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Track Pads for MK7.5 R

pcacayman

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Virginia
Car(s)
MK7.5 Golf R
Greetings!

What brake pads do track enthusiasts run on the track? I have a 2019 R with stock brakes. I dont mind swapping pads in/out just for the track. I'm an advanced driver, but no experience with the Golf R. I loved Pagid RS19/29 but it seems they only make the front pads. Was thinking of running the Pagid RS19's with EBC yellows in the rear (though I really dislike EBC). Wondering what others are running. I hear mixed things about iSweep, also hear things about Endless ME20/22 but looks like they're mostly available in Europe and I don't have 2+ months to wait on their arrival. I don't like the friction coefficient for the Ferodo DS2500, it seems like this is more of a 'hybrid' pad.

Thanks!
 

DerHase

Autocross Champion
Location
Hampton Roads, VA
Car(s)
2019 GTI Rabbit
Ferodo DS3.12 front and DS1.11 rear. Check out the thread in my signature for details but basically this:

DS2500 F/R - Suck on track. Overheat the hell out of them within a lap or two. Wouldn't be terrible for a first-timer at all, but if you're pushing braking zones then not even worth trying.

DS2500 F/R with RS3 air deflectors - Same result, maybe 1.5 to 2.5 laps in now.

DS3.12/DS2500 - ALL OVER ABS. Front pads get hot and they just keep biting harder. Rears never get better. Do not recommend, but it's better than no brakes I guess.

DS3.12/DS1.11 - Friggin love this combo. After a lap or so getting some heat in the rears they balance out really well and you can go HARD on the brakes lap after lap.

I used to run Motul 600 fluid, never had a *problem* per-se, but the pedal "engagement point" would sink a bit after one really hard session. Wouldn't get worse than that, but it didn't give me warm fuzzy feelings.

I keep 2500s and swap between the two pads for track or street driving. I normally change before an event and drive the 200ish mi to VIR on the track pads and back. I've driven for a week or two at a time on the track pads and aside from obnoxious squealing (especially the rears), they're fine.

I don't have to do any kind of cool down laps etcs for these pads. This past time out I was limited by the tires getting greasy more than anything. There's videos etc in the link in my signature.

edit: Just saw you're in VA. You should come out to the TSCC Memorial Day HPDE in a few months! There are several of us here who will likely be there. We have had really good MK7 turnouts the last few times with 6-7 cars. @tigeo @19birel @Redslaya I believe will all be there. Alex has a Golf R with the same pad combo as me and has burned through a few sets now between him and his fiance in the car so he can probably give input as well.
 
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TheMaOdy66

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Germany
Front:
Clear reference: Endless MA46b. If you're not wanting the best for any reason, try PFC11, maybe Pagid RSL29, question of taste.
Rear:
OEM is enough
 

Redslaya

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Southeast VA
Car(s)
2018 Golf R
Ferodo DS3.12 front and DS1.11 rear. Check out the thread in my signature for details but basically this:

DS2500 F/R - Suck on track. Overheat the hell out of them within a lap or two. Wouldn't be terrible for a first-timer at all, but if you're pushing braking zones then not even worth trying.

DS2500 F/R with RS3 air deflectors - Same result, maybe 1.5 to 2.5 laps in now.

DS3.12/DS2500 - ALL OVER ABS. Front pads get hot and they just keep biting harder. Rears never get better. Do not recommend, but it's better than no brakes I guess.

DS3.12/DS1.11 - Friggin love this combo. After a lap or so getting some heat in the rears they balance out really well and you can go HARD on the brakes lap after lap.

I used to run Motul 600 fluid, never had a *problem* per-se, but the pedal "engagement point" would sink a bit after one really hard session. Wouldn't get worse than that, but it didn't give me warm fuzzy feelings.

I keep 2500s and swap between the two pads for track or street driving. I normally change before an event and drive the 200ish mi to VIR on the track pads and back. I've driven for a week or two at a time on the track pads and aside from obnoxious squealing (especially the rears), they're fine.

I don't have to do any kind of cool down laps etcs for these pads. This past time out I was limited by the tires getting greasy more than anything. There's videos etc in the link in my signature.

edit: Just saw you're in VA. You should come out to the TSCC Memorial Day HPDE in a few months! There are several of us here who will likely be there. We have had really good MK7 turnouts the last few times with 6-7 cars. @tigeo @19birel @Redslaya I believe will all be there. Alex has a Golf R with the same pad combo as me and has burned through a few sets now between him and his fiance in the car so he can probably give input as well.

This. DS2500s are not a track pad, period. serious fade at VIR and you will run through an entire pad in a weekend if you use them.

the 3.12F with 2500R is a dangerous combo. ABS didnt know what to do and would lock wheels, tail was all over the place. I did two laps before driving 3 hours each way to Charlotte to get the 1.11 rears because if i kept driving on the 2500R my day would have ended in a wall.

I am very happy with the Ferodo 3.12F and 1.11R combo. I never had any temp issues or a softening pedal and they can withstand a whole session of hard braking at VIR. Wear is pretty good too - I just wore out my first set of 3.12 fronts after 4-5 weekends of dual duty with my Fiancee. Rears still have plenty of life. The nice part with these pads is i can throw on my 2500s for the street after i finish for the weekend, since the compounds are compatible. I would not recommend driving the 3.12/1.11 on the street - its a very very loud setup.

As @DerHase mentioned we'll be back at VIR May 27/28 with Tidewater Sports Car Club if you'd like to join us!
 

pcacayman

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Virginia
Car(s)
MK7.5 Golf R
Ferodo DS3.12 front and DS1.11 rear. Check out the thread in my signature for details but basically this:

DS2500 F/R - Suck on track. Overheat the hell out of them within a lap or two. Wouldn't be terrible for a first-timer at all, but if you're pushing braking zones then not even worth trying.

