OEM vs Aftermarket
Discussion
The focus needs some new brakes, after 68,000 miles I dare say it can have a treat. Now what to go for? I want disks and pads. Ford want £90 for 2 disks and 4 pads, EBC want £200 for 2 disks and 4 redstuff pads. Are the aftermarket ones worth almost double the price? As you can tell im not very hard on the brakes, but do have a tendency that when I want to use them its because ive got out of shape and need to stop NOW. For this reason I think I would rather have aftermarket (better?) brakes. What do people think? Aftermarket or just keep using OEM ones if they've been fine up til now? Choice choices. Obviously money is an issue, im not rolling in it, but equally I do value my life!
I'm not going to trawl through your old posts to find what Focus you have, so I'll assume an "ordinary" model. So don't bother with the posh brand, the OEM brakes on any Ford I've driven have been perfectly up to the job.
If you have a performance variant, don't bother with the posh brand either, the brakes it has will be more than capable.
If you have a performance variant, don't bother with the posh brand either, the brakes it has will be more than capable.
Papa Hotel said:
I'm not going to trawl through your old posts to find what Focus you have, so I'll assume an "ordinary" model. So don't bother with the posh brand, the OEM brakes on any Ford I've driven have been perfectly up to the job.
If you have a performance variant, don't bother with the posh brand either, the brakes it has will be more than capable.
In much the same way that Triangle tyres will be "more than capable" I'm guessing. If you have a performance variant, don't bother with the posh brand either, the brakes it has will be more than capable.
Aren't Redstuff pads meant for... how can I put this... Chavs street racing? i.e. they need to get hot to work properly. Quote from EBC:
Colonial, I take your point, but you can hardly class manufacturer's original fit in the same category as Won-Hung-Lo Ditchfinders.
EBC said:
Being a hard wearing pad, bed-in times can be as long as 1000 miles and drivers must be patient until the pad takes up the shape of their disc (brake rotor). This is a truly impressive fast road pad for repeated heavy braking
when I need heavy braking OMGBRAKEBRAKENOW it is usually not because I'm hoofing it cross country, but some twonk on the M62 or A1 has done something stupid. Right when my brakes are fully cold because I haven't touched them for half an hour. Colonial, I take your point, but you can hardly class manufacturer's original fit in the same category as Won-Hung-Lo Ditchfinders.
Colonial said:
Papa Hotel said:
I'm not going to trawl through your old posts to find what Focus you have, so I'll assume an "ordinary" model. So don't bother with the posh brand, the OEM brakes on any Ford I've driven have been perfectly up to the job.
If you have a performance variant, don't bother with the posh brand either, the brakes it has will be more than capable.
In much the same way that Triangle tyres will be "more than capable" I'm guessing. If you have a performance variant, don't bother with the posh brand either, the brakes it has will be more than capable.
You're the sort of person who thinks Barryboys is a guide on how to do it, aren't you?
Zad said:
Aren't Redstuff pads meant for... how can I put this... Chavs street racing? i.e. they need to get hot to work properly. Quote from EBC:
Did you actually read what you quoted? That statement has nothing to do with any relationship between temperature and performance. Have you ever bedded in a set of new pads?EBC said:
Being a hard wearing pad, bed-in times can be as long as 1000 miles and drivers must be patient until the pad takes up the shape of their disc (brake rotor). This is a truly impressive fast road pad for repeated heavy braking
I'm not backing EBC kit in this instance mind, but I also wouldn't back OEM Ford branded bits either. In my experience non-OEM, non-performance is adequate for normal road use.
It really depends how you drive. Save the odd time you may need to throw down the anchors do you do a lot of fast country road driving/hooning where your braking hard then accelerating away repeatedly? If so then get some Discs & pads that work well when hot and will not bake themselves withing seconds.
If you do lots of motorway driving then get some that work well when cold as you will not be braking often so they will cool down.
If you do lots of town driving then some that work well when warm but not hot would do you good.
OEM ones tend to be a bit of the "does everything" type but in doing that they do none particuarly fantasticly. If you do a "bit of everything" then its worth investing in Aftermarket all round pads or OEM ones, otherwise match your usage to the pads and discs.
If you do lots of motorway driving then get some that work well when cold as you will not be braking often so they will cool down.
If you do lots of town driving then some that work well when warm but not hot would do you good.
