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The front brakes on the TTS Mk3 8S are 4 piston calipers with 338 x 30 mm rotors, which are very good for most driving. However, they "have issues" on the track. Pads that looked near-new after 7000 street miles were run at one HPDE event where the car was shared and run in two classes. At the end of the day, the warning light came on during the drive home. So on went new stock pads and rotors, witha proper bedding in. Three track days later, they were destroyed and I drove home on the backing plates. Off came the stock brakes, and on went a BBK with 6 piston calipers, 380 x 34 mm rotors, and RE10 endurance raceing pads. After three track days, no overheating, zero fade, and the pads still look like new. Bank account wounded, but problem solved.
A few observations: 1. Both front calipers overheated and the dust boots are fried. 2. The wear sensors failed (melted?) that final day, and there was no warning light 3. Stock pads just cannot handle the heat, and there are no aftermarket performance pads (except possibly iSweep) 4. While the outer pads still had some amount of friction material, the inner pads were completely gone, down to the backing plate. This last point is interesting because the BBK installation deleted the "dust shields", which are actually heat shields. This allows air to the inner side of the rotor, but also exposes a couple of ball joints directly to the radiated heat from the rotor, especially worrying when stopped and no air is flowing. I did some research on the Rennlist (Porsche forum) and read that quite a few of them remove the heat shields from their stock brakes to get better cooling, and claim no issues at the track. That is encouraging, but I will be inspecting those ball joints regularly. It also raises the question as to whether removing the heat shields from the stock TTS brakes could have provided enough cooling to make them trackworthy. The inner pads have no remaing friction material The dust boots on both calipers looked the same: fried Pricey but effective
Seems crazy you the TTS with upgraded brakes can't handle some track time. I've tracked my TT numerous times with the standard brakes and am still on the original pads and rotors are over 40,000 miles. I thought the brakes on these cars were really great. Super surprised the TTS wouldn't be way better than my base TT setup.
It is of course a matter with many variables to include ambient temperature, how hard & long & often the brakes are applied, how well initially bedded, etc. etc. And of course the stock pads are design-erred more on the side of street driving despite being an 'S' level sports couple.
Yes, it is very hard to find pads listed for the TT/TTS Mk III but a number of very good performance, and lower dust, pads listed under the Golf R (which I've used).
Removing the heat shields may better cool the brake components themselves but the heat is going to radiant somewhere, especially when idle, so do often check surrounding components.
The TTS is not a track car. There I said it. Literally nobody's brakes, including carbon ceramic on the TTRS (plenty of threads about them failing/melting) are designed to be abused all day at a track, ever. OEM parts are never going to be designed with that in mind, nor are they warrantied for it. If you want to do that, at least get the max OEM braking package (TTRS with ceramic), then you might have some luck arguing they're under-designed.
I have to agree that the OEM brakes are not designed for track use. They are probably fine for a day or two at an Audi Club HPDE if someone just wants to try it out and have fun, but taking it to the track 6-10 times a year is going to require upgraded brakes. Even different pads are probably not going to be adequate. That said, adding a big brake kit makes the TTS a fine street car with very respectable performance on the track. This car is just plain fun to drive!
I will be needing new brakes soon so I have decided to try out APR’s new black slotted/vented rotors paired with iSweep (Neuspeed?) 2000 pads. I will also be upgrading my brake lines with Neuspeed steel braided in yellow. I may track the car occasionally, but nothing like I did with my 964. I will provide pictures and an update on the results. My current pedal travel, effort and feel are not where I want them and a new brake job from Audi is about $1200.00. I think I can at least upgrade some components for that kind of money. Thoughts?
It is of course a matter with many variables to include ambient temperature, how hard & long & often the brakes are applied, how well initially bedded, etc. etc. And of course the stock pads are design-erred more on the side of street driving despite being an 'S' level sports couple.
Yes, it is very hard to find pads listed for the TT/TTS Mk III but a number of very good performance, and lower dust, pads listed under the Golf R (which I've used).
Removing the heat shields may better cool the brake components themselves but the heat is going to radiant somewhere, especially when idle, so do often check surrounding components.
Huey, are you saying Golf R front pads fit a 2016 TTS?
I will be doing a brake job on my 2016 TTS with the new APR black vented and slotted rotors 340x30mm fronts and 310x22mm rears and iSweep 2000 pads all around and a Neuspeed yellow steel braided brake line kit. I will flush the brake fluid as well. I currently have 5mm left on on the original pads at 60K km according to my final Audi Care service report. I may take the car to an autocross or track event in the future. I just want less pedal travel and a more confident pedal feel.
03-20-2019, 04:43 PM
TTS Brakes: a short story
