brake discs

[moanthebairns]

This might seem like a retarded question but I thought I’d ask for genuine opinion as it’s not an area I’m clued up in.

I noticed today I need to replace my discs and pads all round on my Fiesta ST.

A quick look on internet for some EBC discs (for some reason I’ve only ever bought EBC products) and they go for about £100 for the front and £50 for the back on my model. Seems ok.

Then I see a brand called Mintex, they are selling discs for my Fiesta at half the price.

This gets me thinking are EBC over priced or are Mintex discs a hump of ste. Is there that much of a noticeable difference in quality in disc brakes for a Fiesta ST? They are both just standard discs, I’m not looking for what disc will last the longest ect, I just want to know will there be any noticeable performance difference (stopping distances). Are they forged from the same metals etc and to the same spec?

Normally it’s not an area I would scrimp on but I’m most likely going to be trading it in soon and I’m genuinely interested. Also the biker in me comes out at times like this and thinks “what’s the worry I’ve got an extra two brakes”.

I had planned to stick EBC pads on though as I think a different quality pad would have a noticeable performance difference (stopping distances). As this is the item that actually does the braking.

Please educate me

[Mr2Mike]

moanthebairns said:

I had planned to stick EBC pads on though as I think a different quality pad would have a noticeable performance difference (stopping distances).

You are correct, a good quality pad would likely have considerable positive benefits. Try Ferodo DS2500.

Mintex discs are as good as any IME. Avoid the stupid grooved and drilled discs, you are paying extra for machining processes that simply make you discs noisy and more prone to cracking.

[Riley Blue]

I'd go for Mintex over EBC any day, EBC discs I once fitted were warped straight out of the box. Pagid would be my choice of pads.

[moanthebairns]

doogz said:

Mintex make decent stuff, are you looking at standard spec discs, or uprated stuff?

Have no experience of EBC discs, only pads, which were crap. Mintex make excellent pads. They're not cheap, but you get what you pay for.

Everything is standard including the pads.

Drilled/groved discs etc (on a fiesta!) are for boy racers who have never heard of snake oil.

The car is mainly used as a shopping trolley these days so its not getting thrashed (too much).

[keebz91]

Not too sure why upgrading the fiesta's brakes would only be done by 'boy racers'.
The standard brake set up is really poor in comparison to its rivals, and most 'boy racers' are too concerned with a bigger spoiler and louder exhaust.

I would stick with EBC simply because that is what you know and are happy with. I have only ever used green stuff pads and they were fantastic!!

[moanthebairns]

keebz91 said:

Not too sure why upgrading the fiesta's brakes would only be done by 'boy racers'.
The standard brake set up is really poor in comparison to its rivals, and most 'boy racers' are too concerned with a bigger spoiler and louder exhaust.

I would stick with EBC simply because that is what you know and are happy with. I have only ever used green stuff pads and they were fantastic!!

Cause its never travelling fast enough to need more braking power

ok maybe it was a bit of a retarded thing to say, ill admit the fiesta ST's original brakes were a bit wooden at times.

I said that as anytime ive been on forums for hot hatches or talked to someone with hot hatch its drilled this, groved that and yellow stuff. I think to myself are you really ever going to notice that much of a difference on the road. When I say I change the tyres first on car or bike before upgrading the brakes they look at you like youve came from the moon.

[300bhp/ton]

doogz said:

Have no experience of EBC discs, only pads, which were crap.

Just curious, but what pads did you try?

I've never once been impressed with the "Green stuff" grade EBC stuff. But the "yellow stuff" has been pretty good in my experience.

[moanthebairns]

Meant to add I phoned around a few places, like kwick fit and national tyres today just to see what they would charge. To see if Ill save much fitting them myself or if Id be just as well to fling it in to a garage.

fk ME

Kwick fit were £450
National tyres were an amazing £528

I mean for fksake its 2 or 3 hours labour to fit discs. Ok these places will charge more than your independant garage. So assume £60 labour p/h = £180 that means they are charging £340 for discs and pads. WOW. they most likely got them for a sixth of that.

amazing figures!

[HustleRussell]

I've had bad experiences with EBC so I stay well away, however my mate has just put redstuff pads in the front of his ST and he loves 'em.

[Lee540]

You could also try Brembo direct.. Brembo discs on the 330ci direct from Brembo were very reasonably priced, about same as Mintex.

Pagid setup on the 540i and they were great also!

[GroundEffect]

I almost always use Mintex when I buy OEM.

[300bhp/ton]

moanthebairns said:

Meant to add I phoned around a few places, like kwick fit and national tyres today just to see what they would charge. To see if Ill save much fitting them myself or if Id be just as well to fling it in to a garage.

fk ME

Kwick fit were £450
National tyres were an amazing £528

I mean for fksake its 2 or 3 hours labour to fit discs. Ok these places will charge more than your independant garage. So assume £60 labour p/h = £180 that means they are charging £340 for discs and pads. WOW. they most likely got them for a sixth of that.

amazing figures!

It might be worth trying a local mechanic, you know the one or two person garages down a back street or in a small yard. These types of guys tend to charge £20-50/hr labour rate. If you supply the parts they should be able to do the job for 2 hours labour I'd have thought.

[300bhp/ton]

HustleRussell said:

I've had bad experiences with EBC so I stay well away.

