A6 TDI Build (picture heavy)

[Lord_Gandul]

Update! New shoes!

Purchased a set of Vredestein Hypertracs in 255/35ZR20. Was debating between Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4s and Conti Extreme Contact DWS 06+s. The Vredesteins is they have a 100 day trial period and 8 year warranty vs 60 days and 6 years for the others.

My Michelin A/S 3+s were down to 3/32nds and were getting squirrely on Maryland roads. Our roads a crap anyway, as evidenced by exceptional performance in the wet on a drive back from WV with downhills/curves between 70 and 90 mph.

That said, this process has been a headache. Purchased 8/12 from Tire Rack. Shipped to Mr. Tire and arrived on 8/16. Worked night shifts, so should have been installed on 8/21. Mount, balance, and alignment did not happen. Waited 2 hours and in the process, they broke their plastic duckhead (required for low profile tires) and had no replacements. 1 tire installed. To get me out of the way, they remounted my other wheels using the metal duckhead and damaged wheels.




I was fuming. They did accept responsibility and did not charge me for the one wheel, but the attitude of “you can go pound sand” and "go to a performance shop" when I collected my tires really turned me off. I limped the car over to RAI Motorsport. They got me setup to get the wheels repaired (and looking phenomenal) and the new tires installed. Now I just need to get Mr. Tire to reimburse me for the cost of getting this done…




RAI did note that one of my wheels has a slight bend in it, so that one is on the list to get fixed too...

Initial impressions after ~100 miles. Note I haven't had a chance to drive in rain yet.

• Great warranty! Vredestein provides a 100 day trial period to see if you like the tires. This is fantastic since I am not sold on them yet.
• Quiet! This is to be expected with new tires vs highly worn tires, but still refreshing.
• Smooth! Feels much smoother on the road. Similarly to be expected but also a different compound. I feel this compound may have less silica in it but I’m not sure.
• Dry grip is fantastic! I’m able to take some really sharp curves at high speeds without any break in traction. At least as good as the Michelins here.
• Appearance: They look great and have a wheel protection built in.

The not-so-good:

• Lower mpgs. So far, I’ve noticed I’ve gotten several mpg less than I would have expected based on some short drives I’ve done. Longer-term tbd.

I'll keep things updated but hoping as I drive mpg improves.

Nice... Good to know... I was looking for other options to the PilotSports... And my dear wife put some curb rash on one of the wheels.... I really need to get them resurfaced, or go with lighter wheels.....

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[Audibot]

Reviving an old thread, I just finished an 8 hour install of the darkside downpipe and cat delete. What an absolute nightmare it was getting the dpf out. Putting the new one back in, I realized it was missing half the hardware that I needed, and the cat delete pipe didn't even come close to fitting up with the factory "catback" section. I need about 4 more inches of pipe length, and the adapter was the right size for the darkside cat pipe, but way too large for the factory exhaust, if it even had enough length to fit. Right now I have the straight pipe with it dumping just past the transmission. I decided to have it tuned via darkside instead of Malone because I liked the idea of having a custom setup tune specific to my car. Right now, there is absolutely zero power over stock and it blows quite a bit of smoke. I'll be sending them more logs and seeing if they can improve on it and I'll update if anything changes.

Thanks for warning! This is on my list of things to do. I'm aware of having to loosen things up but this still sounds like a headache.

Any luck on improvements in tuning?

Is it a Hybrid? Im on the fence for a new turbo... Alrgough I just noticed and odd and inconsistent sound from my engine compartment. ...

Not a hybrid. Just a slightly larger turbo. What kinds of odd sounds?

Wow... I strayed for a bit and missed a lot of posts... Did I ever shared with the pics of the S6 calipers installed on mine?

Don't think I saw them

Nice... Good to know... I was looking for other options to the PilotSports... And my dear wife put some curb rash on one of the wheels.... I really need to get them resurfaced, or go with lighter wheels.....

I thought about trying the Bridgestone RE980AS tires, but did not.

[Audibot]

More progress, albeit slowly. Installed the intercooler. What should have taken me a day took me a week because I somehow hurt my wrist.

Bumper off, and I found one clue why my Homelink doesn't work. These should be connected.




Got that fixed...and it still doesn't work. Buttons don't even light up in the headliner, but VCDS knows I'm pressing the buttons. More troubleshooting needed. I've heard it likes to rip wires out of the connector itself, so that's my next inspection.




