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I had been really sick of how much brake dust the OE pads produce so when it came time to replace the pads, I was not going with OE pads. When checking the pads, I noticed that my rotors had a little lip on them. I probably could have gotten away with just replacing the pads, but decided to go ahead and replace the pads and rotors at the same time. Now that I had decided to replace everything, the sticker shock came when looking for rotors. The OE rotors are about $2000 for front a rear rotors (from FCP Euro) and the aftermarket options are about the same. 034 motorsports are about $2500 for front and rear and Triton Motorsports are about $2000. So I kept looking and found a vendor on Alibaba who had great reviews and the product looks very similar to the Triton rotors. I don't know where Triton sources their rotors and am not in any way saying the rotors I purchased are the same. I can say with 100% certainly the rotors I received are NOT the same as the 034 motorsport rotors. The 034 rotors are lighter and have a spring clip design, where as the Alibaba rotors have a bolt on application and only weigh about 1.4 lbs less than the OE.
So, for a little under $1,300 delivered from China and RockAuto for front and rear rotors and Dynamic Friction Euro 5000 pads, I was able to replace everything. I have only bedded the pads and driven two days locally (no spirited driving) I can say the pads already have very little dust. As far as I can tell, the only "dust" on my wheels is from the coating being rubbed off the rotors. Another very positive note is that the modulation of the brakes feels much better. The OE brakes (likely the pads) were very on/off. They were difficult to drive smoothly. They would bite at the last minute when rolling to a stop and were not smooth at all at low speeds. They were fine at higher speeds and performed well overall, but just very little modulation at low speeds. That is gone. They have bite when needed but have not issue rolling to a smooth stop and modulating the brakes at low speeds.
As for weight savings, as mentioned the fronts weigh 33 lbs even and the rears are 19.4 lbs, compared to the OE of 34.4 front and 19.6 rear. So they do shave a little weight, but probably not worth it to do just for the weight savings.
As a side note, my car was pre-owned and purchased from the original dealer who sold it. All service was done at the dealership, but for some reason one of the rotor retention screws was broken off and not replaced by the dealer. So, I had to extract it myself and get a replacement.
Lastly, the OE wear sensors are stupid expensive. $140 for the front and $99 for the rear. Ya, no thanks. The front was re-usable but the rear broke apart when trying to place it on the new pad so I ordered one from FCP Euro for $20 bucks.
Time will tell on the overall performance of the brake pads and if the dust really is a lot less, but for now I am a happy camper! And they look great too!
Last edited by cmarshack; Jan 22, 2026 at 07:25 AM.
Reason: Clarifying
As owners of 500hp ~$100K ~5300 lbs vehicles, I'll never understand why members of this forum:
1) would go the Alibaba route on something as critical as brakes (especially when you only saved $500!) and
2) prioritize dust reduction over stopping power, initial bite, fade resistance and reliability over time
Beyond a concern for overall quality and manufacturing with Alibaba, I would be petrified that those hats would eventually come loose. No thanks. 034 here and very happy.
As owners of 500hp ~$100K ~5300 lbs vehicles, I'll never understand why members of this forum:
1) would go the Alibaba route on something as critical as brakes (especially when you only saved $500!) and
2) prioritize dust reduction over stopping power, initial bite, fade resistance and reliability over time
Beyond a concern for overall quality and manufacturing with Alibaba, I would be petrified that those hats would eventually come loose. No thanks. 034 here and very happy.
I never understand why people would be a member of an enthusiasts forum and ask questions like these. Enthusiasts modify cars and experiment.
1) "would go the Alibaba route on something as critical as brakes" (especially when you only saved $500!)"
- I have no issue with parts that are manufactured in China. I know many people do, but those same people have a parts made in China, sold by US companies with a US company label on them and feel great about their purchase. Do you know for sure where the 034 rotors are manufactured? "034Motorsport has partnered with the very best in the industry to complement our line of performance upgrades with a wide range of factory replacement parts and aftermarket components for Audi and Volkswagen." They do not manufacture everything they sell.
