vRS - performance brake pad suggestions

[rtz62]

Guys

SWMBO car is a 2006 model, standard other than poly bushes all round and a 176hp upgrade.

It passed its mot today with no advisories, but the rear pads are getting worn.

I don't want to go down the route of a big brake kit (312mm?) as she uses the car mostly got work and the (fast) school run.

I've read another thread that suggested keeping the standard discs but running uprated pads.

Does anyone have any opinions on make and composition (eg EBC, Pagid etc)

Any suggestions will be gratefully received!

[mr rooney]

EBC generally crap. The std pad will be fine for fast school runs but if you want better fade free braking try Carbon Lorain CL5+ or similarly priced pads. You pays yours money .....

[pete_fabbie_vrs]

I use mintex pads and I find that they are also good for spirited driving occasionally too

[pete_fabbie_vrs]

I use mintex pads and I find that they are also good for spirited driving occasionally too

[Kgod1991]

as stated above mintex are good choice

[rtz62]

Thanks guys;

SWMBO used to ride an R6, and loves speed. I'm mindful of the necessity to have sonething that will be a compromise between 'normal' driving and some spirited Peak District driving, hence not looking at uprated discs at the moment...

Oh and no track days intended either!

[Jonny5ive]

DS2500

That is all.

[Fred44]

I concur....

DS2500 or if its pure track use DS3000 if you can get them.

Not sure you can for the Fabia, but DS2500 are spectacular either way.

Do not buy any pad (other than OEM for everyday use I mean) other than these. Yes they are very expensive, but they are without equal.

[rtz62]

Ill check that out, thanks; are they're any stockists you'd recommend or any of the suppliers listed on here?

[Yeti_Man]

Agreed with above comments, DS2500's all the way IMO. I'm running Mintex 1144's currently and consider them a downgrade from the Ferrodo's I ran before these!

[Fred44]

Motorsportworld are usually the best price and service.

[Fred44]

Just something off topic I noticed....

Yeti you know the purpose of the super blue?

You are meant to swap to the identical but normal colour fluid each change. It's blue so you know its fully flushed and vice/versa.

If you stay with blue it can stain the resevoir.

For a proper performance fluid though look at the motul range.

The 5.1 is great for a performance long life, but the RBF600 etc is where its at for pure performance (ie heat resistance),

Edited 4 June, 2013 by Fred44

[rtz62]

Would DS2500's still be the pad of choice if I went the 312mm upgrade route?

[eric87]

What's the best price for these pads?

[Stu768]

Why are some considered for track only do they give off a lot of dust? Are the DS2500 for road use? Stu

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

DS2500's for standard/312/323 setups! Spot on

[TriggerFish]

Why are some considered for track only do they give off a lot of dust? Are the DS2500 for road use? Stu

I thought it's as they need to be at a higher temp to work, which you wouldn't normally reach on road. I also thought the track pads are hard on disks. Could be wrong though!

[Jim H]

Why are some considered for track only do they give off a lot of dust? Are the DS2500 for road use? Stu

It could be to do with how they are when cold. Racing pads are very good when hot, but can be worse than OEM when cold.

It is also to do with an EC marking and a Regulation 90 (ECE Reg 90). From past threads, DS2500 do not meet Reg 90, and are not 'E' marked, they also state 'For Track use only' on the box.

[Jonny5ive]

Try Bill @ Badger5 for a good price on the DS2500 pads

[Stu768]

So are mintex best road pads?

[Fred44]

Best road pads are total OEM.

So either from the dealer, or Pagid from Eurocarparts.

[Avalon]

Madness.

Your telling us your other half drives fast on the school run because she used to ride an R6 and people are suggesting DS pads?

Firstly how she used to ride an R6 should have nothing to do with how she drives, they are two very different disciplines with different skill sets but both require control and respect for other road users. I've ridden with fast riders (as in properly quick privateer/semi pro racers), I've also driven with quick drivers who and the rules have always been 30 means 30 and you respect the speed limits in populated areas.

Also (and I know this isn't relevant) the R6 engine is gutless low down, to get anywhere you need to be well over 10k rpm and the peak power on the later engines only comes in over 14k rpm which is only 2.xk rpm off the limiter. The pre 03 carb version was a lot more fun to ride though had less power it was more usable. People often confuse acceleration and high rpm/noise with going fast.

Now does your OH really drive like an idiot on the school run? I'd suggest given the time of day (rush hour), the number of other children in the area (it's a school), the fact she has her children in the car and the excessive traffic with parents doing the same and low speed limits that you are probably mistaken.

What does concern me is the advice you've been given, unless something has changed (eg they are worse than they used to be and now fall within the % rule) then DS pads are not certified for road use, that's a pretty big legal/insurance issue. More importantly DS pads are not what i'd put on a family car, from cold they aren't great, we live in a country that is cold/wet the majority of the year, short runs and the low ambient temps would make them a bad choice. Worse than that, once they are up to temp you've got bigger problems, your rears get a much lower brake force distribution than the fronts, the front wheels are driven so they get bigger pads and discs, the rears aren't driven on a Fabia so it get smaller discs/pads. While changing the rear pads won't alter the bias it will dramatically alter the braking performance to the rears, a mismatched high friction pad on the rear only is a bad idea, you'd need to do fronts as well.

So if she's been fine on what she has till now then OE/Bosch/Padgid will be fine, if you want to improve things then new fluid would be better if its not been done recently, consider DOT5.1 over DOT4, it's safe to use in a system you've had DOT4 in unlike DOT5, it's also a lot cheaper

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

More importantly DS pads are not what i'd put on a family car, from cold they aren't great

Clearly spoken from someone who has never used them. I suspect other people who have actually used the pads will agree they work perfectly well at all temps.

[Avalon]

Clearly spoken from someone who has never used them. I suspect other people who have actually used the pads will agree they work perfectly well at all temps.

The only thing wrong was your assumption that I hadn't run them on a previous car. They are amazing when they get a bit of heat in them but until then, they aren't.

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

I'm guessing they have changed since then, in my experience they were fantastic hot, and very good even cold. I hardly drive like a loon either. A few mates run them also rating them as a good all rounder.