DHS

Friends, I am shopping for new rotors for my '09 S5.
I bought a set of RBC Red pads and looked at the corresponding slotted rotors. While owners are generally happy with their stopping power, many complain about increased noise and vibration over OEM rotors. They would run about $550 for all four shoes.
I also checked out German Auto Parts which sells Zimmerman rotors that, the rep told me, are identical to Audi OEM. They wold run me about $200 less. The dealer wants just over $600 for the same.
I am interested to know if the RBC or some similar slotted and drilled rotors are that much more efficient than the OEM product to justify the added cost and other potential issues, like noise and vibration. By the way, the German Auto Parts rep said that those phenomena are more likely from the pads that the rotors.
Tx
David

lmariorod

I used ECS Tunning X-drilled and slotted rotors on all four and they totaled $370 with free shipping.

I notice no stopping difference but also no noise or vibration.

I used the OEM pads as the car only had 6k at the time. Brake dust with the OEM pads is no longer an issue because the rims are black matte and the dust blends in.

X-drilled and slotted rotors are primarily for looks with a slight advantage to dissipate heat and water IMO.

I do have a set of four OEM S5 rotors with only 6k on them if interested. They are however, '13 S5 facelift and not certain of fitment to pre facelift.

Brozee

I ran zimmermans with absolutely no issue. They are damn near identical. I've also ran Meyle which is an OE supplier to Audi/VW. Honestly there isn't much difference besides that some of the rotors hats might rust earlier than others. That and some places off zinc baths or coatings on the rotoros or painted hats. I've used Adam's Rotors with great success as well.

DHS

Thanks gents for the replies.

DavidRS4

You should also take a look at High Performance Brake Pads and Brake Rotors - Frozen Rotors

As long as you are getting new rotors anyway you should think about having them cryotreated. It makes a big difference with consecutive higher speed stops and the life of the rotors.

GBW

What are you trying to accomplish, is there an issue you are trying to solve?

I track my S5 with the stock rotors but upgraded pads and brake fluid with no issues.

Unless you're looking at upgrading the calipers also and going with a larger rotor, I'm not convinced the "pretty" rotors provide much benefit. Plenty of opinions and thoughts on the internet so do your research and good luck!

ChipB

I agree with previous posters - there are no functional benefits to going with non-stock rotors assuming you are sticking with stock calipers; iron is iron. Slotted, drilled, drilled & slotted, etc etc offer no advantages over plain stock rotors, and some would say possible detrimental issues of noise and (under extreme conditions) cracked rotors. So the only reason to consider them is if you think they look cool. Just to prove it: you can see that the weak point in how quickly the car stops is the adhesion of your tires to the road surface, not gripping power between brake pad and rotor, by getting up to speed and stomping on the brakes as hard as you can. If ABS kicks in (which it will) this shows that your tires are slipping and the brakes have overwhelmed the stopping ability of the tires. Hence getting "better" rotors would do nothing for better stopping. And as noted - under repeated usage of the brakes (such as at the track) better brake pads and brake fluid can make all the difference with respect to minimizing brake fade. And for track use you may want to consider swapping calipers and rotors for a big brake kit, which typically offer larger diameter rotors (more mass means more heat capacity) and better cooling than stock rotors.