vs
Brake pads Zimmermann or WILWOOD
Reviews
When I had an NC, I put wilwood pro matrix pads on. I did a few track days a year and then drove it daily in the summer. They held up great, but I wasn't super hard on them at the track.
Pros: held up great, good for daily
Vehicle:
Mazda
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
Wilwood White.
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 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
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
I have run Wilwoods on my Corrado for years with the usual rebuilding every two years. Even with ABS under full braking using the BP10 pads it would occasionally lock up fully and blow a cogged belt off the supercharger.
Pros: very powerful braking
Cons: requires frequent rebuilding
Vehicle:
Volkswagen Corrado
I don't know much about Stop-Tech, however, I have heard from a friend that used Wilwood that these perform best in non-Winter driving conditions. He said that over time they will not stand up as well as a Brembo set up. It might be worth noting what climate (Alaska vs California) that you spend most of your driving time in as well when factoring a BBK upgrade. I also noticed that you are quite new to this group so allow me to introduce you to the member who will derail all original posts into something else to the point where your thread may get locked up. See below. GoGo Golf R said: Ok let's try to agree on the following: 1) Upgrading the brakes is mostly justified for track driving purposes No, Personal preference. 2) Changing the brake pads will reduce dust for street driving Depends on your pad choice 3) Changing the brake pads, rotors and brake lines is pricy Subjective 4) The OEM brakes, while not totally ideal for every driving style, will suffice for average street drivers and some track drivers Depends on your driving style 5) Downshifting with correct rev-matching, will extend the duration and reduce wear on the brakes Yes because replacing your clutch is much cheaper than new pads :screwy:
Pros: perform best in non-winter
Cons: don't stand up as well over time
I switched to the supposedly equivalent Zimmerman blanks and textar pads and I didn’t like the performance so I switched back to the stock brakes.
Cons: poor performance
I purchased Zimmerman pads and rotors from FCP. FCP is fine but the Zimmerman brakes squeal like a bitch.
Cons: brakes squeal loudly
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Which brake pads to choose — Zimmermann or WILWOOD?
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 — WILWOOD or Zimmermann?
In March 2026 on PartReview, brake pads Zimmermann were overall better than WILWOOD.
- Zimmermann received a PR Score of 85 out of 100, and WILWOOD scored 78 points.
- Zimmermann ranked 28 in the overall ranking, and WILWOOD ranked 35.
- The average rating is higher for WILWOOD (4) than for WILWOOD (4).
Which brake pads are more popular — Zimmermann or WILWOOD?
In March 2026 on PartReview, brake pads Zimmermann were overall more popular than WILWOOD.
By vote balance, brake pads Zimmermann surpassed WILWOOD:
- For Zimmermann, the ratio of positive (36) to negative (6) votes is 30 votes.
- For WILWOOD, the ratio of positive (33) to negative (9) votes is 24 votes.
By number of reviews, brake pads Zimmermann surpassed WILWOOD:
- For brake pads Zimmermann there are 14 reviews: 12 positive, 0 neutral, 2 negative.
- For brake pads WILWOOD there are 13 reviews: 9 positive, 3 neutral, 1 negative.
Which brake pads do car owners prefer — Zimmermann or WILWOOD?
In March 2026, according to PartReview, brake pads Zimmermann and WILWOOD 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 WILWOOD 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.