Survey Says ? ....

[Herm TDI]

I'm doing a rear break job on my MK4 Golf.
Of the inventory on-hand I have the following brands:

 

[Nero Morg]

Napa ultra premiums

 

[Genesis]

TRW or Textar.

 

[RexNICO]

I like EBC if it's at a good price.

 

[Windex]

They're all crap. save maybe the hudsons, as I've never used those.

Reason? Every single one of them has backing plates that will not fit the slider grooves without binding. Every single set of rear pads I've installed on a MK4 required some massaging to slide smoothly. *sigh*

Note that I always remove the stainless shims and remove all rust from the sliding surfaces on the brackets, as well as use new shims, along with cleaning and lubing the sliders.

Just seems that aftermarket pad manufacturers wont invest in the R&D/tooling to make a backing plate to the correct dimensions.

/rant off

 

[KrashDH]

I like EBC if it's at a good price.

Never again will I use EBC pads for anything. I trusted them to stop a 3/4 ton truck because of their name. A couple caliper rebuilds ago I threw some EBC's all around. Not 100 miles into the driving after they had been bedded properly, I started to hear a nasty grinding, metal on metal. When I went to inspect, 3 of the 8 brake pads, the material had separated from the backing. Who knows where it ended up...highway? One of the metal backing plates was laying in my driveway, and the other 2 were somehow still captured, grinding away on my rotor.

They're all crap. save maybe the hudsons, as I've never used those.

Reason? Every single one of them has backing plates that will not fit the slider grooves without binding. Every single set of rear pads I've installed on a MK4 required some massaging to slide smoothly. *sigh*

Note that I always remove the stainless shims and remove all rust from the sliding surfaces on the brackets, as well as use new shims, along with cleaning and lubing the sliders.

Just seems that aftermarket pad manufacturers wont invest in the R&D/tooling to make a backing plate to the correct dimensions.

/rant off

I agree with a lot of the aftermarket stuff. I always clean up the contact points on the knuckles and break the rust off each time, and apply a light, light coating of grease. Have had mixed results with braking stuff. I found a company that has done me well for the car and truck and haven't had an issue yet. Even with a set of their re-built OEM calipers for my truck (after I rebuilt my own 3x and they failed again, I threw in the towel for those housings). BrakePerformance is the company. The housing coating on the truck calipers still looks new 2 years later in the PNW

 

[P2B]

I only use TRW because the backing plates *usually* fit properly and they last reasonably well.

 

[Mongler98]

Hawks... bindex. Wont use anything else on cars or SUVs if I can help it.

 

[Genesis]

I have PowerStops on both my Mazda and SUV (the latter of which I tow with) and like them. They're a bit firmer than OE but are exceptionally consistent irrespective of how hot or cold they are, and particularly with the truck that can be sort of important

I had a set of Akembos on the ALH and liked the braking but HATED the noise; I was never able to shut them up. In the trash they went.

 

[mittzlepick]

I us whatever and file the edges clean before fitting. I think they all by blanks cut from the same beat die and paint glue sell

 

[Zak99b5]

I used whatever idparts put in the kit. Don’t remember the brand, but they have “GG” on them so I think they are good?

Anywhoo, on the left side the outer pad is only 'working' along half the radius of the rotor. You can see it on both the rotor and the pad. Installed correctly (twice, as I had to replace a wheel speed sensor a week after the brake job). Inner looked fine, and right side is all honky-Dory. Guess it’s a weird issue with the caliper.

 

[oilhammer]

TRW or Textar.... lately I've had the best success with Textar pads AND rotors. I install a lot of them. Pagid, Jurid, Ate, are certainly all good too. You may also find the ones the dealer sells (which will be one of the OEM suppliers I have already mentioned in this post) are often reasonably priced as well.

No idea what Windex is ranting about... must be a salt belt thing. I never have any issue with any of the name brands mentioned. I have had to dress the surfaces of the bracket with a file once in a while, but not very often.

 

[KrashDH]

I have had to dress the surfaces of the bracket with a file once in a while, but not very often.

This is key. I do this regardless of what it looks like. The "ears" on the pad backing can have flash on them too, so between knocking that off with a file and this method, they won't hang up and I've gotten most pads to fit fine.

 

[Mongler98]

This is key. I do this regardless of what it looks like. The "ears" on the pad backing can have flash on them too, so between knocking that off with a file and this method, they won't hang up and I've gotten most pads to fit fine.

I have has to do this with almost every pad o got for my mk3.
The 1st was hawks HPS and I was so confused I asked one of there engineers. Was told they never heard of this issue.
Pad was 3/16 over hang. Lucky just filing the diagonal you don't have to take off much ln either side.

 

[Abacus]

I us whatever and file the edges clean before fitting. I think they all by blanks cut from the same beat die and paint glue sell

This is what I have found as well. I think the dimensions are correct but the powder coating adds thickness. I take a grinder to mine to make them fit since a file takes too long. Funny that I don't need to do this on the other cars we own which fit perfectly right out of the box.

 

[KrashDH]

Funny that I don't need to do this on the other cars we own which fit perfectly right out of the box.

The difference between this car and the other vehicles that I've done brakes on is the pads on this car ride/slide directly on the cast bracket, where other vehicles there is a metal clip that snaps on the bracket and the pads ride on that metal clip. Those clips are usually replaced/included with the pad set. So you get a fresh surface every time, not to mention it's a bit more consistent since the bracket is toleranced as such to put those stamped clips onto the surface.

 

[P2B]

The difference between this car and the other vehicles that I've done brakes on is the pads on this car ride/slide directly on the cast bracket, where other vehicles there is a metal clip that snaps on the bracket and the pads ride on that metal clip. Those clips are usually replaced/included with the pad set. So you get a fresh surface every time, not to mention it's a bit more consistent since the bracket is toleranced as such to put those stamped clips onto the surface.

TRW pads come with new stainless steel clips, I assume other brands do too.

 

[KrashDH]

TRW pads come with new stainless steel clips, I assume other brands do too.

Well sir, you win a cookie today.
I've done a few brake pad replacements. Since I bought this car in 2013, there were never any SS clips, the pads just rode on the bracket, which is why I cleaned them up with a file each time. Now that I'm searching, I see this:

So it looks like there are supposed to be these clips that the pads ride on. I always thought it was odd this car didn't have them, just chalked it up to the design. This might help me in the future. Next pad change looks like I gotta find some, none of the pads I've gotten have come with the correct ones or any at all. The image is from a Mk5, but I did some more googling and the Mk4's have them too.

 

[Genesis]

 

[oilhammer]

Not every car uses them. The A4 and B5s use the same rear pads, but the B5s do not have the steel inserts, the A4s do.

 

[KrashDH]

Not every car uses them. The A4 and B5s use the same rear pads, but the B5s do not have the steel inserts, the A4s do.

Interesting, so for my Mk4 then, they should have the SS pad clips?

 

[P2B]

Interesting, so for my Mk4 then, they should have the SS pad clips?

Yup. All my MK4s have always had them.

 

[oilhammer]

On the rears, yes. Fronts, no.

 

[KrashDH]

On the rears, yes. Fronts, no.

Ok Thanks all. Next brake job I'll be or slide pin lube interval I'll grab a set