Why would anyone upgrade to 6 piston brakes with 14.5" rotors? (long)
Thread Starter
AudiWorld Member
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: Los Angeles
Why would anyone upgrade to 6 piston brakes with 14.5" rotors? (long)
Before I get lambasted, here is my thought process:
1) The stock brakes apply enough force to lock up the ABS, so they have adequate stopping power. Stopping distance is more a factor of tire grip than brake system ability at this point (although repeatability becomes a concern after brake fade sets in).
2) The main advantages to upgrading to aftermarket brakes is a reduction in unsprung weight and brake fade. A secondary advantage is improved pedal feel.
3) Wouldn't it make sense then, that the smallest diameter aftermarket rotor with the smallest caliper capable of producing stock stopping force while increasing cooling would be best? This would be the lightest settup while still having increased cooling and better pedal feel.
I starting thinking about this while considering either the Stasis track sport (4 piston) or motor sport (6 piston) brakes. I notice they have an option for 13" rotors at a reduced cost. Help me understand what I'm missing here.
1) The stock brakes apply enough force to lock up the ABS, so they have adequate stopping power. Stopping distance is more a factor of tire grip than brake system ability at this point (although repeatability becomes a concern after brake fade sets in).
2) The main advantages to upgrading to aftermarket brakes is a reduction in unsprung weight and brake fade. A secondary advantage is improved pedal feel.
3) Wouldn't it make sense then, that the smallest diameter aftermarket rotor with the smallest caliper capable of producing stock stopping force while increasing cooling would be best? This would be the lightest settup while still having increased cooling and better pedal feel.
I starting thinking about this while considering either the Stasis track sport (4 piston) or motor sport (6 piston) brakes. I notice they have an option for 13" rotors at a reduced cost. Help me understand what I'm missing here.
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Audis are fat cars. You're not going to get real track performance and fade resistance with
anything but huge brakes.
You're right though, you should buy no bigger brakes than you need. But, with heavy cars, the brakes you need for any sort of real track driving are rather large.
You're right though, you should buy no bigger brakes than you need. But, with heavy cars, the brakes you need for any sort of real track driving are rather large.
Thread Starter
AudiWorld Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 497
Likes: 21
From: Los Angeles
I know, I read this when it was posted. There were 2 schools of thought...
One was that more brake system mass results in better heat soak and better cooling. The other was that less brake mass results in quicker cooling. The discussion of slotted vs drilled was right on, and that's not what I'm questioning. I just don't see how larger calipers and rotors would be an advantage when a car doesn't have 10 inch wide tires to apply the stopping force.
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AudiWorld Super User
Joined: Feb 2003
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And pistons don't necessarily directly correlate to brake size. Here is a 10 piston brake...
<center><img src="http://www.regalshop.co.uk/asps/uploads/big/2901-1.jpg"></center><p>that is smaller in size than a stock S4 braking system.
More pistons provide more even pad force distribution.
More pistons provide more even pad force distribution.
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