Magellster

I have a 2009 S6. My front brakes randomly squeal super loudly when I brake and they have done so since I bought the car earlier this year. I checked them out and had my mechanic check them out. The front pads are basically brand new and the rear pads have 80% life left on them. All 4 rotors are in great shape with plenty of life left on them. The squealing is driving me absolutely nuts, especially, because it seems to be random when they decide to squeal. I'm assuming the dealership that I bought the car from replaced the pads with something crappy to save themselves some money and they're just prone to squealing. I have no idea what brand pads they are.

That being said, I'm tired of the "racket" (I'm getting old) and I'm ready to upgrade. I've been doing lots of research on what to get and there don't seem to be any previous forum posts that cover a full brake upgrade. If there has been and I've missed it please direct me to it! I am hoping to get all of your recommendations on what after-market big brake kits or just upgrade brake kits I should get. I want something good that you have personally used or can vouch for by having first-hand interaction. Please don't recommend something your buddy's cousins girlfriends brother told you he heard was good.

My budget is up to $2000 (for just the parts, I will be installing them myself) and I want to replace my rotors, pads, lines, and fluid. I honestly think the calipers are beefy enough for my purposes and I don't plan on tracking the car (anytime soon). I am open to any and all suggestions but please explain why you're recommending your suggestion.

I'm not partial to any particular brands or specs but I want as little brake dust as possible so the pads would carbon ceramic, preferably. I also want my rotors to be slotted and drilled or at least just slotted. (I know this wears brakes much faster)

As of right now, here is what I'm leaning towards:

Rotors: EBC 3GD Series Sport Dimpled and Slotted or the StopTech Sport Drilled and Slotted
Pads: HAWK Performance Ceramic Pads the Hawk High-Performance Street 5.0 Pads or the EBC Redstuff Ceramic Low Dust Pads
Lines: ECS Tuning Stainless Lines or the StopTech Stainless Steel Brake Line Kit
Fluid: or the https://www.ecstuning.com/b-brembo-parts/dot-4-brake-fluid-1-liter/l04010~brm/?gclid=CjwKCAjwza_mBRBTEiwASDWVvkaVmy5epI9WzpGZ9BcHIMuKeKzfamHCp3RHh8WDlOYRJXVw3X2SiBoC1p8QAvD_BwE
I've also toyed with the idea of a custom brake kit like the one by CEIKA.

Any and all thoughts, ideas, and recommendations are welcomed.

Thanks!

Magellster

Or should I just bite the bullet and drop another few thousand on a full BBK with new calipers?

91quattro

I replaced rotors and pads on all 4 wheels a few thousand miles ago - I used OEM rotors and Hawk HPS pads, and also replaced the retaining springs front and rear. Parts cost was about $830. I've been very happy with the results - no squealing.

Magellster

91quattro, thank you for your reply! What was the purpose behind replacing the retaining springs? Were they worn out or were you just looking up update/upgrade everything?

91quattro

I had read that the springs should be replaced periodically, and the ones on my car were all original, so at 100K, I figured I would just replace everything - rotors, pads and springs. I had the wheels all apart and decided, what the heck. Front springs (larger, one per side) were $65 for the pair, and the rears (smaller spring-steel type, 2 per side) were $44 for all 4. The fronts were a little challenging to get on there but they definitely had more tension than the originals that had been on there for 10 years.

J. Patterson

Your desires are different from mine but I can share some info. High performance pads tend to squeal ( race pads squeal a lot!) You can be certain to eliminate squeal by choosing a ceramic pad like Hawk Ceramic or Akebono. The downside is less initial bite. ( You’ll feel like you have to press the pedal harder.). OEM pads are carbon metallic. They stop great. Withstand fairly high temperatures but can squeal. Proper bedding can help. Procedure varies from one pad to another . https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiret...&affiliate=HM5
I like Centric - Stoptech pads. I’ve used several sets on various Audis. The Centric Posi Quiet Semi Metallic provides high stopping force ( bite) and is almost silent. I’ve had occasional light braking squeal when it’s cold and damp. There are plenty of others that should fit your needs. Even the ones sold by Auto Parts stores like NAPA and Autozone. One plus with Centric is that they come with new springs pins and wear plates as necessary. These items are reusable but new ones sure look nice. Drilled or slotted rotors don’t offer any real performance advantage with modern brake pads. If used on the track the drilled ones actually tend to crack sooner under extreme heat cycles. They do look sporty though and will perform fine in street use..
Do some reading on various pad types before you buy. Like everything else there is no one size fits all solution. Depends on use and to some degree vehicle characteristics.