Pulling the bumper was straightforward although painful with all the wiring. Darkside's instructions for the intercooler say to use the existing screw hole on the left side of the car and drill one on the right. I didn't feel this was secure enough for this larger intercooler, so I installed a couple brackets to the crash bar. It's rock solid and does not wiggle at all.







IATs seem to hold more constant. But I have not done extensive testing. It also feels like I achieve a slightly higher boost pressure, but can't say that for sure.

Going on work travel and a few other things so not 100% sure when I will next get to doing more upgrades.

[19birel]

The darkside intercooler looks like a nice piece!

I noticed you're back on Michelins, did you not like the Vredesteins in the end? I thought about giving them a chance instead of buying another set of Michelin PS A/S 4 but the Michelins were so good I'm hesitant haha

[petarat]

Big improvements were made on tuning. I got myself an exhaust pipe spreader and got everything fit up. Way better mileage now too. With it straight piped I was hoping it would sound somewhat better as all cars should but honestly it sounded like a loud vacuum cleaner. With it all hooked up to the mufflers, it could be slightly louder for my liking but I think I'll wait a while to do something about it. It does have much more turbo noise which is what I like. I also put in the bigger darkside intercooler than what they reccomended, I saw someone install it on YouTube to confirm it fit our US spec ones. Intake temps under full throttle have yet to be over 2 degrees higher than ambient, even though prolonged acceleration and top speed runs. I also put on a DTUK transmission tune on it and it sure made the WOT shifts more aggressive but it didn't do anything to the normal daily driving smoother or tune out the annoying 3 to 2 rough downshift that the ZF does sometimes. I'm not sure I'd recommend a tcu tune for the price they sell for.

[Lord_Gandul]

Thanks for warning! This is on my list of things to do. I'm aware of having to loosen things up but this still sounds like a headache.

Any luck on improvements in tuning?





Not a hybrid. Just a slightly larger turbo. What kinds of odd sounds?



Don't think I saw them



I thought about trying the Bridgestone RE980AS tires, but did not.

Ouch... Did you try extracting it from the top or bottom?? The DPF seemed fairly accessible from the top, however you still need the hardware for a new one to install the pipe.

I had the same issue with the darkside intercooler... I did drill the hole on the left front side, still a solid upgrade.

The potenzaa are LOUD!!! I has those on a past life (WRX STI)

Here are some pics of the brakes on the car....

Those front rotors are massive....

Pics Attached!667744359.jpg709432190.jpg1768002998.jpg863732875.jpg788897533.jpg119049092.jpg

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[Lord_Gandul]

@Audibot

As far as the noises under the hood .. it almost sounds like a pulley is ready to go out to pasture... (Which is odd...they were replaced about a year ago... Maybe i got a bad batch?). But the noise is inconsistent....

The one thing I did and now Im not sure I should've was a transmission service... The official audi schedule only lists service for the DSG transmission, not our slushbox. It feels different... Specially downshifting.... Maybe Im nitpicking ..

Re Turbo...

Interesting... Thats what draws me to the hybrid... Its the same housing on the original turbo.... But looking around they're $$$$$

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[benlaud87]

Looking good! When are you putting the new turbo on? Mine was supposed to have gone on last week, but I had some issues with my control arms and brakes that took longer than expected to address.
Ive got a turbo and injectors in my trunk ready to go in

[Audibot]

The darkside intercooler looks like a nice piece!

I noticed you're back on Michelins, did you not like the Vredesteins in the end? I thought about giving them a chance instead of buying another set of Michelin PS A/S 4 but the Michelins were so good I'm hesitant haha

Thanks! Keeping temps lower than before for sure!

The Vredesteins were good... but my mpgs dropped down far more than I would have liked. Grip in both dry and wet were fantastic. But it's a TDI so...

I'll probably pick them up if I get an all season set for the allroad. Which will be coming sooner than later...

Big improvements were made on tuning. I got myself an exhaust pipe spreader and got everything fit up. Way better mileage now too. With it straight piped I was hoping it would sound somewhat better as all cars should but honestly it sounded like a loud vacuum cleaner. With it all hooked up to the mufflers, it could be slightly louder for my liking but I think I'll wait a while to do something about it. It does have much more turbo noise which is what I like. I also put in the bigger darkside intercooler than what they reccomended, I saw someone install it on YouTube to confirm it fit our US spec ones. Intake temps under full throttle have yet to be over 2 degrees higher than ambient, even though prolonged acceleration and top speed runs. I also put on a DTUK transmission tune on it and it sure made the WOT shifts more aggressive but it didn't do anything to the normal daily driving smoother or tune out the annoying 3 to 2 rough downshift that the ZF does sometimes. I'm not sure I'd recommend a tcu tune for the price they sell for.

