I have "OEM" Meyle Platinum rear rotors (Ariz Autohaus) - Made in China, Duralast front rotors, Mintex brake pads, and Remanufactured (by Cardone) ATE calipers (from OReilleys) which I'll put on very soon. I'll report back about how good or bad they are...

 

I never pictured in my mind that brake jobs can actually be easy...

After putting up for such a long time with constant vibration when braking, Monday I was finally able to do the front end (new calipers, new rotors, new pads), and to my dismay, had a slight rubbing noise afterward. Figured that the new pads need a little time to break in. Yesterday I had to drive the car about 70 miles and the rubbing noise was pronounced and...metallic. It really perplexed me with everything being direct fit and really methodical (re)assembly on my part...

Today I had time to look it over and realised the damn dust shield on the driver side (were the noise was located) was the culprit... I never touched the sob during the replacement, so I have no idea how it "bent" and started rubbing against the freshly new rotor. However, the problem got solved.
Also completed the rear end replacement, except for the calipers. The pistons looked decent, but I had to pull out, clean and regrease the sliding pins and housings.

Oh man, what a difference! It made me realize how much I missed normal, smooth braking... as it should be.
I'll update the thread (after 4-500 miles) later on as to how these "cheap" parts hold on.
Overall - great DIY experience for myself.
Next, I'll tackle the struts. Don't laugh, Jim!

*** I also changed the rubber hoses, even though they were still looking pretty decent

 

I agree with padog. There are many speculations about OEM parts being just a junk but not all speculations are true. I bought so many OEM parts already at trusted site such as jcwhitney, stylingtrucks, partsbin, autopartswarehouse, and more. For instance my new DBA brake rotors still in good condition from the time I got it.

 

I ordered new rotors for my C6, I got EBC rotors slotted but haven't installed them yet.. The rotors took forever to because they were on back order... While waiting on the rotors, I bought and installed Akebono brakes and about 300 miles later, I love them.. They have very little brake dust and work well. Once I install the new rotors I will give you all an update..

 

IMO, if you have the skills & resources to swap out your own brake rotors...there's nothing wrong with using inexpensive ones...including those made in China. Most of the Audi techs in our shop do this, being that OE rotors often cost 3x more than some aftermarket alternatives. One of our techs insists upon using the cheapest rotors he can find and pairs them up w/expensive, composite brake pads. I'm currently using Chinese-made front rotors w/Ferodo pads on my Avant. The stopping power is very reliable and more than adequate. And even if these rotors only last half as long as OE, I'm still ahead of the game because they were 1/3rd the price. The only detrimental things I've noticed about some cheap rotors is the poor finish quality on the non-functional parts of the disc(ie:rotor hats/hubs) and the lack of an anti-corrosion coating. Sure, I appreciate the appearance/function of slots/holes/cryo-treatments of big$$ discs...but I just wanna stop.

 

Yeah right, you mean he insists on purchasing the cheapest known crap and swapping them into the Audi rotor box during his next brake job!

There can be a massive difference in the composition of a part and literally no difference in it's appearance. I'm not saying to buy Audi parts at a 200% mark-up but there are so many alternatives before you need to sacrifice quality.

 

No...that doesn't happen @ our dealership. I ordered & sold the aftermarket rotors to him myself. I assure you...they're on his daily driven B5 A4...they're about 2yrs old, not warped, and still within spec(even w/aggressive compound pads!).

I agree 100%...but I've personally used them repeatedly in other applications with no adverse affects...other than some premature oxidation on the non-contact areas(again...lack of a protective coating). As a career Audi parts guy, I'm probably the last person you'd expect to not tout the virtues of original equipment. All I'm saying is...if you DIY, they can be more cost effective...but not necessarily "better".

UberTeile

 

well i am just ahead of you on the same curve my autohaus rotors are doing fine and i put the drilled ones on the back . piece of cake. your heat shield was probablly not rubbing with the worn rotor as it is thinner. probably got bent earlier but i had same issue but noticed during install,

Just finished front struts and that wasn't to bad either. a couple of tricks to that one but not to bad either. didn't have to mess with pinch bolt and only took one lower control arm bolt out. took me haf an hour a side not including using the spring compressor bit.

but i do have an air compressor and some good tools. I added to someones write up for this so look for it. can't remember if it was here or audiworld.

 

Probably it was the thread Jim started about that Blauparts struts all-around kit.
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And yes, you're probably right about the dust shield. To be honest, I'm pretty pleased with both types of rotors (Duralast -front; Meyle rear), although the first ones have no coating. No biggie... Besides a crappy valve cover gasket that started leaking, I had great "luck" with the parts purchased from Arizona Autohaus. I just got recently flange seals and they're made in France and Italy, so quality parts.

 

Can anyone suggest The Names and Brands to be used?
Also where to buy them?

The only places i have seen actually advertise on these sites, are sponsored by the crappy company that sells the bad product.