312mm brake upgrade

[Leon2012]

I went from 288 on standard disks and pads to 312 on standard disks and pads and there was a big differance in stopping power so its not just for the looks only

Going from 288 to 312mm fronts increases the braking torque by approx. 11%, so not a massive difference. Uprating your pads to Ferodo DS on standard 288mm sized discs would give you more of an increase in stopping power, and cost less money.

On another note you can have the best brake setup in the world but if you dont have decent tyres its all a waste. The samp car with top end tyres on a standard 288mm set up will stop quicker than if it had the 312mm setup and crap tyres

That's true, but it's also a given that anyone serious about stopping, and spending time+money uprating brakes, would have good tyres too!

 

[seantdi]

Going from 288 to 312mm fronts increases the braking torque by approx. 11%, so not a massive difference. Uprating your pads to Ferodo DS on standard 288mm sized discs would give you more of an increase in stopping power, and cost less money.

Im not doubting DS pads on a standard setup may be a slight bit better than 312 on standard pads. When I say standard pads/disks Im talking about original seat/vw pads not the cheapest dirt you can get down the motorfactors. There is a big differance between the two.

There is about 60 quid in the differance of genuine pads and the ds pads you are talking about so the 312mm will work out cheaper in the long run. But if cost is not an option forget the 312 and go for brembros.

That's true, but it's also a given that anyone serious about stopping, and spending time+money uprating brakes, would have good tyres too!

You would be supprised by the ammount of serious cars here running on dirt chinese tyres

 

[Leon2012]

Hi Sean,

If going from 288 to 312mm is an 11% improvement in braking,

then I'm sure going from OEM pads to Ferodo DS pads is more than 11% improvement, even with DS Performance pads it would be more than that, and with DS2500 a fair bit more, not "a slight bit better" as you put it

It's also necessary to buy 312mm carriers when upgrading from 288mm, so to see any saving in using 312mm OEM pads over 288mm uprated pads would take a couple of years, and if you're that penny pinching to save a few quid two years down the line, then maybe you should be driving a 1.0 petrol or 1.4 TDI!

If you need new brake pads, it's always better to spend a bit more and get better ones.

The OEM pads are very average in performance compared to Ferodo DS, so don't kid yourself that OEM are good

 

[vroomtshh]

If you push the pedal with standard pads, can you lock the wheels?

Are you braking that hard on a regular, sustained basis?

Then you don;t 'need' DS2500s. For cars that do track days, definitely. On road, you'll stop no quicker than standard.

 

[seantdi]

Hi Sean,

If going from 288 to 312mm is an 11% improvement in braking,

then I'm sure going from OEM pads to Ferodo DS pads is more than 11% improvement, even with DS Performance pads it would be more than that, and with DS2500 a fair bit more, not "a slight bit better" as you put it

It's also necessary to buy 312mm carriers when upgrading from 288mm, so to see any saving in using 312mm OEM pads over 288mm uprated pads would take a couple of years, and if you're that penny pinching to save a few quid two years down the line, then maybe you should be driving a 1.0 petrol or 1.4 TDI!

If you need new brake pads, it's always better to spend a bit more and get better ones.

The OEM pads are very average in performance compared to Ferodo DS, so don't kid yourself that OEM are good

i had a bora 130tdi with ds pads. i went to the leon with standard pads and then upgraded to 312s. the 312s were a lot better than the ds on the 288 disks. i have no experience of the ds2500 on the mk4 tdi platform but i cant see them being vastly better than the ds pads and definatly not much better than a standard 312mm setup.

the 60 quid in the differance of the pads will buy buy the caliper carriers. so if your disks are shot and your going to be replacing them anyway its only 40 in the differance so its not as expencive to upgrade as you make it out to be.

a standard 312mm set up is pleanty good for a daily car and as i said in my first post unless you are putting it on the track or driving like a loon there is no need for upgraded pads..

oh and i dont have the leon anymore. i have an st220 mondeo these days!