Changing brake pads - Bitdi

[Justinos]

Quick question, what brand are the oe brake pads for a 2017 Bitdi? Light came on this morning. Are they ATE or TRW - wanting to keep oe if possible. The ATE pads are more expensive, but that is not always proof they are better.

Supplemental question, I have changed rear pads before on my 2012 C7 A6 using VCDS to retract the parking brake. I then wound back the caliper the remaining distance required for the new pads to fit. Was this correct, whilst I had no problems, I have read you push the caliper back? Having trashed the rear calipers on a Mk2 Golf Gti pushing rather than winding, I am nervous in doing that again. What have others done, push or wind?

cheers

[Crasher]

It can vary but the calipers are TRW/Girling. I can tell you in more detail if you private message me your reg number.

[Crasher]

Yes, TRW-Girling. The genuine number is 4G0 698 451 J but daft money at £96.52, we would be fitting Pagid and discs as well. The TRW number is GDB1902 and the are fast bedding in Cotec versions which I saw demonstrated on a TRW Jolly at Der Ring test track a few years back, against their normal pads, very impressive

https://live.staticflickr.com/31337/47888868931_cd510b9bc0_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2fXLYiZ)

[Justinos]

Thanks, they are £31 on *******. Ate are £54 (rears)

Fronts are TRW £53 and Ate £76

Are Ate worth the extra?

Any idea on the rear caliper - wind or push?

[Crasher]

The front calipers are ATE. The rear calipers are electric wind back of the parking mechanism and then piston push back

http://toc.tecdoc.net/cis/documents/DEhPgl24ixxDMxuAF/4054942/0
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47837300322_0f61eb1328_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2fTdEL3)

[Justinos]

Brilliant, just what I needed, so the front calipers are Ate and rears TRW?

I must have been lucky last time as I wound the piston back, although I am sure the piston face had a 'key' in it for a winding mechanism to fit, so very confusing.

[Crasher]

Brilliant, just what I needed, so the front calipers are Ate and rears TRW?

Yes.

[Justinos]

Have ended up ordering Ate pads for front and rear. Went through Mister Auto, but on their ebay site as cheaper, £113 delivered fror front and rear is good value for oe Ate pads.

[Justinos]

Did the rears at the weekend as this was what was triggering the brake pad warning light.

I have never had rear pads wear out before the fronts before. They have lasted 45k miles as my commute is mainly A road and motorways. The fronts don't look half warn.

I recall someone else with a Bitdi having the rears go at 10k miles - must be how the bias is set up?

[Whippy53]

That is strange, the front end should always bare the brunt of the braking force otherwise the rears would always lock up. Odd.

[Crasher]

Nope, the 2017 S5 we have just done was down the the metal on the rears and still a decent bit left on the albeit worn discs at the front... which to be honest is bloody lucky as there is no stock of genuine pads in the UK, no delivery date and virtually impossible aftermarket. With modern electronic brake force distribution it is now the norm to have to do the rear first and especially so on the MQB platform such as Golf 7.

[Justinos]

that all makes perfect sense, so the more spirited you drive, the earlier the rears will need replacing than the fronts!

[Crasher]

AND they are thinner and smaller to start with....