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3K views 31 replies 7 participants last post by  Wabbit 
#1 ·
Okay when I first got my rabbit I noticed the brakes would squeek a little bit the first time they were pressed, I was told deal with it.. its a "Feature" Now they are starting to get worse like every time I press them and they are LOUD... My question whats good for brake pads? Ive had no issues in the past doing brakes myself but im sure others have been through it. Autozone/Oreilly Pads descent or is there another one preferred?

Anything outside the norm on Volkswagen brakes as oppoed to American cars?
 
#2 ·
Don't buy cheap pads. OEM or something like Hawk HPS. It's also reccommended to replace rotors at the same time.
 
#3 ·
Thanks for your PM and this reply. Yeah I was affraid of doing Autozone brand or something. OEM - only lasting 30k is kind of depressing. My Saturn I didn't replace pads for... 75k? maybe? Granted the Saturn was slower :)

I was speaking with wabbit and he said these brakes are a little different than American cars meaning the piston actually screws in instead of pushing in.
 
#4 ·
Remember that you bought a 'pre-owned' car and have no idea how the previous owner drove. Can't blame VW for the miles on the parts.
 
#5 ·
Very true - but if they blew through brakes in under 18k there would be way more wrong with that car. I pciked the car up with 18k, Im a 34 right now. I would think if they did damage in under 18k on brakes theres more I don't know about "yet"
 
#6 ·
Common replacement mileage for them. Mjmautohaus.com has the best pricing on brakes that I've found. I do recommend the Hawk HPS for a little added stopping power. And yeah, the rear calipers do "screw" in, auto parts stores have a tool you can rent for retracting the piston. You can also just twist it as you compress it with a pair of channel locks, if you have an extra set of hands.
 
#7 ·
Do these cars have a sensor on them? In previous cars the sensor starts squeeling when the pads get low and then it goes away when you brake. Right now mine are the opposite they are squeeling when I press the brake but fine in transit.
 
#8 ·
No sensors in the rear. Only sensor up front is on driver side inside pad. I replaced my rears prematurely, they prob would have gone 30k, when I upgraded the fronts I found I could have gone 100k at least on them. The fronts last a lot longer.
 
#9 ·
So how long should the rears last. I guess Im just confused as to why they are doing what they are. They could be junk pads or tit could be brake dust. I could pull the wheels its just allowing time and stuff to do it all.
 
#15 ·
I think vw uses softer pad material in the rear to alleviate noise issues. Also, they have a higher rear brake bias than other vehicles. Under light to moderate braking the rears do more work than other vehicles. It is possible the rears were never replaced if you bought the car with 18k miles. I replaced my rears at that mileage and they still had 7mm left.
 
#16 ·
90% of my driving is at highway speeds so of course when I hit the brakes it's at 70 MPH or higher. But since they are disc brakes I thought all of them would stop together I can understand though that the rear tries to slow the car down more than the fronts since the weight of the car is up front.

Is it adviseable in attempting brakes yourself? Other cars haven't been a problem for me but again.. Foreign car more sophisticated makes me nervous :)
 
#17 ·
As long as you have the correct tools and patience if it is your first time it's pretty easy.
 
#22 ·
I would think dealer would charge $400 at most including bleeding of fluid
 
#25 ·
#27 · (Edited)
Dunno if you bought your pads yet but figured I'd chime in. I just had a "near miss" incident this morning and the new rear pads I bought probably saved my car from certain destruction. Some prick ran a red light and I almost T-boned him on my way to work this morning on Dudley. Lets just say it was hard enough of a stop that ABS and EBA had to kick in, as well as almost pulling my eyes out of their sockets. 40 mph to dead stop in like 40 feet (approximation) is terrifying and epic all in the same moment.

http://www.ecstuning.com/Volkswagen-Golf_V--2.5/Braking/Pads/Rear/ES257585/

They are sold out right now unfortunately. >.>
 
#28 ·
In that case, your front brakes are doing all the work, rears had very little to do with it.
 
#30 ·
Ya. Front brakes during hard braking. Rear brakes during slow stop-and-go situations.
 
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