Gorobei

At some point this summer, it's more than likely that I'll end up getting into a set of bigger brakes. At the moment, I'm thinking APR's Stoptech kit with the 360mm rotors (not released yet) or Alcon H-Types with a 360mm Alcon rotor. My summer wheels are 18" BBS CH's, so I'm sure that they will clear these brakes. However, my car does double duty in the winter as my snowboarding sled, so I'm going to have to pick up a set of winter wheels to save the BBS's from the hell of salted roads. I don't really want to run 18's in the winter, mostly due to the cost of 18" wheels over 17"s, and the increase in tire price/decrease in tire choice (as far as snow tires are concerned.) So what kind of headache would it be for me to swap from bigger to smaller rotors when I swap wheels in the spring and fall? I'll need two sets of brackets for the two sets of rotors, I assume. Anything else? I'm kinda clueless here, so the more detailed the explanation the better. Bottom line is that I'd like to run the largest rotors possible in the summer and then switch to something a little smaller to fit under winter 17"s. If swapping rotor sizes bi-annually is a huge headache, then I'll have to settle for brakes that will fit under 17"s. That'd be a real bummer, as big brakes are one of the reasons I bought 18"s in the first place...

Thanks much in advance,

B

Todd W

It requires a second set of brackets, hats, and rotors. You do not need to bleed the brakes when you swap. That said, you really won't stop any better on street tires with the larger rotors. It is only if you want to fill the 18's.

No one else seems to be making kits that swap between 13" and 14" rotors, Stoptech included.

EdP

But if you go that route, won't you also need to increase the rear rotors too?

SKS

Why? to big and to heavy

Gorobei

Please expand on that. What's too big and too heavy?

Gorobei

the A4's brake bias is such that many/most people don't bother with the rears unless they are REALLY serious. I don't care to lose my parking brake (turbo timer issues there) so the most I'll ever do to the rears is a higher quality rotor, better pads, and SS lines. So what am I missing in your question?

B

Gorobei

I just figured that if I'm going to spend XXX dollars on brakes anyways, I'll spend the rest of the money to go to the biggest rotor possible. I have been getting more and more into tracking the car, and have plans to take it a lot further tuning-wise, so fade is also a concern of mine. Having experienced severe fade with the stock brakes, I just want to see to it that I don't have to deal with it again. That's actually one of the reasons I have no need for the 360mm rotor in the winter-- no track time. In the end, it may just be vanity after all, but...

As far as the labor involved to swap hats, brackets, and rotors, do you have any idea what the labor intensiveness of this would be? Is it something a somewhat mechanically adept person could do on jackstands in their driveway in an afternoon, or am I looking at bi-annual trips to a tuning shop to do a couple hundred bucks in labor to my car? Thanks much for your input.

B

EdP

So at that point you need to revise the rears.

Gorobei

"bye-bye" e-brake as well, then? That's too bad. Back to the drawing board, I suppose. *sigh* . Turbo-timer or 360mm front rotor? THAT is the question...

B

EdP

not necessarily. You have to find a kit that adds an ebrake caliper.