- I saved $1,386, not $500 (034 rotors are $2,686.22 shipped to my door, with tax)
2)prioritize dust reduction over stopping power, initial bite, fade resistance and reliability over time
- Most OE pads suck and most enthusiasts seek better pads with better bite, better fade resistance and often less dust. They are disposables, if the Dynamic Friction pads don't exceed my expectations on bite, fade and stopping power, I will toss them in the bin and look for something better. Only thing I know is that the OE pads had terrible modulation at low speeds and were insanely dusty. Did I ever experience fade, no. But I also don't track my SQ7, so that is not a huge worry of mine.
"Beyond a concern for overall quality and manufacturing with Alibaba, I would be petrified that those hats would eventually come loose."
- You do know that Alibaba is not a manufacturer, right? It is a marketplace, like Amazon, which features products sold by vendors (some of which are manufactures) selling products, most of which are manufactured in China. The Manufacturer that I bought from has been in business since April, 2006 and all they make are brake components.
I have nothing against 034 and think their product looks like a quality product. But there is no guarantee that their product is not manufactured on the same floor as my rotors. Unless they say Brembo on them, they were probably made in China. I could be 100% wrong, and hope for the price difference that I am, but I am happy with my purchase and am sharing my experience with the enthusiast community who may also not care about origin and want to save some $$$.
Lastly, I do all of my own work on my own cars. I take 100% liability for what I use and how I use it. I guarantee those rotor hats will not "come loose" without me noticing. I just hope you are a wrench too, who will recognize if something is going sideways with yours.
You get to voice your opinion and I get to voice mine. I’ve been in this game and doing my own “wrenching” for many decades and like to go with proven and trusted suppliers/parts regardless of where they are manufactured. I understand that a good portion of parts can come from anywhere in the world, but it’s the standards and commitment to the community that shops like 034 have that I value, because their reputation is at stake. Alibaba literally couldn’t care less, about their product, this community, or your safety. I stand by my comments particularly when you can afford a $100k car but want to save $500 or even $2000 on critical maintenance parts. So, do you.
For the record, after a few rotor and pad changes, if you want a great setup for a stock or tuned SQ7/8 and don’t care about noise or brake dust, go with 034 rotors and EBC orange pads. Or go carbon ceramic swap.
You get to voice your opinion and I get to voice mine. I’ve been in this game and doing my own “wrenching” for many decades and like to go with proven and trusted suppliers/parts regardless of where they are manufactured. I understand that a good portion of parts can come from anywhere in the world, but it’s the standards and commitment to the community that shops like 034 have that I value, because their reputation is at stake. Alibaba literally couldn’t care less, about their product, this community, or your safety. I stand by my comments particularly when you can afford a $100k car but want to save $500 or even $2000 on critical maintenance parts. So, do you.
For the record, after a few rotor and pad changes, if you want a great setup for a stock or tuned SQ7/8 and don’t care about noise or brake dust, go with 034 rotors and EBC orange pads. Or go carbon ceramic swap.
100% fair and I agree that buying from a proven/trusted supplier is the safe way to go and 034 is a great supplier. I just can't justify the markup personally. Even though I can afford $100k cars, I don't waste a penny and trust my own ability to gauge quality and workmanship. It was a risk buying from Alibaba, but the product I received is very high quality.
As for pads, I have always been a fan of EBC and if it were not for the positive reviews of the Dynamic Friction 5000 from forum members (specifically on the SQ7) I would have used the Orangestuff pads. So far, I am very impressed with the DFC pads, I just have not had a chance to run them on Ortega Highway or Angeles Crest (on my way to Mammoth) yet to see if there is any fade with repeated braking.
I appreciate your comments and input, it's what keeps the forums dynamic and interesting.
I get it. As the saying goes, opinions are just like a$$holes... Just my $02. For some reason I have a hang-up/infatuation with brake component R&D, manufacturing, etc. They are exposed to such extreme conditions and elements, and yet perform consistently and reliably across that massive range. I personally feel it's one aspect of the car I don't want to cut corners with.
