Rotor and pad recommendations 2015 A7
#11
AudiWorld Member
I agree stock rotors and brakes are crap. I have adams slotted and dimpled rotors and akebono euro ceramic pads for the past year and they are super amazing. Smooth braking and better bite than stock with no fade or vibration from warped rotors or dusting. I highly recommend them. Adams rotors are extremely durable and has high quality.
Adams rotors get constant praise. IMHO, the biggest benefit of Adams or Stoptech or Zimmermann rotors are that they are new, paired to break in with new pads and NOT oem.
#12
AudiWorld Super User
#13
I believe Adam’s uses Centric rotors and does the machining or drilling of the holes or slots that you order. Not a bad thing because Centric - Stoptech is a high quality rotor. FWIW I have used drilled, slotted and plain rotors on my tracked TT. I can eventually crack any of them but the Centric plain ones seemed to last longest and actually seem most resistant to fade. Probably due to mass. They are heavy. I use Stoptech 309 pads on that car. ( it Has Porsche Brembo calipers) You wouldn’t like them for street because they are very dusty and occasionally squeal a bit but they ARE the best compromise between a pure track pad and a street pad that I have found. They are not expensive either.
#14
AudiWorld Member
If I remember correctly, Centric supplies the raw or rough iron castings to several brake companies. The companies then grind, drill, slot and paint them as they wish. I thought I read the last rotor casting plant in the US closed years ago.
#15
After going through numerous auto parts store junk in other cars, I'm sold on Brembo . No more cheap iron that doesn't wear correctly and matched pads that work brilliantly. I will likely go that route with either blanks or drilled ones.
#16
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Rotors and Pads
I am thinking of installing the StopTech slotted rotors on all four corners with a set of the Akebono Euro Ceramic pads on all four corners also.
What do you guys think of this combination of parts.
They are going into my new to me 2013 Audi S5
What do you guys think of this combination of parts.
They are going into my new to me 2013 Audi S5
#17
Stock rotors and pads suck on Audi. Always have. Perhaps better on an RS, but the A models have crummy pads and rotors. They are lcd components, mAde for the lowest common denominator of drivers. Housewifes, Lexus drivers. High initial grab and then fade, dust and pad compounds lead to transfer to the rotors, simulating warping. Plus the iron is relatively soft. If you love driving your 7, stay away from Oem Audi pads. From many years of Audi work and from what I have read, Akebono Euro pads are the most used replacement pads. I have used them for years and put them on my A7. The combination of the pads and Stoptech performance rotors has been dramatic. The precision of the braking now matches the handling and performance. The only “downside” to Ake and Stoptech is that they need a touch of warming, they will not stop on a dime, with the pressure of one toe, when the car is dead cold. Not the warming of a race pad, but they do not have the obnoxious initial bite of OEM. And i am thrilled. What you get in exchage is a pad that is consistent, does not fade easily, and gives predicable performance. It also handles Colorado mountain descents in style. IIRC, Stoptech and Centric are the same company. Centric is the parent, I think. The performance stuff is great value. And works flawlessly. I have used four sets on different full size Audis in the past few years. As for Ake, There are higher performance pads out there. I used to use the them in my youth. I dont need that level of performance or lengthy warm up. At my age and driving style. Every time in my A7, I am thrilled i threw out the oem pads and rotors at 10k. One last point, oem pads and rotors are very very very prone to pad material transfer bonding to the rotors. Zimmermann has a great article explaining it. It feels just like a warped disk and just as un-drive able. From my decades of experience and reading many many forums, non-oem pads and rotors, like Ake, Stoptech, Zimmermann, Centric, DO NOT appear to have issues with the pad material transfer/warping issues of oem.
#20
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Stock rotors and pads suck on Audi. Always have. Perhaps better on an RS, but the A models have crummy pads and rotors. They are lcd components, mAde for the lowest common denominator of drivers. Housewifes, Lexus drivers. High initial grab and then fade, dust and pad compounds lead to transfer to the rotors, simulating warping. Plus the iron is relatively soft. If you love driving your 7, stay away from Oem Audi pads. From many years of Audi work and from what I have read, Akebono Euro pads are the most used replacement pads. I have used them for years and put them on my A7. The combination of the pads and Stoptech performance rotors has been dramatic. The precision of the braking now matches the handling and performance. The only “downside” to Ake and Stoptech is that they need a touch of warming, they will not stop on a dime, with the pressure of one toe, when the car is dead cold. Not the warming of a race pad, but they do not have the obnoxious initial bite of OEM. And i am thrilled. What you get in exchage is a pad that is consistent, does not fade easily, and gives predicable performance. It also handles Colorado mountain descents in style. IIRC, Stoptech and Centric are the same company. Centric is the parent, I think. The performance stuff is great value. And works flawlessly. I have used four sets on different full size Audis in the past few years. As for Ake, There are higher performance pads out there. I used to use the them in my youth. I dont need that level of performance or lengthy warm up. At my age and driving style. Every time in my A7, I am thrilled i threw out the oem pads and rotors at 10k. One last point, oem pads and rotors are very very very prone to pad material transfer bonding to the rotors. Zimmermann has a great article explaining it. It feels just like a warped disk and just as un-drive able. From my decades of experience and reading many many forums, non-oem pads and rotors, like Ake, Stoptech, Zimmermann, Centric, DO NOT appear to have issues with the pad material transfer/warping issues of oem.
Me on the other hand with a set of akebono euro ceramic pads and 12k miles later with the Adams slotted/dimpled rotors, I am getting low squelling noise when braking at certain speeds and its not good. Its due to glazing from material transfer from the brakes to rotors but there is no vibration. I did some re-bedding again and it didnt help much... Everyone I spoke to HATED ceramic pads as they do not have good high operating temperatures and they glaze easily under heavy breaking. The A7 is a heavy car and the brakes are great but not perfect and this set up helped with the breaking performance no doubt but its not immune to glazing or pad transfer... I am a bit disappointed... I am going to try to get the rotors in the front sanded a bit and clean the pads to remove the glazing and switch to posi-quiet pads as recommended by adams rotors for my driving style.
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