Great! I'm hoping my experience is a bit better than yours. I've also held off on the TCU tune because I'm not entirely sure what I want out of it. I'm still pretty happy with it.

I totally understand that 3-2 shift! Drives me nuts! I'm hoping when I do the trans fluid that it improves. It used to not be so bad. Granted Audi calls it lifetime, but 60k-90k is what I've seen for drain and fills. I'm a bit over that, sadly. But hey, my B7's ZF6 improved so I expect a similar result.

Ouch... Did you try extracting it from the top or bottom?? The DPF seemed fairly accessible from the top, however you still need the hardware for a new one to install the pipe.

I had the same issue with the darkside intercooler... I did drill the hole on the left front side, still a solid upgrade.

The potenzaa are LOUD!!! I has those on a past life (WRX STI)

Here are some pics of the brakes on the car....

Those front rotors are massive....

I think you sent me these or similar pics via PM before. They look great! Not my color choice but definitely stands out!

My DPF delete's been done since 2019 IIRC. Almost 4 years now! Wow! Came out the topside, but I think there was some loosening from underneath. Agree--the 400 mm discs are YUGE! I just saw the Smoking Tire review a 2024 Cayenne with 17 inch(!) carbon ceramics.

@Audibot

As far as the noises under the hood .. it almost sounds like a pulley is ready to go out to pasture... (Which is odd...they were replaced about a year ago... Maybe i got a bad batch?). But the noise is inconsistent....

The one thing I did and now Im not sure I should've was a transmission service... The official audi schedule only lists service for the DSG transmission, not our slushbox. It feels different... Specially downshifting.... Maybe Im nitpicking ..

Re Turbo...

Interesting... Thats what draws me to the hybrid... Its the same housing on the original turbo.... But looking around they're $$$$$

I only have the typical diesel injector sound once the car is started. Slight rattling at cold start. But it might be a good time to look into water pump/idler/serp belt service. I'm not looking forward to service position to do that.

I think the turbo I have was originally from an A8 TDI. Won't be drastic but it also only cost me a few hundred vs $2k+. A lot of that $ is because they have to machine those turbines/fins to just barely fit...and still be variable geometry.

Looking good! When are you putting the new turbo on? Mine was supposed to have gone on last week, but I had some issues with my control arms and brakes that took longer than expected to address.
Ive got a turbo and injectors in my trunk ready to go in

Thanks! Probably going to be a month from now. My wrist is about 80% but still doesn't bend all the ways I want. And I have work travel the rest of this week.

After that, I have to shift focus to getting my allroad road-worthy, since I am helping a friend move at the end of June, and the wagon will help so much more than her SUV. Plus 6-speed!

Once I address the water intrusion issues on it (in work), the rest of it should be straightforward since I've done it before (timing service, valve cover gaskets, ignition, fluids, filters, suspension, glass). I'm hoping no more than 2 weeks once I squeeze it into the garage.

I'm looking forward to seeing your progress though! I made sure to purchase extra exhaust and turbo gaskets just in case. The job looks painful. Might need to hit you up for tips/tricks.

[Audibot]

Following up with the intercooler: Temperatures usually remain at or within 3 F (~2 C) of ambient while cruising, and I think the max I've seen is 12 degrees F (~7 C) after some more spirited, higher revved driving. Car also feels like it is revving much freer, but that might be due to having the battery disconnected for a while, and erasing the fuzzy logic.

[Burkeomatic]

Following up with the intercooler: Temperatures usually remain at or within 3 F (~2 C) of ambient while cruising, and I think the max I've seen is 12 degrees F (~7 C) after some more spirited, higher revved driving. Car also feels like it is revving much freer, but that might be due to having the battery disconnected for a while, and erasing the fuzzy logic.

Air to Air intecooling is so nice. I wish I were able to do that on the 3.0t (I have ideas, but the juice aint worth the squeeze and I'm not that good of a fabricator). I was actually pretty torn between the 3.0t and the diesel car, but I didn't know if I could get the power I wanted from the diesel. Some days I still wish I would have done it..... things like your nice FMIC being one of them.

