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Author Topic: Rear Brake Pad Upgrades....  (Read 33479 times)

Offline Janner_Sy

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Re: Rear Brake Pad Upgrades....
« Reply #30 on: September 03, 2009, 10:26:06 am »
prices dont seem too bad in comparison to other available alternatives. although i would rather not have the EBC redstuff pads they supply.
Monster 4 335x32mm £1105.38 £1298.82
Monster 6 335x32mm £1246.38 £1464.50

however you can get 4 pot R8 calipers with larger 345mm R32 discs for £1000, the only other benefit i can see for the extra £300 is that they are 2 piece discs, so will help with cooling. could it not be cheaper and more cost effective to put some form of ducting through from the front to blast on the brakes.

@jabbalad, i dont see how you can brake much later for a corner with less rear brake. i know you a little tap on the brakes to bring the back round will get the front turning in more, but that also unsettles the car and you can lose traction on acceleration out of the corner with all the sudden weight transfer. surely for the large majority of drivers who are competent but not advanced drivers a settled car would be faster.
« Last Edit: September 03, 2009, 10:34:13 am by simonskerton »

Offline RedRobin

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Re: Rear Brake Pad Upgrades....
« Reply #31 on: September 03, 2009, 11:06:07 am »

however you can get 4 pot R8 calipers with larger 345mm R32 discs for £1000, the only other benefit i can see for the extra £300 is that they are 2 piece discs, so will help with cooling. could it not be cheaper and more cost effective to put some form of ducting through from the front to blast on the brakes.


....An easy mod to duct through from front.


@jabbalad, i dont see how you can brake much later for a corner with less rear brake. i know you a little tap on the brakes to bring the back round will get the front turning in more, but that also unsettles the car and you can lose traction on acceleration out of the corner with all the sudden weight transfer. surely for the large majority of drivers who are competent but not advanced drivers a settled car would be faster.


....I've always been taught that smoooother is always faster. It's easier on tyres and just about everything else!


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Offline DaveB@Vagbremtechnic

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Re: Rear Brake Pad Upgrades....
« Reply #32 on: September 03, 2009, 04:04:00 pm »
In my opinion i would just stick some decent pads in the back, front wheel drive cars shouldnt use much rear braking... when your trying to do everything through the front wheels the last thing you want to do it to make the back too stable!

Thats my part anyway, and i dont really need to justify this...

Not necessary to justify anything mate, could you just elaborate on the bit Ive highlighted

no problem, when your fast road or track driving in a front wheel drive car the only way it's going to go quick is if you can be the last on the brakes and first on the power, the only way to do this is to have the car pointing in the right direction as early into the corner as possible with the least ammout of steering input a possible... This doesn't work if the back end is too settled! (we have tried it) you can brake much further into corners with very little rear brake.
I see what your saying that the more even braking should mean better stopping abuility... And on mid engined or rear engined cars this is correct, but it's not really the right direction for front engined front drive cars! In my opinion of course.


I think we need to just quantify exactly what we're trying to achieve with our cars here, if we're setting our cars up tp be a lightweight racer - inside or around 1000kg with no interior, carbon/ali panels, exotic brake materials and touring car suspension, talented pro driver and a testing budget  - then I'll take your word for it that asking the front wheels to handle 300BHP+, steer and handle the vast majority of braking and deal with the associated heat generated with little rear braking is a good thing.

I think the vast majority of us have also got a requirement to:

A) Go to Sainsbury's
B) Take the old dear out
C) Not kill ourselves on todays roads with a car set up purely for the track
D) Enjoy the drive to work
E) Enjoy track action at a reasonable cost  - with out taking it all too seriously (with its associated cost)

I think setting our cars up so that they'll "scandinavian flick" a bit better is beyond most of us on here, in my opinion I want the best dynamic drive I can afford for the road, with a setup that cross polinates to a degree on the track so that the car holds its own and flatters my/our (amateurish - by definition) attempts to go fast.

If I buy a Mk5 Gti I would get a buzz from knowing that it brakes as well as an RS4, if I buy an RS4 I would like to thing I can get it dynamically on the road as good as an R8 isn't that whats moddings all about

So that being the case, improving the front rear bias so that it feels better/faster through my "arse" is a worthwhile mod and for £250 is well worth it. The flatter braking encountered improves confidence/flatters the driver and reduces the work/heat done by the fronts

Given an unlimited budget, a pro driver and another daily drive I could make the fastest golf in the world but isn't that why we watch and enjoy F1???

