Mike M.

I am looking into a brake upgrade sometime in the future, utilizing calipers such as Wilwood, Alcon, AP Racing, Brembo(Porsche), or anything else out there. Yes, I've already ridden in an Alcon equipped S4, but would also like to know any less expensive alternatives with near Alcon (4 piston) and way better than stock results. I have estimated about 2.75" of clearance between my stock rotor and the rear spoke of my 18" wheel, which may eliminate me from Big Reds and Alcon's without a spacer, and I am cringing at the effects of this due to my already 32 mm offset. This will probably be a street setup with an occasional Auto-X or track event somewhere down the line. Any help is truly appreciated, as the Performance Forum has lately turned to jibberish.

Thanks again,
Mike M.

RichD

In the sring or summer I will be adding Alcon H-types for the front on stock rotors. They can fit under 15 inch wheels(winter/spare/etc) and the piston size is the same as Alcon B-types. The performance of these brakes should be at or near Big Reds in most cases and they don't break the bank (around $2500). This, for me, is the best choice as I do not like the idea of having to rebuild my front brakes every year, and it gives me more freedom to swap out my 17's for 15's when I have to.

RichD 99.5 1.8tqm

Cameron

The B-type is FAR narrower than a Big Red. The Brembo body is shaped so that it requires much more backspacing than any of the common Alcon calipers (B, H, R-type).

You don't mention what car you own, but Vortrag offers an Alcon H-type fitment cheaper than the Alcon B-type to fit on a stock TT front rotor, very economical with great stopping power. On the S4, the B-type is the top of the range, but some of the AP kits in Europe come close. The problem is: do you really want to wait a month to get that part, find out it doesn't fit, and find out it costs as much as a B-type by the time you're done shipping things back and forth and so on but doesn't have as much stopping power?

As someone who's driven on a bunch of different brake packages, the Alcon B-types are the way to go on the A4. Save your pennies.

Cameron
1997 A4 with Alcons (sold!)
2000 TT 225Q with Alcons (on order!)

Mike

They have done the testing with Porterfield to get a Complete Brake package developed for the S4. They have them in Street, and Race Pad Variations. I think the Race Pad set up for just the fronts are $395.00, and the Street Pad Set up is $295.00 Due to the Fronts being almost the equivalent as two complete sets of Brake Pads. I have seen them auto-x and Road Race there car and it stops extremely agressively! The Race compound does squeel however. There number is 602-499-0089.
Take Care,
Mike

Mike M.

Sorry I didn't mention this before, but my car is a 1.8t Quattro. According to Todd at Vortrag, I would need at least 3" of clearance between the stock rotor for a 13" Coleman/Alcon-B setup and Big Reds are virtually out of the picture. I definitely will check out Schotz and those Alcon-H's and perhaps some quality rotors like Brembo's(any suggestions on this one?). Cameron is right about those AP's as well, as they're a pain and quite costly to import (at least over here). Well, even at that, perhaps it's better to import these with a well-known local vendor who will stand behind their product(and fitments)!

Regards,
Mike M.