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I am hoping someone can help advise here... So I have an Audi SQ5, with Audi(VW) OEM rotors on it, and I have a VW GTI with unknown rotors on it. I think they are OEM, but maybe someone can help clear this up.
So the Audi rotors after a good soaking rain look like this (no rust, nice and clean):
And the rotors on the VW look like this:
Even after I drive the VW quite a bit, the rotors almost never come clean and I can always hear some light "scraping" when I corner due to the pads coming in contact with the rust. Can anyone say for sure whether Audi uses the same rotors as VW? I am pretty sure my Audi Rotors had VAG part #s. The brake replacement on the VW was done before I owned the vehicle, but the records say it was done by a VW dealer. So I'm wondering if it is possible that these are VW rotors on the GTI, or are they some aftermarket garbage? Do they put decent rotors on Audis and crap on VWs?
Let me know your thoughts, and sorry for the VW related question here on the Audi Forum...
My guess is you have cheap aftermarket rotors. My OEM's on my SQ5 looked like your Audi ones, and I just swapped to Zimmerman coated rotors, with the same perfect result. Super cheap ones aren't coated and are just carbon steel so they rust bad.
If it's raining and super humid, some light rusting on the wear surface is normal, but even your hubs look brutal.
Yuck, those rotors on the GTI look terrible for any manufacturer and almost certainly cheap aftermarket. The corrosion has eaten in the surface, which is why they never look or sound ok. Get new VW rotors, IMHO.
I am assuming if you drove down the street and stopped a few times,the rust would be gone and the metal would be shiny. Yes? My 2018 q5 rotors would rust up all the time if I did not use the car for a few days.
I am assuming if you drove down the street and stopped a few times,the rust would be gone and the metal would be shiny. Yes? My 2018 q5 rotors would rust up all the time if I did not use the car for a few days.
We had light rain all day today, so I'll go check mine out in a few minutes (been parked now for about 5 hours) and again tomorrow morning.
Now that it's been mentioned, I don't recall ever seeing any rust on my Audi's rotors, but those on my Corvette and the Subaru both rusted easily.
There are different types of brake rotors. I don't know specifically what the SQ5 uses, but if you look closely your SQ5 rotors are 2-piece rotors. The hat and the ring are separate pieces. This is for better cooling and lighter weight. The hat is usually made of aluminum in this case, so no matter what, it'll never rust. The ring from what I can see is also internally ventilated for better cooling, so there a cooling vanes inside of the rotor. This improves airflow and also as a side effect dries the rotors quicker and the airflow whisks away more of the water. The SQ5 is also a heavier vehicle than your GTI, so the brakes likely get hotter, which evaporates the water quicker.
For comparison, your GTI has single piece rotors that are not internally ventilated. It's one glob of iron, and iron rusts. No matter what you do. The hat part is usually coated to slow down the rust, but eventually they will rust. Not sure what the stock rotors are on a GTI, but they are definitely different from an SQ5. You need different brakes to stop a 4500 lbs behemoth compared to a much lighter hatchback. Those rotors may be aftermarket or they may be stock. Don't really know, but you can't compare them. They are completely different rotors.
There are different types of brake rotors. I don't know specifically what the SQ5 uses, but if you look closely your SQ5 rotors are 2-piece rotors. The hat and the ring are separate pieces. This is for better cooling and lighter weight. The hat is usually made of aluminum in this case, so no matter what, it'll never rust. The ring from what I can see is also internally ventilated for better cooling, so there a cooling vanes inside of the rotor. This improves airflow and also as a side effect dries the rotors quicker and the airflow whisks away more of the water. The SQ5 is also a heavier vehicle than your GTI, so the brakes likely get hotter, which evaporates the water quicker.
For comparison, your GTI has single piece rotors that are not internally ventilated. It's one glob of iron, and iron rusts. No matter what you do. The hat part is usually coated to slow down the rust, but eventually they will rust. Not sure what the stock rotors are on a GTI, but they are definitely different from an SQ5. You need different brakes to stop a 4500 lbs behemoth compared to a much lighter hatchback. Those rotors may be aftermarket or they may be stock. Don't really know, but you can't compare them. They are completely different rotors.
That's good info about the SQ5 rotors. Good reasons to stick with OEM when they're changed.
My car sat in the rain for about 4 hours this morning at the golf course, then another 6 now since I came in. Just checked, and no rust. Looks like the hats are painted, as well as being aluminum.
For what it's worth, my wife's Cadillac ATS has no rust either (original rotors) after having been outside most of the day. It has Bembo brakes.
I am assuming if you drove down the street and stopped a few times,the rust would be gone and the metal would be shiny. Yes? My 2018 q5 rotors would rust up all the time if I did not use the car for a few days.
The rust would come off but there is still black corrosion pitted into the rotors. I believe this are actually the original OEM rotors. Pads were replaced before I bought the GTI (VAG in the front, TRW in the rear), but judging by the amount of material taken off the rotors, I'm pretty sure these are OEM originals. Time to switch to Zimmerman coated.
There are different types of brake rotors. I don't know specifically what the SQ5 uses, but if you look closely your SQ5 rotors are 2-piece rotors. The hat and the ring are separate pieces. This is for better cooling and lighter weight. The hat is usually made of aluminum in this case, so no matter what, it'll never rust. The ring from what I can see is also internally ventilated for better cooling, so there a cooling vanes inside of the rotor. This improves airflow and also as a side effect dries the rotors quicker and the airflow whisks away more of the water. The SQ5 is also a heavier vehicle than your GTI, so the brakes likely get hotter, which evaporates the water quicker.
For comparison, your GTI has single piece rotors that are not internally ventilated. It's one glob of iron, and iron rusts. No matter what you do. The hat part is usually coated to slow down the rust, but eventually they will rust. Not sure what the stock rotors are on a GTI, but they are definitely different from an SQ5. You need different brakes to stop a 4500 lbs behemoth compared to a much lighter hatchback. Those rotors may be aftermarket or they may be stock. Don't really know, but you can't compare them. They are completely different rotors.
This is not accurate actually. The front rotors of the GTI are vented. The rear rotors are not. And my SQ5 rotors are one piece rotors, again, vented rotors in the front, and solid (non-vented) in the rear. I have the standard brakes. The sport package would be different, at the very least, larger.
This is not accurate actually. The front rotors of the GTI are vented. The rear rotors are not. And my SQ5 rotors are one piece rotors, again, vented rotors in the front, and solid (non-vented) in the rear. I have the standard brakes. The sport package would be different, at the very least, larger.
I was going off your pictures you posted as I don't have an SQ5. The first picture looks like a two piece rotor and the rusty rotor looks like a singe piece rotor with clearly an iron hat. Aluminum wouldn't rust.
08-01-2022, 09:20 AM
VW vs Audi Brake Rotors?