Offline Janner_Sy

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Re: Rear Brake Pad Upgrades....
« Reply #33 on: September 03, 2009, 04:04:12 pm »
has anybody here fitted any brake ducting to their cars, or seen any pics or internet links of it done. would be interested to see how and what they have used to do it and where they ran it. I havent had a look yet,

I was thinking hoover tubing and cable clips etc, but i want it too last


Offline Janner_Sy

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Re: Rear Brake Pad Upgrades....
« Reply #34 on: September 03, 2009, 04:08:27 pm »
i do have to agree with dave TBH,

I wouldnt want my wife loosing it on a bend if she had an emergency stop for some reason. £250 is pretty cheap as well all things considered, and even more so if you are due to renew your rear pads and discs

Offline RedRobin

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Re: Rear Brake Pad Upgrades....
« Reply #35 on: September 03, 2009, 05:22:43 pm »

I think we need to just quantify exactly what we're trying to achieve with our cars here, if we're setting our cars up tp be a lightweight racer - inside or around 1000kg with no interior, carbon/ali panels, exotic brake materials and touring car suspension, talented pro driver and a testing budget  - then I'll take your word for it that asking the front wheels to handle 300BHP+, steer and handle the vast majority of braking and deal with the associated heat generated with little rear braking is a good thing.

I think the vast majority of us have also got a requirement to:

A) Go to Sainsbury's
B) Take the old dear out
C) Not kill ourselves on todays roads with a car set up purely for the track
D) Enjoy the drive to work
E) Enjoy track action at a reasonable cost  - with out taking it all too seriously (with its associated cost)

I think setting our cars up so that they'll "scandinavian flick" a bit better is beyond most of us on here, in my opinion I want the best dynamic drive I can afford for the road, with a setup that cross polinates to a degree on the track so that the car holds its own and flatters my/our (amateurish - by definition) attempts to go fast.


....I think you are absolutely right in that it's important to quantify exactly what we are trying to achieve with our individual cars and consequently to plan our mods accordingly. However, in reality the slope of modding being slippery, usually causes us to move on the fly!

I'm not sure that the "vast majority" of us here fall into your requirements list at all - I know I most certainly don't! For what it's worth, I : -

A) Walk to Waitrose etc and never do a weekly big shop.
B) The oldest person who goes in my car is myself and I don't drive any differently whoever the passengers are.
C) My car is set up for 'Fast Road' and spirited driving whenever circumstances safely allow (surprisingly often).
D) I don't work.
E) Just starting to become addicted to the Nurburgring.


If I buy a Mk5 Gti I would get a buzz from knowing that it brakes as well as an RS4, if I buy an RS4 I would like to thing I can get it dynamically on the road as good as an R8 isn't that whats moddings all about

So that being the case, improving the front rear bias so that it feels better/faster through my "arse" is a worthwhile mod and for £250 is well worth it. The flatter braking encountered improves confidence/flatters the driver and reduces the work/heat done by the fronts


Agreed. Modding enhances a car because the manufacturer builds them to a lower common denominator. Example: The VW air intake is more of a hot air intake because VW have to cater for cold starts in colder climates [probably not the best example, but]. And then there's all the crap about emissions etc.


Given an unlimited budget, a pro driver and another daily drive I could make the fastest golf in the world but isn't that why we watch and enjoy F1???


....Not why I enjoy watching F1 - It has absolutely nothing to do with my own car or driving - It isn't a substitute.

:happy2:
« Last Edit: September 03, 2009, 05:28:28 pm by RedRobin »


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Offline RedRobin

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Re: Rear Brake Pad Upgrades....
« Reply #36 on: September 03, 2009, 05:32:34 pm »

has anybody here fitted any brake ducting to their cars, or seen any pics or internet links of it done. would be interested to see how and what they have used to do it and where they ran it. I havent had a look yet,

I was thinking hoover tubing and cable clips etc, but i want it too last


....I think NeilM has done so, or is it john_o?

There are durable duct hoses for cars on the market - I saw some recently and I'll see if I can find a link for you.

Google is your friend! Found these immediately - There will be others and doubtless in the UK.

Linky : - http://www.hrpworld.com/index.cfm?form_cat_id=59,7,363&action=category

And DemonTweeks in the UK : -
http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/products/ProductDetail.asp?cls=MSPORT&pcode=GLO025BLK

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« Last Edit: September 03, 2009, 05:41:19 pm by RedRobin »


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Offline Janner_Sy

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Re: Rear Brake Pad Upgrades....
« Reply #37 on: September 03, 2009, 05:42:21 pm »
I had already googled it, i was just interested to see how people might have secured these scoop ducts and piping etc

Offline Hurdy

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Re: Rear Brake Upgrades....
« Reply #38 on: September 07, 2009, 04:32:10 pm »
Finally made a decision and after a little advice decided to go with uprated R32 rear set up. OEM ventilated discs, pads, calipers and carriers. Hopefully this should nail any chance of the rear "floating" under braking at the 'ring and having them ventilated should help with cooling over just solid ones.  :jumpmove:

Going on next Monday.

