Brake pads

vickssinex

I had my car MOT'd last week at a local Evans Halshaw dealer.

The car passed without problem but they did a health check and said the front brake pads would need replacing soon. Quoted me TWO prices for the pads - £130 for Vauxhall parts :eek: and £90 for a budget brand. I declined their kind offer and took it to a local tyre place instead, who did it for £60.

This got me thinking - surely brake pads are brake pads? How would you tell the difference between makes?

s_b

you would be amazed different pads can have to both the feel of the pedal and the actual braking
corsas like mintex if that helps

Hammyman

Brake pads are not just brake pads. They can have different compositions of material, different heat co-efficients etc. Ones on a F1 racing car would be no good on a normal car because they'd not get hot enough to work for example.

s_b

this is why its always best to use an established supplier of brake pads
http://www.used-car-parts-news.co.uk/fake-renault-brake-pads-seized/
unfortunately these were found in an established establishment i can not name for legal reasons

s_b

Hammyman wrote: »

Brake pads are not just brake pads. /QUOTE]
do you work for marks and spencer:rotfl::D:D;)

attila_

Its not just the quality of the braking material. Cheap ones are also built to lower tolerances making them have issues wgen fitted into the caliper.

I had a polo where the pads were a little too big and did not return fully (even after cleaning the caliper). They lasted barely a year.

bigjl

I fit EBC normally.

Though I am not overly hard on brakes, I got 80k out a set of front pads on my Omega diesel, and that was an auto.

I am a lot easier on my own brakes these days.

When I was a courier I had a company bike and worked for a compay in St Albans, we did high miles even for couriers, 1200 a week, I once went through a set of front pads in just over 2000miles!

And they were the first Kevlar pads that were new in the early '90s. Perhaps they had longevity issues on the first few batches?

Hammyman

s_b wrote: »

Hammyman wrote: »

Brake pads are not just brake pads. /QUOTE]
do you work for marks and spencer:rotfl::D:D;)

No. I'm a former mechanic and used to do motorsport and as such, I don't believe in cutting corners and scrimping on one of the four things that stop you from piling into something at silly speeds, the other three being tyres and suspension (yes they BOTH have an effect on stopping distance) and steering.

kingofthekerb

Hammyman wrote: »

s_b wrote: »

No. I'm a former mechanic and used to do motorsport and as such, I don't believe in cutting corners and scrimping on one of the four things that stop you from piling into something at silly speeds, the other three being tyres and suspension (yes they BOTH have an effect on stopping distance) and steering.

Agreed. Rather fit part worn tyres than budget brands. Had budget ones fitted to my old works van. 3500 ish miles later got a lump in one the side walls. Kwik fit told me lucky you noticed them when you did or 2 of them might of gone pop on you whilst driving. They soon changed their concern when i told them they had fitted them!

katebl

I use EBC on one car and Mintex on the other. Both of these can either be bought cheaply online and fitted for £10-£15, or I use a tyre place near to me who are about £5 more expensive for supply & fit. Ford wanted twice the price I ended up paying, and I got performance pads instead of bog standard. Brake discs can also be a fortune in main dealers. I now make sure my car is serviced before the MOT so I don't get caught out!

vickssinex

I agree that safety is important, but to go back to my original post, this is Evans Halshaw that we're talking about here and I can't really believe a set of brake pads for a Vauxhall Corsa should set you back £130 - unless they're organic and made by hand or something!