[Audibot]

Air to Air intecooling is so nice. I wish I were able to do that on the 3.0t (I have ideas, but the juice aint worth the squeeze and I'm not that good of a fabricator). I was actually pretty torn between the 3.0t and the diesel car, but I didn't know if I could get the power I wanted from the diesel. Some days I still wish I would have done it..... things like your nice FMIC being one of them.

Way more available for the 3.0T bolt-ons than the TDIs. I bought mine initially for efficiency (was filling up my old car every 6-7 days commuting vs once every 3 weeks afterwards). The torque is highly addictive, but the hp isn't as extractable. We all make tradeoffs.

[Lord_Gandul]

Following up with the intercooler: Temperatures usually remain at or within 3 F (~2 C) of ambient while cruising, and I think the max I've seen is 12 degrees F (~7 C) after some more spirited, higher revved driving. Car also feels like it is revving much freer, but that might be due to having the battery disconnected for a while, and erasing the fuzzy logic.

Interesting.... I noticed the happier revving but since I also made "other" changes related to the intake and exhaust i couldnt pin it to either....

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[benlaud87]

Did you ever put that new turbo on there?

[Audibot]

Did you ever put that new turbo on there?

Hey, thanks for waking me up on this. I haven't yet. I have been completely swamped between getting work done on the RS 6, contract-related things with work (my company lost our contract, so we'll all be badge swapping, and it's just been really haphazardly handled), and some work on the house (thank you 1930s plumbing). Once the RS is good for a few weeks of daily-ing, the A6 will be on deck.

What I hadn't posted here was that I did install the 034 Rear Sway Bar, and RSNav S4. Oddly cannot find any pics of my RSB install. RSNav below. I've said my opinions in another thread, but to precisely reiterate them here:

It looks nice, but functionality is not all there. Screen brightness in the CarPlay mode is not great compared to normal MMI mode. I hadn't been able to reply via voice to any incoming messages. Car audio was confusing and the Android system would either not dial correctly or I could not mute correctly. Real strange behavior. And the real kicker and why I think I'll be ripping it out: It started going into a reboot cycle repeatedly, and when it was working, as soon as voice navigation started, the audio quality would drop to worse than a 96 kbps MP3--became completely unlistenable and voice nav would be silent after that.

[benlaud87]

Interesting.

Im happy enough with the CarPlay activation utilizing the oem screen. I have 3 other things I have planned on my TDI, but that'll have to wait a few months as we're closing on a new house currently. I don't think my wife would be very happy to learn that I've spent another 5k on car parts before installing a new fence or painting cabinets.

Good luck on your RS6 work.

[Audibot]

Interesting.

Im happy enough with the CarPlay activation utilizing the oem screen. I have 3 other things I have planned on my TDI, but that'll have to wait a few months as we're closing on a new house currently. I don't think my wife would be very happy to learn that I've spent another 5k on car parts before installing a new fence or painting cabinets.

Good luck on your RS6 work.

This'll probably the way I end up going. Or AA at least.

I've been putting off my fair share of work on the house too, and only did the "urgent, fix nows".

Thanks--slow going but going.

[ItsCAvalos]

Just curious, do the front S6 brakes not require new dust shields, but the rear upgrades do? Thank you!


‘14 A6 TDI

[Audibot]

Just curious, do the front S6 brakes not require new dust shields, but the rear upgrades do? Thank you!


‘14 A6 TDI

I feel like the dust shields are not properly sized but whichever ones I've left still fit as they were. Everything is blending together between my 3 running cars.

[baldy]

Just curious, do the front S6 brakes not require new dust shields, but the rear upgrades do? Thank you!


‘14 A6 TDI

Not meaning to threadjack, I did all of the shields when I did the S6 caliper swap on mine, as well as Goodridge G-STOP SS Braided Brake Lines (part number is 30016 for the Kit). Pedal feels much firmer now.

Shield part numbers I ended up with from eBay ($140 for the set used):
4H0615311C - Front Left
4H0615312C - Front Right
4G0615611G - Rear Left
4G0615612G - Rear Right

Hope that helps.

