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Replacing brake pads and rotors

Lauri

New member
Hi there,

I recently went to have my tires inspected and it turns out my brake pads and rotors need replacing.

I own a 2010 GTI with 118k miles on it.

Obviously if I do it through the dealer, I know it's going to cost me a little fortune to have all that done, so I wanted to know if anyone here could tell me if it's safe to buy the parts online (shopdap) which cost way less than directly with VW.

Here's the price list I gathered:

Brake Rotor Front (312mm x 25mm)
VW 5Q0615301F
https://www.shopdap.com/1k0-615-301-aa.html
$67.82
$86.95 OEM

Brake Pads Front (One Set)
VW 3C0698151D
https://www.shopdap.com/3c0-698-151-d-3c0-698-151-a.html
$74.98
$100.95 OEM

Brake Rotor Rear (282mm x 12mm)
VW 5Q0615601G
https://www.shopdap.com/7cd41b7c3fafd6f8ef18fd01a04778c7.html
$47.54
$60.95 OEM

Rear Brake Pads (One Set)
VW 1K0698451G
https://www.shopdap.com/1k0-698-451-g.html
$49.10
$62.95 OEM

Shopdap: $354.8
OEM: $459.7

That's $104.9 I would be saving if I buy from shopdap instead of from VW.

Is it worth going with these parts for the $100 saving on them?

Also, being realistic, I think I'll be looking at selling my car about a year from now. Should I go with these OEM parts or are there any good more affordable aftermarket parts out there?


Looking forward to reading your comments.

Thanks!
 

suspiciouspackage

Ready to race!
Add in the cost of brake fluid if that needs to get done too. You need stretch bolts as well if you replace the rotors, blanking out on the part number and amount needed. If you have the tools (triple square heads being the one most people don't have), you should do it yourself. Fairly easy job, just time consuming, and the dealer will charge an arm and a leg for it.

I have a 2011 and I think that's the year they downsized the rear rotors but for pads, rotors, and fluid I spent <$300. I got Akebono Euro Ceramic pads and Centric rotors. If you want the same setup these are the prices I got on rockauto:

Akebono EUR1107 (front pads): $54.79
Akebono EUR1348 (rear pads): $41.79
Centric C-Tek 12133098 (front rotors): $28.79 x 2 = $57.58
Centric C-Tek 12133129 (rear rotors): $19.11 x 2 = $38.22

Total: $192.38 (not including shipping)

You could go with cheaper, semi-metallic pads since you plan on selling the car. I just listed what I got and have had good luck with. Obviously shop around and look for the best prices. There are deals to be had out there.
 

APRMK6GTi

Go Kart Champion
The rotors are just held in by a t25 torx screw, no need for any replacement bolts. otherwise the above aftermarket OE replacement parts are good alternatives. DAP is a trustworthy store also.
 

Lauri

New member
Thanks for the comments and suggestions.

Add in the cost of brake fluid if that needs to get done too. You need stretch bolts as well if you replace the rotors, blanking out on the part number and amount needed. If you have the tools (triple square heads being the one most people don't have), you should do it yourself. Fairly easy job, just time consuming, and the dealer will charge an arm and a leg for it.

I'm actually going to have the labor done by a Volkswagen dealer down in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. The parts, they sell them at the same prices as in the states, but the labor is way less expensive, certified and they offer warranty if anything goes wrong.

I'm mostly looking to save a few bucks on the parts since the OEM ones sold by VW are pretty expensive.

I have a 2011 and I think that's the year they downsized the rear rotors but for pads, rotors, and fluid I spent <$300. I got Akebono Euro Ceramic pads and Centric rotors. If you want the same setup these are the prices I got on rockauto:

Akebono EUR1107 (front pads): $54.79
Akebono EUR1348 (rear pads): $41.79
Centric C-Tek 12133098 (front rotors): $28.79 x 2 = $57.58
Centric C-Tek 12133129 (rear rotors): $19.11 x 2 = $38.22

Total: $192.38 (not including shipping)

You could go with cheaper, semi-metallic pads since you plan on selling the car. I just listed what I got and have had good luck with. Obviously shop around and look for the best prices. There are deals to be had out there.

Those rotors are super cheap, worryingly cheap. I don't have much knowledge with this car parts but, how can they be so cheap compared to the OEM or some other aftermarket ones?

Also, I've read in some other websites that people often suggest going for cheap rotors and medium to premium pads. If that's the case maybe I could go with the Centric rotors and the OEM pads, what do you think?

And finally, is it really better going for ceramic pads? I recently had my mom's car brake pads replaced with Napa's "ultra premium" ceramic pads and I feel like they don't brake at all in the morning (after having the car parked all night).

DAP is a trustworthy store also.
That's good to know, I wasn't very sure of buying on their website since some of the product pictured looked used, but maybe it's just me.
 

suspiciouspackage

Ready to race!
The rotors are just held in by a t25 torx screw, no need for any replacement bolts. otherwise the above aftermarket OE replacement parts are good alternatives. DAP is a trustworthy store also.

Looked it up since I kept thinking about it. It's an M14 triple square to remove the rear caliper to allow for rear rotor removal. And they are stretch bolts so you'll need 4 of them. You could get away with reusing them but given that it's brakes, I'd rather just spend a couple more bucks to do it right. T27 to remove the set screw for the rotor but T25 works provided there's no excess force given to destroy the screw.


Thanks for the comments and suggestions.



I'm actually going to have the labor done by a Volkswagen dealer down in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. The parts, they sell them at the same prices as in the states, but the labor is way less expensive, certified and they offer warranty if anything goes wrong.

I'm mostly looking to save a few bucks on the parts since the OEM ones sold by VW are pretty expensive.



Those rotors are super cheap, worryingly cheap. I don't have much knowledge with this car parts but, how can they be so cheap compared to the OEM or some other aftermarket ones?

Also, I've read in some other websites that people often suggest going for cheap rotors and medium to premium pads. If that's the case maybe I could go with the Centric rotors and the OEM pads, what do you think?

And finally, is it really better going for ceramic pads? I recently had my mom's car brake pads replaced with Napa's "ultra premium" ceramic pads and I feel like they don't brake at all in the morning (after having the car parked all night).


That's good to know, I wasn't very sure of buying on their website since some of the product pictured looked used, but maybe it's just me.

Cheaper prices because they're sold at wholesale prices without the need to buy in bulk, and there's less overhead running an all online shop compared to a brick and mortar.

I've had my setup on for 10 months, maybe around 15k miles with no issues.

You just need to buy what you think is proper for your application. If you don't mind the dust, semi-metallic pads are the way to go. They're cheaper and offer better bite. Ceramics last longer, dust less, but they take more time to heat up aka more time to provide the necessary friction. I used Stoptech pads for a good 60k miles before switching to Akebono ceramics. I got tired of washing my car and seeing bronzed wheels after only a couple of days.

If anything, just make sure the dealer will warranty it. Haven't had experience with Mexican dealers but some American dealers don't allow parts that they haven't sourced to be installed. Most likely as a liability thing, but those dealers end up being the same ones who would try to tell you they won't replace a suspension part under warranty because you're tuned. Just ask if it's okay if you bring in your own parts and if they'll still provide a warranty. More likely than not, they'll take care of you.
 

SyDiko

Ready to race!
Those rotors are super cheap, worryingly cheap.


You've probably already purchased your setup by now, but Centric rotors are excellent. Paired with a quality ceramic pad, they are even better. I'm in the process of upgrading my brakes and my goto are Centric rotors with Hawk pads..
 
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