Just wanted to say a quick thanks to the few folks who have documented their A8 front brake upgrade, it came in very handy yesterday as I upgraded my front brakes to the A8 ones. I found the complete kit which consisted of: TT carriers, cross-drilled Zimmy rotors and Mintex pads for almost $400 and also replaced the front brake hoses as mine were completely shot. The write-up was straight-forward and I especially appreciated the part numbers, I used those to shop around and put together the best deal for me.
All in all, every A4 owner that is chipped and runs on bigger than 16" wheels will benefit from improved front brake power.
Couple pics for you guys: [IMG]http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk35/andreigbs/AudiA4009.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk35/andreigbs/AudiA4008.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk35/andreigbs/AudiA4001.jpg[/IMG]
Also-It looks really good EXP on black cars if you paint the frame around the Grille black. I have pictures just let me know and ill post some. Or just search
< Message edited by 01AudiA4 -- 5/13/2008 12:39:35 PM >
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2001 A4 2.8 quattro 5 speed. H&R Racing springs:RS4 Grill:CAI:Short Shifter:Magnaflow:EuroPlate:Clear Corners:Speedtuning ECU re-flashed:
Posts: 2850
Joined: 7/18/2006 From: six zero seven, NY Status: offline
Actually, the kit is designed to fit under the OEM 16" wheels, so you only have to upgrade wheels if you have 15". Glad they worked out for you - it's quite a dramatic difference isn't it?
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Jeremy 99 A4 2.8QM 30v (a few things to make the car look better, sound better, stop better, and entertain passengers better)
"I want to run 11s - what do I need?" "A shorter track." (from the Z boards years ago)
Thanks for editing to show the pics, I completely forgot the IMG needs to be lower-case, much appreciated guys.
Thanks also for the kind words and advice. I actually kind of like the brushed aluminum look on the RS4 grill. I did NOT like the shiny (but now old and chipped) stock grill, so it had to go.
Upstate, I meant to say that those with larger wheels than OEM (and therefore most likely heavier than OEM) would do well to upgrade their brakes on the front. A lot of SUV owners that go all-out bling on their wheels (20" or more) soon find out that the brakes don't perform as they once did. The larger the wheel, the farther out the weight goes and stopping it requires more force. Audis in general have great brakes compared to most any other sedan/wagons, VWs included. But when you upgrade power AND add bigger, heavier wheels (not to mention the extra space seen) upgrading brakes to a larger size improves safety and looks, IMO.
That was the No. 1 reason I did mine; plus i used the excuse that my RF brake was dragging in turns and it's not safe. My better half believes safety is top priority, so green light to upgrade. Probably the caliper sliding pins just needed extra lube, but this was so worth it.
Posts: 2850
Joined: 7/18/2006 From: six zero seven, NY Status: offline
Ah gotcha - I see what you mean. And you're definitely right - it's scary to see some of these Escalade EXPs (the Chevy Avalanche version) with 24" wheels and 11.5" rotors/single-piston calipers. You're on the money with your reasoning, and it's a great upgrade for the price since the OEM brakes work pretty well anyhow, and the extra braking force with the A8s makes a real difference. I love mine:)
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Jeremy 99 A4 2.8QM 30v (a few things to make the car look better, sound better, stop better, and entertain passengers better)
"I want to run 11s - what do I need?" "A shorter track." (from the Z boards years ago)
I have a quick question about this, and perhaps some of you guys who have done this mod could help me with it. Is there any way that you can use the front carrier and disc to replace the back brakes? Maybe the bolting is different between the front and rear carriers, but I just thought it would be neat if that would work out. If it does work out that way, I am definately doing this mod. I just cant justify making the front brakes bigger without doing the same to the backs.
ORIGINAL: crsf29 snip... I just cant justify making the front brakes bigger without doing the same to the backs.
Cory
For the most part, other than looks of course, the front brakes will be doing 80% of the stopping anyway. I doubt you'll gain very much from doing the brakes, and at what costs? It requires more parts and more work to make it fit and for the improvement in stopping power you can't justify it, IMO. The rears control the nose squat that you see on most other cars, for example Camrys (those SUCK at braking!). They are more like additional support for the front brakes than anything else. I think on the newer VW/Audi cars there is more rear bias when using the brakes lightly; that helps to keep the car from squatting all the time and keeps the front brakes cooler and less prone to fade for when you really need them (think emergency stop from freeway speeds as opposed to 20 mph stop-n-go).
As far as looks, that's always a personal preference. I've put about 100 miles on the new brakes and they're continuing to improve as they're bedding in. I'm so happy I got them done, would never go back now.
Edit: BTW, I like the Nurburgring logo in your sig; would love to take my (or ANY Audi) on that track for a few laps.
Also, that third pic that shows my car from the front-driver's side, you can see the OEM front brakes a little. I used to have about 1.5 inches of space between caliper and inside of wheel. Now it's only 3/4 of an inch.
< Message edited by andreigbs -- 5/14/2008 7:01:02 AM >
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A8 front brakes - 
RE: A8 front brakes - 