[Audibot]

Sorry for how large the below pics are. Still haven't installed my goodies . Next for the car is probably replace all 4 struts and bleed the brakes. Not enough time between my old work company losing the contract, and starting with the new company, one of my cats passed away, holidays, and picking up a running hauler:
2005 Allroad 2.7T with a 6-speed swap. 264k! Turbos are tired but still working.



Getting it through MD inspection took some time--had to replace the backup sensor because the taillights would come on while driving, re-seal the cabin air box, oil change, replace the o-ring on one of the air lines into a front bag, and replace the rear calipers because the parking brake didn't work. That was a doozy--one line snapped and my fix is quite sloppy but works. Next is getting the exhaust leak at the flex pipe fixed, and I should pass inspection after that.




Hit a milestone the other day (she's super dusty):



Hence why she got detailed!








- - - Updated - - -

Not meaning to threadjack, I did all of the shields when I did the S6 caliper swap on mine, as well as Goodridge G-STOP SS Braided Brake Lines (part number is 30016 for the Kit). Pedal feels much firmer now.

Shield part numbers I ended up with from eBay ($140 for the set used):
4H0615311C - Front Left
4H0615312C - Front Right
4G0615611G - Rear Left
4G0615612G - Rear Right

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the assist! I should get these at some point myself.

[ItsCAvalos]

Not meaning to threadjack, I did all of the shields when I did the S6 caliper swap on mine, as well as Goodridge G-STOP SS Braided Brake Lines (part number is 30016 for the Kit). Pedal feels much firmer now.

Shield part numbers I ended up with from eBay ($140 for the set used):
4H0615311C - Front Left
4H0615312C - Front Right
4G0615611G - Rear Left
4G0615612G - Rear Right

Hope that helps.

Awesome, thank you!


Both cars looking good though




‘14 A6 TDI

[Audibot]

Hot damn it's been a minute! I thought I posted an update back in September. My bad. The last year has been busy between work, family vacation, house/garage stuff, fixing my mom’s car, and prepping my RS for another run of Tail of the Dragon. Just had solar put on the house and now have to get a heavy up. Never ends.

On the TDI front, it's going mostly well. Sitting at 114k now.

Last summer, a couple things happened. I had eclipsed 107k miles and felt it was a good time to do my water pump and belt. Vacuum filled the coolant. Funny enough, when I went to use my heat for the first time in November, I got a low coolant warning probably from the heater core being emptied.

All in all, a fairly straightforward and easy job. Honestly, I can’t remember if it was harder to get that couple hidden bolts out/in or the belt routed back correctly haha.

New pump:



Old pump:


Compared old and new belts. Hard to tell.




Also one of my engine mounts went. Seems to be sticking to the ~53k mile failure rate.


So after an admittedly short 3.0TDI FB group chat, I ended up trying out 034Motorsport solid mounts via FCP. I think those were mostly B8 folks. This will bite me.

Old mounts:



034:



Installation wasn’t terrible. Slow and steady.
Old:


034. Despite the box saying B8 A4, 034 does say it will work for C7 A6 3.0T too.


Not all has been great. The 034 mounts gave me quite a bit more NVH. And they gave me an unexpected side effect—the car didn’t want to start unless reversed up an incline and parking brake applied. Oh, and it has to be <50 degrees out. Otherwise, I found I have to violently thrash about in the car while trying to start it. I suspected this was because the 034 mounts are just a tad too tall.

Time to change them again. FCP was real cool about me buying the new OE mounts and sending back the 034 ones. Oh, and lesson learned: Engine support bar acquired.


I didn’t take a pic when I did the compare, but the 034 looked a tiny bit taller. And slightly different where it ties into the subframe. I think the rubber padding on top of the bracket/plate doesn’t make contact. And then the starter ends up improperly aligned and binds.

New mounts are in. And somehow I didn’t take a single photo! Now let me tell you–I thought something was wrong with my car based on how smooth she went back to. Been 6+ months since I’ve gotten comfort on this level. I’m happy.

I didn’t take any pics, but picked up a new extractor/dispenser from Harbor Freight because my previous one was having some issues and the hose disintegrated. Needed it for an oil change I did early Feb. Just in time for the SB parade (go Birds!). I decided to see what BND could cook up for me oil-wise. BND was highly recommended for my RS and it really did feel much smoother and freer to rev. On the TDI, I’m not sure I’m quite feeling it. Might be because the 034 mounts.

