Decided to try dba rotors & Hawk pads on all four corners of my S6 - the place that did the work for me suggested this setup and suggested I'd experience no difference in driving, but better overall performance when I really had to get on the brakes. Stainless lines were installed and the brakes have been bled numerous times & the master cylinder was even replaced because they felt so bad when I first picked up the car. (I'm really wondering if it was bad)

Initial impression in the first few hundred miles is quite lousy: my OEM original brakes with 75k miles on them grabbed better, earlier and inspired confidence in all phases of driving. I could set the parking brake in my driveway and it would hold the car. No more: hammering the parking brake handle all the way up still won't hold the car.

Backing out of the garage in the morning, they take tremendous pedal pressure to get them to stop the car ... and they never really grab. They just progressively slow / require more pedal pressure until the car stops. Same thing when driving in traffic, rolling up to stop signs etc. They seem somewhat normal after driving for a while - as if they need heat first? They basically feel like they are constantly wet and need to dry when you first touch the pedal (every time).

By way of comparison, I also had the brakes done on my 2004 Cayenne S (this week) - due to the above experience, I had all OEM put on at a dealership. Even though I've read that the S6 had historically not gotten the highest marks for its brakes, in reality, they were a touch better than the Cayenne (probably because the truck is significantly heavier & running 19's vs 17's). Now, the Cayenne will throw you through the windshield and the S6 will take its time slowing you down and never really grab. I used to love driving the car, now just don't even want to look at it.

So, new rotors, pads, brake lines & master cylinder and I'm giving serious thought to taking it in to Audi to have them put all factory parts back on. Anyone here in Nor Cal with an S6 that knows brakes well? Would love to have someone else drive it & compare and/or drive another S6 back to back with it.

 

you need to re-bed the pads.

http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_bedintheory.shtml

 

That just seems to be how the Hawk pads are. I just replaced a set of HPS pads on my 2.7T with a set of PBR ceramic pads and they are far better for regular driving. The Hawk pads work OK once you have a decent amount of heat built up in them, but I found for daily driving they weren't that great. As you have noticed, they take far more pedal pressure to stop the car than the stock pads or the PBRs that I replaced them with.

Changing the front pads is a piece of cake; try a new set of pads (either stock, or Akebono or PBR have had good reviews as well) and test out the difference.

 

Thanks guys. I'll check the bedding procedure as well as try some different pads and see what seems to work for my application.

 

Don't know what you folks are doing but the HPSes on our S6 work great. Excellent bite, good feel.

Far better than the Akebono ceramics on the spousal 540i.