Cupra Brake Pad Loud Clunk

Steve J

Active Member
May 26, 2019
134
27
Hi

Last month I changed all my brake discs and pads all round to Pagid from ECP. This is on a 2017 Cupra ST300. Now when I'm driving on any road the smallest bump in the road (which is everything on a Cupra) makes the brakes clunk. It definitely feels more like the front than rear. Does anyone know if there's an easy fix to this i.e. putting in genuine pads and leaving the Pagid discs in? Or is there something I can do to the existing ones.

Thanks
 

Damo H

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Staff member
Moderator
Oct 3, 2012
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Hi

Last month I changed all my brake discs and pads all round to Pagid from ECP. This is on a 2017 Cupra ST300. Now when I'm driving on any road the smallest bump in the road (which is everything on a Cupra) makes the brakes clunk. It definitely feels more like the front than rear. Does anyone know if there's an easy fix to this i.e. putting in genuine pads and leaving the Pagid discs in? Or is there something I can do to the existing ones.

Thanks
I've heard of the pads clunking when you reverse (did this on my 280 at first after a pas change) but nothing like this on just bumps in the road. Its almost like the pads are too small.
 

Steve J

Active Member
May 26, 2019
134
27
I've heard of the pads clunking when you reverse (did this on my 280 at first after a pas change) but nothing like this on just bumps in the road. Its almost like the pads are too small.
Yeah it does it in reverse and loud if you drop the brakes hard. It got worse after copper slipping the backs as they were sticking too much and squeeling. I'll change the fronts to OEM pads and leave the rest all Pagid and see if that solves the issue. It's really loud even with the windows up but definitely worse after sorting the squeek so must be the pads. Definitely not going non-oem ever again!
 

BigJase88

Jase
Apr 20, 2008
3,767
1,069
Do you have the brake pads in back to front. You can actually stick them in the wrong way. That does make a clunk and it is something i have done before
 

Steve J

Active Member
May 26, 2019
134
27
Do you have the brake pads in back to front. You can actually stick them in the wrong way. That does make a clunk and it is something i have done before
Unfortunately not the pads are in-line with the rotor and line up perfectly. I just have a feeling the pads are bouncing up and down in the carrier based on other people's comments online.
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,820
996
South Scotland
Ie the Pagid version that ECP are selling have not got the suitable damping springs on them, I'd be more than annoyed, maybe take one side off and measure the old and new pad backing metalwork and check for any differences on the damping spring clips - if they have them.
 

Steve J

Active Member
May 26, 2019
134
27
Ie the Pagid version that ECP are selling have not got the suitable damping springs on them, I'd be more than annoyed, maybe take one side off and measure the old and new pad backing metalwork and check for any differences on the damping spring clips - if they have them.
Yeah I'll compare them when they arrive. Unlikely to get a refund now they've been used. Last time I buy from ECP it's basically cost me £127 and time. I'm just hoping this sorts it but I'm almost certain it's these front pads. The rear pagid pads seem fine.
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,820
996
South Scotland
I've had trouble with ECP's Pagid pads in the past as they were not the same kit number as Pagid listed on their web cat, very annoying, I approached TMD Friction sales in UK about that and they sent out the correct parts.

The way I look at it is, it seems a lot like ECP only stock a "short" range of parts for their convenience, I'd doubt if any of the sold parts are ever dangerously wrong, just not quite as good in performance and fit terms as the genuine VW Group parts or the parts that Pagid specify for that car in their web cat. Same for Textar who are also part of TMD along with Mintex who is the UK arm.
 

SuperV8

Active Member
May 30, 2019
1,343
593
Yeah I'll compare them when they arrive. Unlikely to get a refund now they've been used. Last time I buy from ECP it's basically cost me £127 and time. I'm just hoping this sorts it but I'm almost certain it's these front pads. The rear pagid pads seem fine.
You should demand a full refund - these pads are faulty & dimensionally incorrect.
This brake system has a wrap around anti-noise shim - which because it wraps around the sides of the pad makes the shim's thickness a critical fitment dimension.
Budget pads (sorry to say but Pagid from ECP is not 'real' Pagid) use a cheap shim which is thinner - probably 0.5mm vs the genuine shims which are around 1.0mm thick - so you have 1.0mm gap at the sides that lets the pads rattle and clunk.