[Audibot]

My brakes have been feeling on the weaker side. The fronts have been on since I posted, which was somewhere around 51k miles back in 2019. 63k miles on the discs! The pads were changed in 2022 ~76k to Redstuff. The rears were completely changed in 2022 w/ Redstuffs as well.

Had my eye on the V5 set from ECS back for a while so used the holiday sale to snag them over Black Friday. Again, 400 mm front; 356 mm rears. Pairing these with Hawk HPS 5.0 pads. Enjoyed the HP Plus pads on the RS so hoping these more streetable ones are good. 60k and the front discs have had their fill.

First issue: Passenger front rotor screw stripped out. The rest were ok. Thankfully about a month ago I got a free drill bit set from Harbor Freight when I bought my new extractor. Made quick work of the bolt and was able to fit the bolt extractor in. Home Depot had the right size screw albeit in Phillips.



Cleaned up the hubs and coated the lip. Also applied to the screw so next time is easier.




Here’s what 60k miles of braking does to adhesive.



It’s interesting to me that the Hawk pads don’t have the metal bits on the top corners like the Redstuff pads do. I think the OE ones do too. We’ll see how that works in the long run.



The front rattle clips are the worst! I used a socket extension and a hammer to lightly tap about half of them in because they would keep popping out.


I did recall to also use lithium grease on the sliding pins per the manual. And done!



Rears were easy. Rusty but easy.


Nasty brake fluid.


It’s hard to find a good time during the day to be able to properly bed the brakes. So trial by fire in my drive to work. They were “ok” in the few stops I did and I made sure to pop in neutral at the few stops I did have to make. Way home was much the same. Need more proper bedding. It does pull slightly to the right on moderate braking, so I am thinking of bleeding them again in case there's air. Lot of air bubbles came out of the rear left, but then ran clear fluid.




I also noticed the zip tie job on my steering rack boot was very loose. Crossing fingers no dirt got in. Upgraded to a beefier zip tie and it seemed to be holding a lot better.

[Audibot]

Next on my list is to do my struts this weekend. I’ve been rubbing on some deeper dips for a bit now. Used to not. I have the OEM sport replacement struts from FCP. The steps for this don't look too bad for the fronts either. Not looking forward to removing the forks, but it is what it is. Might also change the trans fluid while it's up in the air too.

I do have (had?) a slight oil leak, maybe from where the upper and lower pans meet? Hard to tell.

Lastly, I noticed bank 2 (driver side) injector seals seem to be failing slightly. It's a bit dirty around it and I can notice a faint exhaust smell if I have the sunroof cracked. I have all the seals. But if I'm doing that, it might be time to go bigger. Which is a matter of finishing garage and Allroad things... and resisting the temptation of cashing them all in for an C8 RS6.

[NorthernGTI]

My buddy just did S8 front calipers on his A8 TDI. What a difference compared to my stock brakes.

Although a bit of info for people who are also looking for a slight upgrade from their 3.0T, or TDI. The A8 TDI has 380mm front brakes compared to 355mm and whatever A6/A7 TDI are.

[Audibot]

My buddy just did S8 front calipers on his A8 TDI. What a difference compared to my stock brakes.

Although a bit of info for people who are also looking for a slight upgrade from their 3.0T, or TDI. The A8 TDI has 380mm front brakes compared to 355mm and whatever A6/A7 TDI are.

That's interesting. Probably because it's a larger vehicle and the extra 300 lbs (136 kg)? The A6/A7 TDIs in the US have 345 mm fronts and 330 mm rears. I didn't have any issues with my stock brakes, but I do drive on the BW Parkway, which home to Maryland drivers and everyone drives stupid. So the extra heat capacity definitely helps.

I definitely forgot how heavy those front discs are. You could also feel a difference between the old and new.

[NorthernGTI]

That's interesting. Probably because it's a larger vehicle and the extra 300 lbs (136 kg)? The A6/A7 TDIs in the US have 345 mm fronts and 330 mm rears. I didn't have any issues with my stock brakes, but I do drive on the BW Parkway, which home to Maryland drivers and everyone drives stupid. So the extra heat capacity definitely helps.

I definitely forgot how heavy those front discs are. You could also feel a difference between the old and new.

To be honest, I didn't know they were bigger until we measured them once they were removed. Stock A8 TDI caliper is noticeably larger then my stock one.

European TDI A8 got the same brakes as TDI A6/A7 here. Only the V8 TDI got the 380mm brakes in Europe as far as I can tell.