What happened?

[tangerine_sedge]

300bhp/ton said:

t might be worth trying a local mechanic, you know the one or two person garages down a back street or in a small yard. These types of guys tend to charge £20-50/hr labour rate. If you supply the parts they should be able to do the job for 2 hours labour I'd have thought.

This. When I changed the pads/discs on my VX, I got the pads & disks for £200 all in (fronts & rears) and took to trusted small garage who charged me £60 for fitting.

I would have fitted them myself, but (a) I'm lazy, and (b) I don't fancy spending half a day under my car when I could be doing something else instead.

[moanthebairns]

tangerine_sedge said:

300bhp/ton said:

t might be worth trying a local mechanic, you know the one or two person garages down a back street or in a small yard. These types of guys tend to charge £20-50/hr labour rate. If you supply the parts they should be able to do the job for 2 hours labour I'd have thought.

This. When I changed the pads/discs on my VX, I got the pads & disks for £200 all in (fronts & rears) and took to trusted small garage who charged me £60 for fitting.

I would have fitted them myself, but (a) I'm lazy, and (b) I don't fancy spending half a day under my car when I could be doing something else instead.

yeah I planned to do that, buy the time id bought all the stuff to jack my car up etc itd have cost me more. Also my garage isnt level so Id need to do it in the street in the pissing rain. Not as easy as doing the bikes brakes.

[Krikkit]

moanthebairns said:

keebz91 said:

Not too sure why upgrading the fiesta's brakes would only be done by 'boy racers'.
The standard brake set up is really poor in comparison to its rivals, and most 'boy racers' are too concerned with a bigger spoiler and louder exhaust.

I would stick with EBC simply because that is what you know and are happy with. I have only ever used green stuff pads and they were fantastic!!

Cause its never travelling fast enough to need more braking power

ok maybe it was a bit of a retarded thing to say, ill admit the fiesta ST's original brakes were a bit wooden at times.

I said that as anytime ive been on forums for hot hatches or talked to someone with hot hatch its drilled this, groved that and yellow stuff. I think to myself are you really ever going to notice that much of a difference on the road. When I say I change the tyres first on car or bike before upgrading the brakes they look at you like youve came from the moon.

Probably not much difference on the road, unless you drive like a complete arse or do the stelvio pass on a regular basis, but with trackdays being as popular as they are they can be a worthwhile upgrade.

OT: Mintex discs and pads are good enough as OE replacements, their 1144 uprated pads are excellent for the price too. Much better than the equivalent EBC stuff IME.

[LuS1fer]

Brembo if they are available. Add a good set of pads.

[HustleRussell]

300bhp/ton said:

HustleRussell said:

I've had bad experiences with EBC so I stay well away.

What happened?

Friction material crumbled and started falling off the backing in chunks (greenstuff on the front of Caterham). I also bought a set of rear shoes for the clio for them once, and the friction co.eff. was so far from OEM spec that from that point onwards the Clio would lock it's rear brakes before the fronts! very hairy.

This was all years ago and I'm assured they have improved infinitely, but it's Mintex/Ferodo for me nowadays, for road and racing.

[Kwistof]

Mr2Mike said:

moanthebairns said:

I had planned to stick EBC pads on though as I think a different quality pad would have a noticeable performance difference (stopping distances).

You are correct, a good quality pad would likely have considerable positive benefits. Try Ferodo DS2500.

Mintex discs are as good as any IME. Avoid the stupid grooved and drilled discs, you are paying extra for machining processes that simply make you discs noisy and more prone to cracking.

Agree about the Ferodo DS2500 - I'll be switching to them after my EBC red stuff pads need replacing

My EBC ultimax discs I am have on at the moment are suprisingly quiet compared to other brands I have tried such as Mintex and Brembo though

http://www.ebcbrakeshop.co.uk/ebc-ultimax_c2918_19...

[moanthebairns]

Krikkit said:

moanthebairns said:

keebz91 said:

Not too sure why upgrading the fiesta's brakes would only be done by 'boy racers'.
The standard brake set up is really poor in comparison to its rivals, and most 'boy racers' are too concerned with a bigger spoiler and louder exhaust.

I would stick with EBC simply because that is what you know and are happy with. I have only ever used green stuff pads and they were fantastic!!

Cause its never travelling fast enough to need more braking power

ok maybe it was a bit of a retarded thing to say, ill admit the fiesta ST's original brakes were a bit wooden at times.

I said that as anytime ive been on forums for hot hatches or talked to someone with hot hatch its drilled this, groved that and yellow stuff. I think to myself are you really ever going to notice that much of a difference on the road. When I say I change the tyres first on car or bike before upgrading the brakes they look at you like youve came from the moon.

Probably not much difference on the road, unless you drive like a complete arse or do the stelvio pass on a regular basis, but with trackdays being as popular as they are they can be a worthwhile upgrade.

OT: Mintex discs and pads are good enough as OE replacements, their 1144 uprated pads are excellent for the price too. Much better than the equivalent EBC stuff IME.

yeah it if I was planning on doing track days or keeping it I would seriosuly consider pricey brakes but when I just use it for going to Asda Waitrose, opps sorry this is pistonheads after all and the occassion hoon up a slip road its not really worth it.