This research by colleagues from Germany was prompted by the fact that unofficial car services are increasingly offering motorists a more affordable alternative in the form of aftermarket components. This is especially true for cars aged 5 years and older, when the warranty on the "iron horse" expires and most drivers refuse the services of "official dealers." Actually, based on this, ADAC asked themselves the question – is it really always necessary to use only original spare parts? Or will alternative options also work? And to answer this question, ADAC tested original and non-original brake mechanisms for the VW Golf 7 (as an example). The test involved parts from the automaker's own factory, brands Brembo and Zimmermann (sports brakes), as well as ATE (brakes with reduced wear), Bosch, and Ridex (the latter – budget-priced brakes).
All mechanisms were checked for claimed characteristics and degree of wear using two different braking cycles (medium and high load). In addition, test drives were conducted to determine the influence of various braking systems on the vehicle's behavior during driving. And here are the results.
Absolutely all products comply with the European standard UN-R 90 and performed well. The brake mechanisms from Brembo, Zimmermann, and Bosch demonstrated the same results as the original ones. The Ridex systems performed slightly worse, while the analogues from ATE turned out to be even better than the "VW" ones and became the absolute winner of the rating.
As noted by ADAC, the braking distance at a speed of 100 km/h for five products differed by only half a meter, and for Ridex – by a meter. In principle, such a difference is considered within normal limits, but the budget brand was let down by the fact that as soon as its brakes heat up significantly, they noticeably lose performance. However, in fairness, it is worth noting that the price difference in this case is also significant: if a set of four Volkswagen brake discs costs (in Germany) 423 euros, then Ridex asks only 100 euros for two similar pairs.
