I can't afford to get big brakes on so im going to stick with the 280mm setup Im stuck between Ferodo DS2500 pads or EBC yellow stuff. What do you think?
I have used both, but the difference between DS2500/3000 and yellow is so big (IMHO) that its DS's every time for me. (Mind I dont run on the road very often)
I'd like to hear about this too. How are the Ferodos on the road? And where do I get a good price for a set?
Ferodos every time Since EBC changed the formula a few years ago and included a "break in" layer they are terrible, fine for road but not for continuous 'spirited' driving DS2500's are 100 times better but on the first prod of the pedal can seem as if they arent up to much but when a little warm are fine I have them on my Mk1 ABF'd Golf and have done three track days on them at Bedford (hard on brakes due to very high speed and slowing for twisty`s and they are half worn on 256mm discs and I have no problem with fade - I use Motul 600 high boiling point fluid. Got mine off e-bay from a reputable seller - if its cheap they may be counterfeit copies!
Similar to Hilux, DS2500 braking Mk2 ABF from speeds up to 135mph down to the twisty bits... all day long. I think I got mine from Camskill
I cannot fault the yellows for the price, they have performed very well on track so far, taking a fair bit of abuse with no sign of fade. What is your intended use? If its road then the yellows do take time to warm up, I cannot comment for the ds. If its just road I would not even consider either of the above pad choices TBH. My old mintex squealed on hot days, the yellows do a little too and I would imagine most track type compound would, plus they need a bit of heat in them to start biting.
^^ not according to hilux lol The yellows work well too, however, there is a noticeable difference in effort required from the first brake to when they are warm. Ds are too expensive IMO and that's for track use, Then again I am tight, when it comes to all things that are car related, the yellows have a new compound coming out soon and EBC will be releasing a new Orange compound pad that is meant to be very good, Nige P has been testing it, follow him over at Northloop. If I was to replace mine for track work I would try the Orange stuff Nige knows his onions.
ahh but thats with 256mm setup It's good to be recommended parts by experienced track folk, it's even better to have experienced how parts perform first hand. I have only had negative experiences wih the lower spec EBC stuff & have had impressive demonstrations with DS2500 & DS3000. If someone with OrangeStuff gives me a demo that impresses, then I will be convinced
Have a read here, gives a good set of reviews of a range of pad choices for golfs. See Nige's comments on last page. These are track based reviews as said I would not use track pads on a road car.
DS3000 ATE Brakes FCP590R pad - Review after 25K miles of mixed use. I run Ferodo DS3000 pads (FCP590R) in my MK3 VR6 road car and have been evalutating then over time. The brake callipers are ATE units with 288mm discs. This is my second set, which have always been purchased from Badger 5 on here, along with the "grooved" discs on the first purchase. Road use There is always debate regarding brake performance when the pads are at lower temperatures say from a "cold drive". Subjectively as my cold drive usually involves engine warm up with road speeds never exceeding 40mph and lots of stop start traffic, as the brakes are gradually applied on the first application, I have not seen an issue where the vehicle felt under-braked. Brake effort and de-acceleration was almost as stock in such conditions. Any sudden stops during subseqent applications of brake pedal, were still acceptable with my DS3000s. Track use Of course on track you can legally drive much quicker, even from vehicle temps equalling ambients. You may find a vehicle that has had a long soak in the pits may require temperature to be put in DS3000 pads to increase brake bite for track driving. The DS3000 pads work from 100C to 700C with stopping friction maintaining 0.5 - 0.6. Once up to temp boy do they work! Advantages Excellent track performance allowing late braking without any fade on a heavy 1185 kg vehicle. High coefficient of friction - 0.52 from 100C or the first application, rising to more than 0.62 at 650+C Downsides that may be unsuitable for a road car. Accelerated disc wear ( disc grooves wore out in about 6000miles hard driving) Excessive dust Occasional brake squeal when warm Relatively expensive (ATE "288mm" front set from 149) After a mixture of road and track driving for 15K miles pads required replacement
What EBC, the yellow pads on a Golf? Or are you talking about your Redstuff pads? The Redstuff pads are a hard waring pad not for race use! The yellows are a racing compound. Putting negative comments aside about both the EBC and Ferodo pads (EBC breaking up, ferodo leaving deposits and nasty vibrations) it comes down to performance and price. A demo in sitting in the passenger seat of someone elses car will not give you any real basis for a good evaluation IMO, both pads are very capable at stopping the car and will equally easily lock wheels at high speeds. You need to feel the brakes from the driving seat to evaluate. Both do not fade on track. The real difference is in the pedal feel, EBC are often described as wooden, I agree with this, however, they are still easy to modulate and you quickly get the feel for them. The Ferodo are ment to give more feedback to the driver. The decision to make is if you feel spending double the money on the Ferodos is worth the extra pedal feel? I do not see it as worth it, so far the EBC yellows are very good and I'm very happy with them. Ask Gurd's about 3000 compound, he has been using this recently instead of 2500.
Does that mean that a non-racing track day is considered to be race use or not? A few TD laps followed by a cool down lap is a bit different to 20 mins hard racing as seen in VAG Trophy & Production GTI. The Redstuff bar chart indicates to me that they should last more than a few laps on a relaxed track day, which they didn't. This was after only a few hundred miles of mild road use. I find you tend to get more offers of passenger rides than actual drives lol. I could tell from being a passenger in a Mk2 with similar speeds & weight with same 280mm setup that the brakes were good; Relentless stopping performance lap after lap with no fade, outbraking the other vehicles on track at the time. I did also have a drive of a certain VR6 with the DS3000 on before I purchased my pads. They did what I expected and suited the heavier vehicle well. With the absence of a Mk2 with Yellowstuff available to test drive, it wasn't a tough decision to go Ferodo. For me at the time, pedal feel wasn't so important, I had two decent demonstrations of Ferodo products & zero experience of Yellowstuff coupled with negative experience with lesser EBC products. In order to be convinced to switch back to EBC, I would need to drive a vehicle with them fitted.
You can drive mine at Curby if you like The reds are not ment for track work, they are just a road pad end of. By 2010 all the EBC pads had changed from previous, therefore all negative comments from earlier than 2010 should be put to one side. Read this thread for an idea of EBC products. I have been in eddies anchor and really cannot say much about them other than they work well! like most brakes on a road car.
I have read it and learned that EBC don't want to talk about the past, & have an aggressive pricing scheme. Did find the time attack guys Bluestuff review to be decent though. A Curby swap over would be sweet if they don't mind us doing that
It would be good I have always wanted to try the 2500 pads and nearly bought a set earlier this year, however I ended up going with the cheaper EBC. A back to back test would let me know if it is worth spending the extra 50.
With DS2500`s the first prod needs a little bit more effort thats all, they pull up fine, once a bit of warmth in discs and pads they are great, they arent Carbon Lorraine or Performance Friction!! Once prodded they are fine for road in my view, I use them with no issues at all. I know many people in many forums over many years and EBC pads have been waaaay down the list for years. PS: In my view no pads squeal if relaxed in the calipers. Thats a high frequency chatter. I always use a little copper grease and take a little off the pads with a mini grinder where they rest and slide to ensure they are a loose fit for if tight when cold they will be sticky when hot and expanded. Think about it