DS2500 F/R with RS3 air deflectors - Same result, maybe 1.5 to 2.5 laps in now.

DS3.12/DS2500 - ALL OVER ABS. Front pads get hot and they just keep biting harder. Rears never get better. Do not recommend, but it's better than no brakes I guess.

DS3.12/DS1.11 - Friggin love this combo. After a lap or so getting some heat in the rears they balance out really well and you can go HARD on the brakes lap after lap.

I used to run Motul 600 fluid, never had a *problem* per-se, but the pedal "engagement point" would sink a bit after one really hard session. Wouldn't get worse than that, but it didn't give me warm fuzzy feelings.

I keep 2500s and swap between the two pads for track or street driving. I normally change before an event and drive the 200ish mi to VIR on the track pads and back. I've driven for a week or two at a time on the track pads and aside from obnoxious squealing (especially the rears), they're fine.

I don't have to do any kind of cool down laps etcs for these pads. This past time out I was limited by the tires getting greasy more than anything. There's videos etc in the link in my signature.

edit: Just saw you're in VA. You should come out to the TSCC Memorial Day HPDE in a few months! There are several of us here who will likely be there. We have had really good MK7 turnouts the last few times with 6-7 cars. @tigeo @19birel @Redslaya I believe will all be there. Alex has a Golf R with the same pad combo as me and has burned through a few sets now between him and his fiance in the car so he can probably give input as well.
Thanks for the (re)write-up! I'm placing an order for DS3.12 and DS1.11's. I run stock pads on the street. I keep my spirited driving for the track. Also running ATE TYP 200. Had great experience with it over the years in every car I've run it in.

I mostly run PCA events at VIR/Summit since I've been with them for 5 years and I know the regular track crowd but it would be good to get out to other clubs events to meet more VW drivers. I'll be checking out Tidewater Sports Car Club's VIR event because PCA's doesn't work with my schedule this year.
 

pcacayman

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Virginia
Car(s)
MK7.5 Golf R
This. DS2500s are not a track pad, period. serious fade at VIR and you will run through an entire pad in a weekend if you use them.

the 3.12F with 2500R is a dangerous combo. ABS didnt know what to do and would lock wheels, tail was all over the place. I did two laps before driving 3 hours each way to Charlotte to get the 1.11 rears because if i kept driving on the 2500R my day would have ended in a wall.

I am very happy with the Ferodo 3.12F and 1.11R combo. I never had any temp issues or a softening pedal and they can withstand a whole session of hard braking at VIR. Wear is pretty good too - I just wore out my first set of 3.12 fronts after 4-5 weekends of dual duty with my Fiancee. Rears still have plenty of life. The nice part with these pads is i can throw on my 2500s for the street after i finish for the weekend, since the compounds are compatible. I would not recommend driving the 3.12/1.11 on the street - its a very very loud setup.

As @DerHase mentioned we'll be back at VIR May 27/28 with Tidewater Sports Car Club if you'd like to join us!
Thanks for the input as well! I'll definitely be checking out Tidewater Sports Car Club's VIR event. Is this through MSR?

Edit: What do you use to open the parking brake for swapping rear pads? VCDS? I was looking at Foxwell's Professional VW/Audi Scan Tool (linked below) so I dont have to drag around a laptop.

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-schwabe...fessional-vw-audi-scan-tool/007868sch01b~scf/
 

DerHase

Autocross Champion
Location
Hampton Roads, VA
Car(s)
2019 GTI Rabbit

MonkeyMD

Autocross Champion
Carbotech xp12 front xp10 rear
 

scrllock

Autocross Champion
Location
MI
Really like Ferodo but prices are quite high for 1.11/3.12 IMO. Endless you can get here through Northstar Motorsports, at least they had some CC-rg, ME20/ME22 in stock last I checked. Didn't even ask about MA45b, guessing a set of those is more than new Girodisc rings.

Carbotech/Gloc are much more reasonably priced and pretty popular.

Would love to try PFC/Pagid but a lack of matching rear pads rules them out for me (I was overheating 2500s, would not run a street pad in the rear). Simpler to stick with one manufacturer and adjust compound to fix bias issues as necessary.

Personally I'm probably gonna buy a set of 1.11 F/R and then see if I think it's worth moving up to 3.12 up front. Other pads are a lot cheaper but it's nice to not need to buy different street pads to match.
 

TheMaOdy66

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Germany
I used several sets of MA45b and following MA46b in the last 10 years on Golf 6R, Golf 7R, TT-RS and Golf 7 TCR tracktools. Yes they are expensive. Very expensive tbh. But in the end they last more than double the Nordschleife laps than any other pad I ever tried. So I can only repeat my recommendation for them as the one and only tracking pad for front axles. The quality is extremely high as well.

Other pads I tried - which are very good as well - are (like written before) PFC 01 (now followed by 11) ans Pagid RSL29 (Yellow). They cost around 40% less than a set of MA46b but like said before, the MA46b last more than double as long. They can be combined with ME22 on the rear axle (I did so and the pads are mounted since 2020 and for 300+ laps of Nordschleife since then. The first set of MA46b (mounted with the OEM Performance parts otherwise) lasted 2 seasons and 200+ Nordschleife laps.

I never reached such durability with any other pad. Maximum was 80 laps reached with a PFC01.

My specs are seen in the Sig. My speed niveau can be seen in my Nordschleife onboard thread. My TCR is only used on track, not on roads. So you can classify my experiences.
 
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