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Brake pads Zimmermann or DBA
Reviews
I replaced the Brembo with the Zimmermann myself, so far so good, the original Brembo brakes warped after less than 15.000 km, I have now another 15.000 km driven with the Zimmermann and they are as good as new.
Pros: good as new
Cons: Brembo brakes warped
Mileage: 15000 km
I just installed front and rear brakes @90k on my MK7.5 GTI w/PP brakes with a kit from FCP Euro Zimmerman cross drilled font and rear with EBC Red Stuff pads. The price has gone up a good bit since then but its a good upgrade from stock imo.
Pros: good upgrade from stock
Vehicle:
Volkswagen
Mileage: 90000 km
I have these exact pads. HUGE improvement.
Pros: huge improvement
I remember somebody talking about swapping out the Brembo for Zimmermann brakes and he was much happier with those.
Pros: much happier
Cons: needed replacing quickly
I have the T2s and the DBA SP Street Performance Brake Pads, the green ones, on 4 corners along with SS brake lines. They have been rock solid since sept of 2022 over 50k miles. Hardly any brake dust compared to Stoptech street semi metallic. They are a great all-round setup, Street and canyons.
Pros: rock solid, little brake dust
Mileage: 50000 km
I'm running DBA Street Performance pads. Low dust and performance seems fine. I'd buy again.
Pros: low dust, fine performance
The pad material composite can be upgraded to extend mileage adding replacement parts like Bosch or Zimmermann (OEM suppliers) that are the same or better than stock.
Pros: better than stock
Vehicle:
Volkswagen
DBA pads love to squeal too.
Cons: squealing noise
Used to use the DBA XP pads but they were far too dusty.
Cons: far too dusty
Part number: XP
I installed rear DBA ceramic pads and rear TRW ceramic discs last weekend and after a week I’m seeing these aggressive scratch channels circled in red. I do hear a constant scraping while driving without braking.
Cons: constant scraping while driving
Vehicle:
Volkswagen Golf
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Which brake pads to choose — Zimmermann or DBA?
If choosing brake pads across many manufacturers, check the part ranking. If your choice is down to two brands, the PartReview part comparisons help.
We compare brake pads across these categories:
- PR Score.
- Overall ranking.
- Vote balance.
- Average rating.
- Number of reviews.
- Feature ratings.
- Car owners’ choice.
Which brake pads are better — DBA or Zimmermann?
In March 2026 on PartReview, brake pads Zimmermann were overall better than DBA.
- Zimmermann received a PR Score of 85 out of 100, and DBA scored 66 points.
- Zimmermann ranked 28 in the overall ranking, and DBA ranked 39.
- The average rating is higher for Zimmermann (4) than for DBA (3.7).
-
Brake pads Zimmermann have better feature ratings than DBA:
- Braking - owners believe, that this property for DBA is better than Zimmermann.
- Dust - drivers claim, that this property for Zimmermann is outperforms DBA.
- Noise - reviews suggest, that by this property Zimmermann does not differ from DBA.
Which brake pads are more popular — Zimmermann or DBA?
In March 2026 on PartReview, brake pads Zimmermann were overall more popular than DBA.
By vote balance, brake pads Zimmermann surpassed DBA:
- For Zimmermann, the ratio of positive (36) to negative (6) votes is 30 votes.
- For DBA, the ratio of positive (24) to negative (12) votes is 12 votes.
By number of reviews, brake pads Zimmermann surpassed DBA:
- For brake pads Zimmermann there are 14 reviews: 12 positive, 0 neutral, 2 negative.
- For brake pads DBA there are 12 reviews: 8 positive, 0 neutral, 4 negative.
Which brake pads do car owners prefer — Zimmermann or DBA?
In March 2026, according to PartReview, brake pads Zimmermann and DBA have not taken top places in car-specific ratings. You can help by adding your review about these manufacturers.
Other comparisons of brake pads
If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.
For example, comparisons of brake pads Zimmermann with: EBC, POWER STOP, Akebono, Hawk Performance, Brembo, Ferodo, OEM Volkswagen, Bosch, STOPTECH, Carbotech.
Also available: comparisons of brake pads DBA with: EBC, POWER STOP, Akebono, Hawk Performance, Brembo, Ferodo, OEM Volkswagen, Bosch, STOPTECH, Carbotech.
You can also see who is better among other brake pads manufacturers: EBC or POWER STOP, EBC or Akebono, EBC or Hawk Performance, Brembo or EBC, Akebono or POWER STOP.