This from 034 is what sold me on their rotors (especially having to wait a number of years before there were any options other than stock): The central hat portion of the 034Motorsport rotor is made of 6061-T6 aircraft specification aluminum. The disc is constructed out of a proprietary metal alloy that can withstand immense braking temperatures while holding form. From the factory, the same rotor is used on both sides of 4M/4M.5 SQ7/SQ8, leading to one side having incorrect venting and cooling effects. The 034Motorsport 2-Piece Floating Front Brake Rotor Upgrade Kit utilizes 72 directionally curved vanes properly oriented for each side of the vehicle to forcefully flow cool air through both rotors to dissipate heat equally. The face of the 034Motorsport 2-Piece Floating Front Brake Rotor Upgrade Kit utilizes J-Slot slots to clean the pad and surface of contaminants and allows hot pad outgassing, all while reducing overall braking noise compared to a traditional slotted rotor. The 034Motorsport rotor and hat floating mount system utilizes high strength alloy steel bobbins. The pins take the load from braking actions while maintaining the axial and radial float between the hat and disc, allowing for safe expansion and contraction from heat.
The EBC orange were fantastic and huge improvement over stock performance in every way, but lasted <20K and were extremely noisy and dirty. I'm in the small minority that like their street cars to sound like a race cars under slow breaking, but my wife HATED it. Frankly, it did get annoying at times.
I get it. As the saying goes, opinions are just like a$$holes... Just my $02. For some reason I have a hang-up/infatuation with brake component R&D, manufacturing, etc. They are exposed to such extreme conditions and elements, and yet perform consistently and reliably across that massive range. I personally feel it's one aspect of the car I don't want to cut corners with.
This from 034 is what sold me on their rotors (especially having to wait a number of years before there were any options other than stock): The central hat portion of the 034Motorsport rotor is made of 6061-T6 aircraft specification aluminum. The disc is constructed out of a proprietary metal alloy that can withstand immense braking temperatures while holding form. From the factory, the same rotor is used on both sides of 4M/4M.5 SQ7/SQ8, leading to one side having incorrect venting and cooling effects. The 034Motorsport 2-Piece Floating Front Brake Rotor Upgrade Kit utilizes 72 directionally curved vanes properly oriented for each side of the vehicle to forcefully flow cool air through both rotors to dissipate heat equally. The face of the 034Motorsport 2-Piece Floating Front Brake Rotor Upgrade Kit utilizes J-Slot slots to clean the pad and surface of contaminants and allows hot pad outgassing, all while reducing overall braking noise compared to a traditional slotted rotor. The 034Motorsport rotor and hat floating mount system utilizes high strength alloy steel bobbins. The pins take the load from braking actions while maintaining the axial and radial float between the hat and disc, allowing for safe expansion and contraction from heat.
The EBC orange were fantastic and huge improvement over stock performance in every way, but lasted <20K and were extremely noisy and dirty. I'm in the small minority that like their street cars to sound like a race cars under slow breaking, but my wife HATED it. Frankly, it did get annoying at times.
Ouch, the statement I highlighted above actually makes me lose some trust in 034.
"From the factory, the same rotor is used on both sides of 4M/4M.5 SQ7/SQ8, leading to one side having incorrect venting and cooling effects."
This is simply incorrect and misleading. There are two separate part numbers for the OE: 4M0615302K (R) and 4M0615301BM (L). They are 100% directional, with proper directional venting on both sides
The OE rotors are actually quite well designed. I am not sure why 034 would make a statement like that when anyone doing this job themselves could see that it's just false. They cold have simple said "The 034Motorsport 2-Piece Floating Front Brake Rotor Upgrade Kit utilizes 72 directionally curved vanes properly oriented for each side of the vehicle to forcefully flow cool air through both rotors to dissipate heat equally." and said nothing about the OE rotors and been fine. Just my 2c but that is disappointing.
Audi Recreates Crazy-Looking Speed Record Breaker From 1935
Slideshow: Audi has recreated one of the wildest machines of the pre-war speed-record era, reviving a streamlined V16 racer that originally exceeded 200 mph in 1935.
New Rotors and Pads | Front and Back
Just my $02. For some reason I have a hang-up/infatuation with brake component R&D, manufacturing, etc. They are exposed to such extreme conditions and elements, and yet perform consistently and reliably across that massive range. I personally feel it's one aspect of the car I don't want to cut corners with.