OEM ones tend to be a bit of the "does everything" type but in doing that they do none particuarly fantasticly. If you do a "bit of everything" then its worth investing in Aftermarket all round pads or OEM ones, otherwise match your usage to the pads and discs.
Papa Hotel said:
Colonial said:
Papa Hotel said:
I'm not going to trawl through your old posts to find what Focus you have, so I'll assume an "ordinary" model. So don't bother with the posh brand, the OEM brakes on any Ford I've driven have been perfectly up to the job.
If you have a performance variant, don't bother with the posh brand either, the brakes it has will be more than capable.
In much the same way that Triangle tyres will be "more than capable" I'm guessing. If you have a performance variant, don't bother with the posh brand either, the brakes it has will be more than capable.
You're the sort of person who thinks Barryboys is a guide on how to do it, aren't you?
MMTWRX said:
We just had pads and disks fitted all round to our Mondeo Tdci. The garage owner rang and said Brembos were a better disk than OEM and he could do them cheaper. Also, I know Unipart claim their aftermarket stuff is equivalent or better than OEM stuff.
Thats interesting. The car is used for a bit of everything, not chav racing. I have a bike for around town, so I guess the car is mainly used when its raining or motorway work. Can get a set of Brembo discs for £30! We'll have a set of them on then. Any recommendations on pads?
The Student said:
MMTWRX said:
We just had pads and disks fitted all round to our Mondeo Tdci. The garage owner rang and said Brembos were a better disk than OEM and he could do them cheaper. Also, I know Unipart claim their aftermarket stuff is equivalent or better than OEM stuff.
Thats interesting. The car is used for a bit of everything, not chav racing. I have a bike for around town, so I guess the car is mainly used when its raining or motorway work. Can get a set of Brembo discs for £30! We'll have a set of them on then. Any recommendations on pads?
Edit to add link.
http://www.minorfern.co.uk/
Edited by MMTWRX on Wednesday 5th May 08:09
Seriously, if you want emergency braking, stick with the OEM pads. They're designed to work from cold where from experience a performance pad will need a few prods to get them up to temperature every now and again.
If you're going to do hard driving where the stock pads would suffer fade then go aftermarket.
The main thing to remember is that the brakes don't stop you the tyres do. If you want to stop quicker, fit better tyres.
There's also a high variability of quality with aftermarket brake components, even from fairly reputable brands.
The brakes on a standard Focus are very good for the situations you describe, I would strongly advise against changing them.
If you're going to do hard driving where the stock pads would suffer fade then go aftermarket.
The main thing to remember is that the brakes don't stop you the tyres do. If you want to stop quicker, fit better tyres.
There's also a high variability of quality with aftermarket brake components, even from fairly reputable brands.
The brakes on a standard Focus are very good for the situations you describe, I would strongly advise against changing them.
Edited by The Wookie on Wednesday 5th May 08:15
I "upgraded" to aftermarket once, when sparks & god knows what emitted from the wheel arch one night when the pad material fell off leaving metal on metal i vowed to stick with OEM from that day on.
(I did however buy "cheap" rear discs for my old car as a new set from Ford was nearly what the car is worth! Forget the make, Denso maybe??)
(I did however buy "cheap" rear discs for my old car as a new set from Ford was nearly what the car is worth! Forget the make, Denso maybe??)
OE pads are generally Pagid or Ferodo on Fords anyway, same as on Vauxhalls.
My Mondeo's rear discs and pads were Ford OE (Motorcraft I think they're called), and the pads and discs were Ferodo parts.
Fronts, I put on Apec discs and pads, and they work well. £65 for the lot from a nearby motorfactors.
Mintex BrakeBox is a good option too, well recommended on Ford forums, you can get them off EBay for around £50.
EBC are s
te IMHO, had them a few times and will never have them again.
My Mondeo's rear discs and pads were Ford OE (Motorcraft I think they're called), and the pads and discs were Ferodo parts.
Fronts, I put on Apec discs and pads, and they work well. £65 for the lot from a nearby motorfactors.
Mintex BrakeBox is a good option too, well recommended on Ford forums, you can get them off EBay for around £50.
EBC are s
te IMHO, had them a few times and will never have them again.Daaave said:
Did you actually read what you quoted? That statement has nothing to do with any relationship between temperature and performance. Have you ever bedded in a set of new pads?
And did you read this bit of my quote? EBC said:
This is a truly impressive fast road pad for repeated heavy braking
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff