Howdy all!

Six years into ownership and it's time to do pads/rotors/flush, and replace cracked rubber brake hoses on my '10 TDI, so started shopping for parts and discovered these new hybrid Bosch brake pads that take the best features of semi-metallic and ceramic pads and fuse them together; low dusting, low noise, excellent pedal feel, excellent braking power and modulation, and good initial bite in varied weather and climate conditions.

I went with the OE supplier rotors, which for my model/year is SHW performance rotors, which just happened to be the least costly rotor option at FCP Euro for coated, corrosion resistant rotors, and decided to try out these new hybrid brake pads by Bosch to see if the performance holds up, which is my primary concern in brake friction; not losing any braking performance, and preferably gaining some. My goal was to extend life of both pads and rotors on my extremely heavy 2010 Q7 TDI, while not reducing existing braking performance.

The outcome:

Excellent hybrid friction formula brake pads by Bosch deliver an exceptional, firm pedal feel underfoot and responsive braking that is easily modulated and does not squeal at the end of every stop like the OE pads did, or during light braking. Brake dusting is much lower and a lighter tan color as well; it's much easier to clean off the wheels compared to the OE pads.

The biggest challenge I experienced was getting these hybrid Bosch pads to fully bed-in on the new rotor surfaces to achieve full contact between the friction surfaces/optimal braking to occur. This relates to the ceramic content of these pads, as well as the alloy used being quite gentle on the rotor surface, and so the bedding-in procedure instructions provided with the pads needs to be followed, and I found I needed to repeat the bedding-in cycle a few times to bed/wear them in properly against the new rotors.

After bedding them the first time or two I could still clearly see the machining marks on the new rotors, which speaks to how hard/durable/gentle the hybrid ceramic pads are, and I definitely had some doubts at first as I wasn't getting the brake pedal feel/stopping power desired after following the bed-in procedure and allowing them to cool down, etc. Ultimately it was just a matter of repeating the bed-in procedure to get rid of any high points on the pad surface, and then the braking power and firmer brake pedal feel this hybrid formula provides became readily apparent and much appreciated too. Even after towing a fully loaded 6x12' enclosed trailer across multiple states and over mountain passes, the SHW brake rotors still looked brand new with no appreciable wear visible on their friction surfaces, and only a light coating of tan colored brake dust on the wheels from the new, hybrid Bosch semi-metallic/ceramic brake pads formulation.

I've been very impressed with the initial bite, pedal feel, lack of brake squeal noises when fully stopping or otherwise, and how they perform so well yet be so very gentle on the rotors wear surface at the same time. Truly an exceptional friction compound, and I highly recommend these new Bosch hybrid brake pads formulation to all who want to 'have their cake and eat it too'...it is definitely possible with these brake pads. In past brake service cycles, I've been fortunate to get 40k miles from a set of rotors, but with these new pads I think I'll easily double or possibly triple that service interval for needing new brake rotors, and did I mention my '10 4L Q7 TDI is exceptionally heavy/solidly built? It's literally a frigging tank, which is just one of myriad reasons I love it so. That also makes solid braking feel/performance a very high priority for me. The rear brake rotors are also horrible to change out on a 4L Q7, and so yet another benefit to switching to these hybrid brake pads is reducing my need to replace these friction components; heck, they may even outlast me now.

In closure, I would recommend the Bosch hybrid semi-metallic (uses aerospace alloy, no copper in them)/ceramic pads formulation to anyone who's Audi started life with the old-school semi-metallic brake pads, which has long been the staple of German car brake friction because it works quite well to stop the car.

Just be fully aware of the need to provide a fresh rotor surface and that the bed-in process provided by Bosch with these pads needs to be strictly followed to get these hybrid pads bedded-in properly. Also, always check brake pads out of the box for any excess pad material that might be leftover from the pad molding process and remove obvious high-points/obstructions prior to installing them for an easier/faster bedding-in process. Devil's in the details, they say, and if you do the prep work on the new pads, replace any old, cracked rubber brake lines, flush old brake fluid correctly, and bed these in as directed, you'll be extremely pleased with them, IMHO.

Initially, I only did the front brakes/brake hoses as had new rear rotors already purchased, but in storage in a diff state, and so I'll be completing the rear brakes makeover this Summer with new brake hoses (mine are old and cracked on exterior/a safety hazard), new stretch bolts for the rear rotors mounting, and a massive pry bar/ extension/come-along to break those stubborn rear rotor mounting (stretch) bolts loose. Fun! Really looking forward to NOT needing to do the rear rotors again possibly ever, lol.

 

Some time ago, on another car that had damn good OEM brakes, I wanted to try doing better. And found unanymous praise for Porterfield R&S (street use) series, the street version of their racing brakes. Kevlar+ceramic IIRC. (The brand is out of the PNW and unknown east of the Mississippi.)
And after a week I called to complain I was still getting worse than OEM stopping. "Give it time, make more frequent stops, they take a long time to bed in."
Well...coupla weeks later a very old friend of mine turns and looks at when I exit a highway ramp and stop. "Did you put skme kinda new brakes on this car?"
Yeah, the really good stuff can take time to bed in. They really should warn you.
But if I can stop in 159 feet instead of 160? That's all it takes to stop short of a deer instead of plowing through it. I'm willing to put uo with bedding them in!