Not a bad price fitted either :wink:
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Offline tony_danza

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Re: Rear Brake Pad Upgrades....
« Reply #39 on: September 09, 2009, 02:05:38 pm »
I run some half the price of DS2500s Hawk fast road pads in the rear and they suffice, so long as they cope with the temps asked of them on a track day without crumbling then that'll do. They do this fine. Much as I love the DS2500s, they're a waste of money on the rear TBH.

The OEM rear pads I've had fall to bits on my MKIV on the track in the past, so I just bypassed them this time around and swapped them... they may well have been fine??, I don't know and didn't want to find out.

I thought about the upgraded rears to R32/S3 spec for a long time and I decided they weren't necessary on my car for my style of driving and its usage. I, like Jabbalad, like a loose rear - it isn't for everyone and its taken a long time to get the confidence to use it to my advantage, but I wouldn't like to change the dynamics I have now. For everyone else, then it's a perfectly good upgrade and in terms of value for money the best you can do to the rear.

Dave mentioned some DS2500 issues we've been talking about on UK-MKVs, this was just involving some of us who track our cars, not a 'free for all anecdotal moan'. Those with solid discs were finding that the pads were crumbling away and the compound changing thus damaging discs. Essentially it is down to the temps getting too high on them, they can't cope with a big heavy car and being stamped on constantly for seven sessions at 20 minutes at a time. They're excellent pads, but they can be taken past a limit of working effectiveness on a track. There's scoring and deposits left on the discs.

I haven't had this, but I have had the edge crumbling issues (see pic below from a set used at Oulton last month), it hasn't worried me enough to not replace mine with a fresh set of DS2500s, they're on the car now. The others are looking at the Pagid Blues (£200+ a set, so it isn't a cost factor) and some Mintex race pads simply to see if it suits them better? I've run out of my DS stockpile though, so I may look into some other options myself in the future.... getting a pad to do everything you ask of it road and track is extremely hard, a bit of experimenting is what's required. I may go to a 2 pad set up, road and track.

For the 'Ring, it isn't a brake heavy track, you use them a few times and there's plenty of cooling time in between - I haven't heard of anyone experiencing DS2500 issues there. For the road too, they're still my personal choice. There's nowt wrong with them and they're plenty better than 90% of others you can buy, but a track day is proving a bit much for them on some set ups.

Brake ducting is an avenue we're all going down to help that way, a detachable carrier mounted bracket to run it on the face of the disc, more on this when it is looking realistic/proven. Other options are being looked into too.

Right, the pad off my car. See how the edges are all crumbling away? The compound on the very edges has changed and is brittle, the others had this happen to the whole pad and big lumps were coming off... not good. Proves how much cooler a 2-piece disc runs though.

Sideways yo!

Offline RedRobin

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Re: Rear Brake Pad Upgrades....
« Reply #40 on: September 09, 2009, 02:28:58 pm »
^^^^
Great post and info, Mike! :happy2: 8) :happy2:

Trouble is I've just bought some DS2500 rear pads for my oem solid rear discs. Still, what little track work I've been doing so far is on the Nordschleife (though a day on a very fast track is scheduled).

I'll just have to keep a close eye on the state of things.

Thanks for that specific info about what others have been finding :drinking:


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Offline tony_danza

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Re: Rear Brake Pad Upgrades....
« Reply #41 on: September 09, 2009, 05:27:40 pm »
You'll never get the rears hot enough to do that to them, I promise you.

Your fronts, I can't see you personally pushing your car to such a level that you'll experience crumbling either - so in your case the recommendation to use DS2500s is correct and sound judgement. You may no doubt get the same performance from some cheaper ones, but if you're comfortable, why change?

Considering how long they last on the rear, DS2500 cost isn't a biggie really, as you'll get tens of thousands of miles from them... but something to think about for others coming up for rear replacement.
Sideways yo!

Offline RedRobin

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Re: Rear Brake Pad Upgrades....
« Reply #42 on: September 09, 2009, 06:22:28 pm »
^^^^
Thanks, Mike - that's reassuring. :happy2: 8) :happy2:


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Offline Hurdy

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Re: Rear Brake Pad Upgrades....
« Reply #43 on: September 09, 2009, 07:44:29 pm »
AS Robin has already said....great info Mike :happy2:

I'm going to try the OEM pads first as I think they may be enough with the larger R32 ventilated discs. If not, I still have that option in future. :smiley:
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Offline tony_danza

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Re: Rear Brake Pad Upgrades....
« Reply #44 on: September 09, 2009, 08:21:45 pm »
Oh yeah, if you've got them, use them and see how you get on, Hurdy. You'll crumble them at worst, so just junk them and buy something a bit more suited.... so long as it isn't crap (cough EBC cough!!)

With the power you're running and considering they're going to be road brakes 300+ days of the year, I think your upgrade is a wise decision and will pay off well. 
Sideways yo!