I would stick with OEM pads on this nice car.

1657806470498.png
 
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Steve J

Active Member
May 26, 2019
134
27
You should demand a full refund - these pads are faulty & dimensionally incorrect.
This brake system has a wrap around anti-noise shim - which because it wraps around the sides of the pad makes the shim's thickness a critical fitment dimension.
Budget pads (sorry to say but Pagid from ECP is not 'real' Pagid) use a cheap shim which is thinner - probably 0.5mm vs the genuine shims which are around 1.0mm thick - so you have 1.0mm gap at the sides that lets the pads rattle and clunk.

I would stick with OEM pads on this nice car.

View attachment 32806

You should demand a full refund - these pads are faulty & dimensionally incorrect.
This brake system has a wrap around anti-noise shim - which because it wraps around the sides of the pad makes the shim's thickness a critical fitment dimension.
Budget pads (sorry to say but Pagid from ECP is not 'real' Pagid) use a cheap shim which is thinner - probably 0.5mm vs the genuine shims which are around 1.0mm thick - so you have 1.0mm gap at the sides that lets the pads rattle and clunk.

I would stick with OEM pads on this nice car.

View attachment 32806
Hi

Thanks for the information. I'll be swapping the fronts to OEM pads and hopefully that'll cure the noise. I don't think it'll be necessary to change the discs and pagids on the rear as the noise is definitely the front and it brakes well enough. I agree it should all be OEM but I've always used aftermarket and this is the first car it's actually backfired due to the poor quality. If the clunking is gone or much less than it is now I'll definitely use the life of these up and next set change to OEM. Or worst case throw it round Thruxton a few times and change them!

I would absolutely love a refund on the pads but bought from ECP 30th March so unlikely to get anything now. The car lives a lot in a garage so it's taken me this long to actually find the issue!
 

SuperV8

Active Member
May 30, 2019
1,343
593
You should demand a full refund - these pads are faulty & dimensionally incorrect.
This brake system has a wrap around anti-noise shim - which because it wraps around the sides of the pad makes the shim's thickness a critical fitment dimension.
Budget pads (sorry to say but Pagid from ECP is not 'real' Pagid) use a cheap shim which is thinner - probably 0.5mm vs the genuine shims which are around 1.0mm thick - so you have 1.0mm gap at the sides that lets the pads rattle and clunk.

I would stick with OEM pads on this nice car.

View attachment 32806
You can probably buy the genuine OEM pads for less than that £127!
example:
 

Steve J

Active Member
May 26, 2019
134
27
You can probably buy the genuine OEM pads for less than that £127!
example:

I bought them from here https://seatdirectparts.co.uk/parts...a-2013-2019/seat-leon-cupra-front-brake-pads/

Not sure if they're interchangeable, look the same though. Too late now as they're on the way but if it solves this clunking then it's a lesson learnt! And an expensive one at that too.
 

SuperV8

Active Member
May 30, 2019
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Steve J

Active Member
May 26, 2019
134
27
They are - but that's still cheaper than ECP!!

Return them for a full refund - using a sub standard shim is a manufacturing defect in my book.

View attachment 32807
Thanks for this, never knew about it. Just phoned ECP and under this scheme will be refunding me for the pads so I'll get the OEMs in once they arrive and take these back. Owe you a beer that got me back £63.

Now fingers crossed the OEMs solve this ghastly knocking sound.
 

SuperV8

Active Member
May 30, 2019
1,343
593
Thanks for this, never knew about it. Just phoned ECP and under this scheme will be refunding me for the pads so I'll get the OEMs in once they arrive and take these back. Owe you a beer that got me back £63.

Now fingers crossed the OEMs solve this ghastly knocking sound.
No worries.
As long as there is no corrosion on the carrier they'll fit lovely.
 
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Steve J

Active Member
May 26, 2019
134
27
Just an update to this. New genuine pads fitted (still using pagid front discs) and no more clunking absolutely silent. So just use genuine front pads in future. Annoying and time wasting, but at least it's solved
 
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martin j.

Active Member
Feb 11, 2007
1,996
891
Fife
Ex RCP employee here- yep been around a few places- they often stock 2 or more parts for the same car, oe quality and replacement(cheapo) versions, usually same part number except for the last digit, or it was, there is a motto to live by “Buy cheap, buy twice” very often true.
 
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