

What are people doing to screw the Zimmerman discs?? :scratch:

 

I've been running drilled discs with Pagid FR pads for years with no probs at all. Just about to put my third disc set on the front and my last set of FR pads on the rear.

 

Maybe I brake like a :camp: except in emergencies :lol: :lol: That's looking ahead for you!

 

Nice and progressive pedal feel etc, etc. I worked through the front and rear pads and discs as they wore out from when I bought the C and they all made sucessive improvements on stock.

 

Braid hoses work nicely improving things too. 8)

 

Ditto all that. My EBC red stuff pads and drilled Zimmermans work better than my Black Diamond EBC greenstuff combo I had. Would have been different with harder pads though. But then at 3 times the price.....

[Guest Richie-poos]

.Also - think about how much contact area between pad and disk you've just lost from the holes and grooves...

 

So yes, go for grooves if you must, but don't bother with drilled holes unless you want the bling factor.

 

 

i disagree with this statement as the holes do serve a purpose other than looking bling. and the surface area that u are losing is far outweighed in comparison to the introduction of new 'biting surfaces' when the pad passes every hole. why else would race cars us them?!?!?!

 

i would also say that using the standard brake set up, and having gone for a 'wee drive' on a nice day it wasnt long before there was a massive problem with brake fade. i decided that it was time so fix this ans having no brakes is not good when blowing the cobwebs outta the six shooter!

 

i went for the x drilled disks (off ebay as mentioned on the first page of this thread) as i have had plenty of experience with them (having run supras, various golfs etc) and i found that the grooved disks ate the pads quicker. these have been magic and i have been running them on the C for 6 months now. i had bad experiences with the green stuff pads before (maybe 4/5 years ago) where they literally fell apart. since i have tried various and i will say that the tarox were the worst i have tried. i was recomended to try them again and im pleased to say that they are perfect. im yet to suffer brake fade and running std size disks the breaking efficiency is far superior.

 

since then i have upgraded the hoses to the goodridge hoses (failed mot on the normal ones so saw an opportunity to upgrade! :norty: )

 

all in all, for change of 300 quid i would say it was wee worth it. and its an easy job to do too, just make sure u have a wire brush and plenty of the old WD 40!

 

i hope this helps.

rich

 

 

black dimond were the worst sori!!! tarox were good but expensive.. i didnt read it before i posted it.....! :lol:

[_leon_ 0]

on my previous g60 i ran zimmerman discs with pagid fast roads - i warped two sets of them - rubbish. the brembo discs on my current 312s aren't great either. does willwood supply discs? positive one of the best disc setups would be ap discs/bells. but at a cost of 500+.

[sean1380 0]

iv just bought some ebc ones after abit of confusion about which ones i should go for,

were told b.diamonds were pants but couldnt afford brembos tho

 

they seem too work well with the greenstuff pads but only been 2weeks soo ill have to see how i get on.

 

allthough how long should they take too bed in as there dragging like a bitch :confused4:

when i back off i slow right down without even braking and im using even more fuel than before,

might i have fitted them wrong side??i put right hand on the drivers side??(it said right hand and left hand on the boxes) which way should the groove point??

 

i was told too stay away from drilled as dimpled was better as it reduces the risk of cracks appering around the weakend area of the drilled hole

 

ah well if these warp n eat the pads ill just av to get something else and use the discs as beer mats in the garage!!

[KipVR 1]

If you're going to spend money you may as well get the real thing and use AP, Willwoods are cheap but not particularly well developed, my last employers stopped using them (after initially being attracted by the price) because they had sooo many problems with prolonged hard use.