Brake pad upgrade?

Recently picked up a 2015 Passat, which - after driving much smaller cars all my life - took some self-convincing.

Even though it's not a manual (which is also a big departure for me) the Sport mode and the pull from the CKRA should keep me happy. However, coming from a BBK on my last car, the braking is noticeably less-responsive and is overshadowing any semblance of sportiness in this sedan.

I am not interested in upgrading anything more than the pads, but have zero experience with braking mods. I've seen Hawk Performance HPS pads suggested in here, but worry that ~$200 on pads alone is overkill.

Any recommendations for a mid-level upgrade that works well with the weight of this car? I'm really just looking for a quicker response or "grab" from the pedal. Opinions on metal/ceramic/organic?

Thanks!

Hello, this is definitely a good thread. Heres what I got for my old 2011 JSW. I was pretty happy with the choice I made over my OEM that lasted 240k miles on whole original OEM set.

I chose, zimmermann with ceramic set. You could go performance if you desire.

https://www.idparts.com/front-brake-set-nms-p-4988.html


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Congrats on the new ride. FYI, the CKRA was not used in the 2015 model. You most likely have a CVCA engine. Tomato, TomAHto...

I've owned my 2015 Passat SEL with 18" wheels for 2 years now and during that time was forced to make a few panic stops.
Absolutely no problem.
Maybe you need to get used to the car first before even contemplating any change?

If your car has 16" wheels that may be the difference! Smaller rotors etc.

roni024 said:

Congrats on the new ride. FYI, the CKRA was not used in the 2015 model. You most likely have a CVCA engine. Tomato, TomAHto...

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Thank you

Jetta_Pilot said:

I've owned my 2015 Passat SEL with 18" wheels for 2 years now and during that time was forced to make a few panic stops.
Absolutely no problem.
Maybe you need to get used to the car first before even contemplating any change?

If your car has 16" wheels that may be the difference! Smaller rotors etc.

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I think passats all had the same rotors, and our SE and SEL can run 16s

I have never felt the NMS Passat's brakes to be sub par at all. Even the new GT I think still uses the same brakes as the TDIs did.

It is not a "sporty" car, but certainly stops decently.

740GLE said:

I think passats all had the same rotors, and our SE and SEL can run 16s

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Negative good sir..

The 2012-2014 Passat had the 140hp 236tq CKRA engine code.

The 2015 Passat has the 150hp 236tq CVCA engine code.

He said "rotors", not "motors".

ROTOR != MOTOR

Yeah but did they change front rotor size between '12 and '15? I know they change rotors for the Mk7 GSW vs Mk5 JSW

I looked it up yesterday and did not see anything listed other than the 312mm front brake rotor for all the NMS cars. I actually looked this up a few weeks ago because a friend of mine was asking about the new Passat GT and what all was different about it, and despite its name and aggressive looks, it uses the same brakes as the standard NMS cars.

BTW, her new GT is a nice car but that 3.6L VR6 loves to eat premium gas.

oilhammer said:

He said "rotors", not "motors".

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m

Aww dammit!! :banghead:

740GLE said:

ROTOR != MOTOR

Yeah but did they change front rotor size between '12 and '15? I know they change rotors for the Mk7 GSW vs Mk5 JSW

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No, the whole NMS Passat line uses the same front rotor.

+1 on great brakes, love mine- but I also own a 1995 dodge ram with terrible brakes and also a 1996 chevy with the Kelsey hays system that allows the pedal to sink to the floor- regarding 16" runs- I picked up some 2009 Jetta 16" rims for winter use and the static weights hit the calipers when in the weight groove, I had to have the tire shop move the weights to the inside of the wheel to clear the calipers. They now work perfectly and are super soft and quiet- perfect for winter.... or as the wife says year around, she gets upset when I put the 18's back on as the road noise doubles

FWIW, my wife's 16" steelies from the winter would rub on the outer edge of the front calipers. I was able to alleviate that by loosening the carrier bolts and pushing the brakes in toward the center as far as possible and retorque them. They only budged 1 mm or less, but it solved the problem.

oilhammer said:

I looked it up yesterday and did not see anything listed other than the 312mm front brake rotor for all the NMS cars.

Click to expand...

Would any 312mm rotor say from a GTI work for the NMS? I'm tossing around the idea of grabbing a set of centric rotors.

https://www.tirerack.com/brakes/bra...utoModel=GTI&autoYear=2013&autoModClar=4-Door

Yes, they both use the same rotor.

5Q0-615-301-F is the VAG part number.

thanks!