Braking performance?

[Hooblah]

What does everyone think of the S4's brakes?
I've got new discs and pads all round with braided hoses but I find the brakes to be a bit underwhelming. They stop you ok, but they feel vague when braking hard.
I'm using TRW pads which are OE spec and I find that I get a lot of brake dust for how little the car is used. Would changing to something else give me a better feel with less dust?

[emilio]

it's all about pad compound. OEM pads are usually designed to be comfortable when stopping, which means a smooth transition from light to heavy braking to avoid twitchy braking and quick lock-ups. they also come with forgiving compounds that last longer and squeal less, but may dust a lot.

performance pads are designed with a couple things in mind: linearity, where braking force is applied predictably in proportion to your foot pressure, and bite, which is a shorter transition from light to hard braking force. enthusiast pads will balance these with dust emission and noise, while track pads will go for max performance and longevity without care for cosmetics.

brake disc size doesn't have much to do with braking ability: the hydraulic pressure is the same regardless of surface area. what they do offer (besides looking sweet) is temperature capacity for longer stretches of hard braking. basically, they're just for track and mountain driving where hot brakes can start to fade. they are also physically larger to allow for larger brake calipers with more pistons, which does increase braking ability.

all that said, i use OE-spec discs and Hawk HPS pads with Pentosin LV fluid. the pads have moderate linearity and good bite with a modest amount of medium-tone dust. i might try a pad with more bite next time, but these are a comfortable balance.

oh, one last thing: if your brakes have been recently serviced but are underwhelming, consider bleeding them again. sometimes air can get in the system that only works out after a bit of driving.

- emilio

[Tugboatguy]

I've had my B7 S4 since new with oem pads and there is nothing vague about them. They stop well if they are in good shape, power stops from high speed are good.
Now I just did a full install of b6 S4 brakes on my b6 A4 and found them to be kind of vague and mushy after install and bleeding (all four calipers and lines were changed) I finally took it to a dealer and had it flushed and pressure bled and ABS bled.
That made a massive difference and the car brakes nice at regular application and really hauls it down when you press hard.
Who did you install? Did it get properly bled? When I bled mine I was getting no air but it still had air in the system, first time I've run into that and I've done my own brakes since the 80's. Also follow the manufactures bed in procedure for the pads.

[Hooblah]

I did discs and pads all round last summer and have bled them twice since. I tried a power bleeder but it didn't work, had to resort to the old fashioned method. I haven't bled the ABS as I don't have vagcom. May I add the brakes aren't shit, I just lack feel.
I'm going to try changing all the suspension and see how it goes as the cars done 120k and still on original parts.

[roboto_1337]

Bear in mind that this is a heavy vehicle... you're not jumping on the brakes in a Honda Civic here there is a lot of mass to slow down. I find as long as the tires are the limiting factor in stopping power the brakes are adequate.

[924Carrera]

Bear in mind that this is a heavy vehicle... you're not jumping on the brakes in a Honda Civic here there is a lot of mass to slow down. I find as long as the tires are the limiting factor in stopping power the brakes are adequate.

+1...tires are huge when it comes to braking performance. Pretty much all modern cars have brakes that are total overkill for at least a few applications before heat becomes an issue. They are adequate to stop the car even if you are applying throttle. However, if your tires are losing traction and causing your ABS to kick on under every moderate to hard braking application, it doesn't matter if you have 4 wheel drums or carbon brakes from an F1 car. You'd have to run some pretty soft tires to overwhelm the sheer stopping power of the factory brakes (again, considering the first few stops before heat and fade become relevant factors).

[Hooblah]

No, I have 255 contisports and the abs doesn't kick in when stamping on it from 100-0. Nice try lol.

[B5man17]

No, I have 255 contisports and the abs doesn't kick in when stamping on it from 100-0. Nice try lol.

Then get more aggressive pads.

[Hooblah]

Ok but that's something completely different, unless it will actually help with the feel?

[BCsniper]

flush your brake fluid and replace with fresh/better fluid

[emilio]

did you even read the explanation i took some time to write just for you? it's all about pad compound. if your brakes are bled and your tires aren't squealing then the way to change the braking feel is by changing pads.

if you're going to ignore or mock our advice then consider finding your own information.

- emilio

[Hooblah]

All I got from that was performance pads will offer more bite. The brakes have been bled twice already. I will give it a go again and look into replacing the pads with EBC yellowstuff. Thanks.

[Tugboatguy]

Ok, I've had my S4 since new, stock pads and Conti tires and the brakes were excelent. You need to go to a dealership or someone who can properly power bleed with a VAG com and cycle the ABS.
Unless you are tracking you do not need aggressive pads, all they give you is more noise, or dust or lack of cold bite.
Went with these on my A4 with S4 brakes.
http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/brake...Standard+Model
And will be going with another set on my S4 with a set of ECS rotors.