Excellent! Thank you.
Yes, those check all the boxes, and PowerStop (Z17s) have been outstanding on every customer car I've put them on. Z17 being their stock ceramic replacement.
PowerStop has a BUNCH of different pad lines, which had me a little confused in this research.
If you search for "PowerStop pad reviews Mk7 Golf R" using the California oracle, you find some folks are running the Z23, others the Z26, which could be better or worse.
My only fear was the dreaded pad-clunk issue, which it sounds like you didn't experience on your R.
We’ve been expecting you!I have iSweep is2000s all around on my daily driven Rabbit, installed early last summer iirc. Less initial bite than OEM but linear braking. Very very low dust, can't even compare it to OEM. However, they are quite costly.
Neuspeed told me in emails that the 1500 is a OEM replacement that's better suited for Tiguans and the like, and recommended the 2000s for "sportier" cars like the GTI and R. They admitted that the 2000s will dust more than the 1500s, but I have 2 sets of black wheels and it's really not an issue. One set is ceramic coated, one is not. It still would take a few weeks for them to look as dirty as they would after 1 week with factory pads. The pads fit well and have been completely silent since I installed them. I did have to cut the wire for the ABS sensors though since my car does not use them.We’ve been expecting you!
It’s been hard to find any information from actual users on the 2000 pads. So thank you for posting this up.
And yes, $200 is a lot to ask for brake pads for the average person.
Good to hear about the low dusting. Lots of other folks have gone with the 2500 and have been very unhappy with the amount of dust they produce. Sounds like the 1500 & 2000 are very Street friendly.
Too funny. Look what I found (short view and explanation below):I'm fairly positive the only difference between the Z23 and Z26, is the Z26 has a built in aluminum shim.
I’ll never forget the first time I drove a Mustang Terminator Cobra with full bolt ons (460-480whp) and Hawk HP + brake pads. At the time I was not familiar with Hawk. But I remember that thing sounded like a damned school bus every time it came to a stoplight.I miss my squeaky Wilwood 6 pots. Squeaky, loud brakes mean different things to different people though. I think I will take capable over quiet until I get a GT car again. We’ll see if I ever grow up, lol.
...EBC RedStuff (strap in) - I try to be generally positive, considerate, and open minded. Especially where people and companies are concerned. But as a product...$#@! these pads and their marketing. Seriously.
Some folks love and swear by EBC products. Others have 1-2 bad experiences and never return.
I spent the big bucks and tried their pads for the front of my daily driven Toyota Camry V6, seeking better bite and less brake dust, since I drive quickly and spiritedly (even in that old, low-powered sedan).
These may as well have been Hawk Blues or some type of hard, metallic track-only pad designed for high temp use.
Their infamous break-in procedure (and whatever coating they employ) took a full 1000 miles to finally wear off.
Let that sink in. After a proper bed-in procedure per their instructions, the pad compound and its coating was so hard, it took 1k miles to break in.
LOTS of break squeal and rotor teething. Embarrassing at every stop light and speed bump slow-down (think Hawk HP+ from 10 years ago).
You had me when you called the RedStuff blocks of wood...I'm one of those who likes EBC....but only the Yellows, I concur with you that redstuff are shite (wooden feel, poor when cold yet also overheat too quickly...why do they even make these?). By contrast, I find the yellowstuff to be an excellent fast street pad - work extremely well from cold all the way through canyon driving hot and are even fine for occasional track days on street tires (although there are better options for a dedicated track car). A quiet pad with zero poorly fitting related pad knock (they are even better than OEM VW pads, with which I sometimes got a minor clunk going from reverse to forward). The yellows seem to fit very precisely in the calipers to the extend it can be a little awkward when fitting them (but worth it).
Re. break in...I actually like that break-in coating on the pads, I have changed many sets on various cars for myself friends and family including straight pad-slaps on existing rotors- that mildly abrasive coating serves to prep the disc. As for EBCs as currently written break-in procedure.....they have changed it over the years to make it seem incredibly long and laborious, but I feel they may have done this for liability reasons (to discourage people doing a series of hard braking efforts on the streets). Therefore I break in the pads as I've done every other pad motorcycle or car over my 35 years of motoring, i.e. I got out (right into the quiet countryside, thankfully that's not far for me) and for a few minutes do some light braking to warm everything through, then I start doing several rounds of harder braking 80-20 mph just shy of the limit of ABS engagement till those pads are literally stinking and red hot. Then I continue to cruise around for a good 20 mins at least to cool pads and rotors down and back home. Done.
Yellows might not suit your criteria though as they certainly aren't low dust, similar to stock. Personally I don't care about dust, its a by-product of all of the better working pads IMHO, and it washes off very easily.
I'm with you. Yellowstuff were fantastic street pads albeit v. dusty. They were quiet and worked for v. aggressive hooning and even on the track for me. I run them out back now b/c there aren't many choices for the 272mm rears (non-PP GTI and Alltrack/Sportwagen) with my BBK up front.I'm one of those who likes EBC....but only the Yellows, I concur with you that redstuff are shite (wooden feel, poor when cold yet also overheat too quickly...why do they even make these?). By contrast, I find the yellowstuff to be an excellent fast street pad - work extremely well from cold all the way through canyon driving hot and are even fine for occasional track days on street tires (although there are better options for a dedicated track car). A quiet pad with zero poorly fitting related pad knock (they are even better than OEM VW pads, with which I sometimes got a minor clunk going from reverse to forward). The yellows seem to fit very precisely in the calipers to the extend it can be a little awkward when fitting them (but worth it).
Re. break in...I actually like that break-in coating on the pads, I have changed many sets on various cars for myself friends and family including straight pad-slaps on existing rotors- that mildly abrasive coating serves to prep the disc. As for EBCs as currently written break-in procedure.....they have changed it over the years to make it seem incredibly long and laborious, but I feel they may have done this for liability reasons (to discourage people doing a series of hard braking efforts on the streets). Therefore I break in the pads as I've done every other pad motorcycle or car over my 35 years of motoring, i.e. I got out (right into the quiet countryside, thankfully that's not far for me) and for a few minutes do some light braking to warm everything through, then I start doing several rounds of harder braking 80-20 mph just shy of the limit of ABS engagement till those pads are literally stinking and red hot. Then I continue to cruise around for a good 20 mins at least to cool pads and rotors down and back home. Done.
Yellows might not suit your criteria though as they certainly aren't low dust, similar to stock. Personally I don't care about dust, its a by-product of all of the better working pads IMHO, and it washes off very easily.