OEM vs YellowStuff pads

[Brunoandrade98]

Hi All,

My front pads are due and the rear pads are following closely behind.

I fitted them about the same time 3 years ago and they're just standard Brembo pads in the front and TRW at the rear.

They served me well given the amount of miles I've done, but I was never impressed with the braking performance. I hear people say how good their 197/200 brakes are but to me they're about as good as other cars I've driven - Maybe slightly better, hard to tell - so I'd like to improve braking performance by upgrading the pads and potentially the fluid.

This car sees spirited drives almost every time it's out. No track days yet.

I've been leaning towards YellowStuff pads, but just wanted some real reviews from members that use them:

1. Do they wear quicker than OEM-equivalent pads or too quickly?
2. Do they wear the discs more than OEM-equivalent pads?
3. Do they produce more brake dust?
4. Is the brake dust acidic?
5. Are they really that much better than a standard pad, given that they cost 3x times as much?

As for brake fluid, my local motor factors sell Castrol SRF for £69 a litre, versus about £13 for a litre of standard DOT4. Is this worth it or am I best perhaps upgrading to DOT5.1? Naturally, I've never experienced brake fade in a spirited drive, as it would take a lot to take the current DOT4 fluid to the boiling point, making the SRF fluid unnecessary, but could it improve brake feel in normal driving conditions?

Last but not least, any tips on making the brakes feel less "spongy"? My pedal has never been that firm and feels a bit "springy" especially when being bottomed out.
I have:

1. No brake fluid leaks
2. Refurbished Brembos
3. New rear calipers
4. HEL stainless lines
5. Apec DOT4 brake fluid, which is about a year or so old

Any input appreciated

 

[burrellbloke]

If you have had not changed your brake fluid for a year you could flush out the old brake fluid and replace it with something like Motul RBF660. Brake fluid will absorb moisture over time. I am a firm believer in buying quality products so I would always go for the more expensive option.

A change of brake fluid should help making your pedal feel firmer. If the pedal continues to be spongy you may have some air in your brake system that will just need bleeding out.

The pedal on my 200 is usually very solid and has never hit the floor.

Your choice of brake pad will depend on your own preferences. I have only used Ferodo pads in my Clio: DS2500, DS1.11 and DS Uno. My choice is DS1.11 as they have a great initial bite but my Clio is only really used on track, or to and from track days.

I have never used Yellow Stuff pads so could not tell you if they are any good.

OEM pads or even cheaper Brembo pads will wear quicker and will not last as long. If you use a more expensive pad or a pad that is targeted at track days or endurance races then it will wear your discs quicker.

I have got a GR Yaris and use the OEM pads as they are cheap but they create a lot of brake dust. The upside is they are effective on spirited drives and don’t destroy the discs as quick as other pads.

 

[RSRowe]

Yellowstuff are very poor, not what I'd recommend. A complete waste of money.

A Mintex M1144 or M1155 would be way more suitable for your application (M1155 front and M1144 rear is a great combination). I can't answer your questions around dust and disc wear, but by their very nature, you would expect more of both. Quality aftermarket performance pads are in a completely different performance window to the standard OE and OE equivalent pads. Only you can answer if spending 3x as much is advantageous with your use case.

As for fluid, I always used SRF, but again, your application, fresh Dot4 will be more than ample.

 

[Brunoandrade98]

If you have had not changed your brake fluid for a year you could flush out the old brake fluid and replace it with something like Motul RBF660. Brake fluid will absorb moisture over time. I am a firm believer in buying quality products so I would always go for the more expensive option.

A change of brake fluid should help making your pedal feel firmer. If the pedal continues to be spongy you may have some air in your brake system that will just need bleeding out.

The pedal on my 200 is usually very solid and has never hit the floor.

Your choice of brake pad will depend on your own preferences. I have only used Ferodo pads in my Clio: DS2500, DS1.11 and DS Uno. My choice is DS1.11 as they have a great initial bite but my Clio is only really used on track, or to and from track days.

I have never used Yellow Stuff pads so could not tell you if they are any good.

OEM pads or even cheaper Brembo pads will wear quicker and will not last as long. If you use a more expensive pad or a pad that is targeted at track days or endurance races then it will wear your discs quicker.

I have got a GR Yaris and use the OEM pads as they are cheap but they create a lot of brake dust. The upside is they are effective on spirited drives and don’t destroy the discs as quick as other pads.

Thanks for your input, really appreciated!

See...I can absolutely bottom out my brake pedal without too much force and I'm just a regular dude, not a body builder with huge legs.

I've bled the brakes several times before in this car and even attempted to bleed the ABS pump with my CLiP, but never really made a difference in the pedal feel - worth to note I know how to bleed brakes very well, but I'm not convinced I did the ABS bleed procedure properly...

How do you find the DS2500 for road and spirited drives? They come at a premium, costing even more than the YellowStuffs, which are already 3x more expensive than cheaper (good brand) pads.

As for brake fluid, I might upgrade to a decent brand DOT5.1. It features a higher boiling point, just like the RBF660 and Castrol SRF without the much much higher price point, especially if you're like me and wastes a lot of fluid during flushes/changes, making sure everything is flushed properly...

 

[burrellbloke]

The DS2500s were okay, they were even used for a few track days. I don’t really have anything to compare them to as we just put better pads in the Clio for track use.

Something sounds wrong with your brake setup as you should have a firm pedal - but you already know that.

 

[Jack Maxwell]

Stay away from yellowstuff. If you can go for the DS1.11, great bite from cold