S7 Brake Pad Damping Plate Kit Replacement?

[Avantly]

Interesting that you used Zimmerman rotors. I was told that these should be good quality rotors, and put a set on one of my C5 allroads. Within a few weeks I had vibration issues while braking which became severe after a few months and I purchased different rotors. It appeared that the rotors had a "hard" spot which was wearing differently and this created quite an unpleasant braking experience in that allroad.

This happened to me almost 4 years ago, I wonder if there is still an issue with Zimmerman rotors? I don't know much about their quality, but I replaced them with a different brand (I think it was Bosch) and had no more problems.

I also use Rock Auto, and FCP Euro for nearly all of my parts needs. I also use ShopDAP aka Deutsch Auto Parts especially when I need specific VAG fasteners, as they seem to list every single VAG fastener in existence.

Anyway, I would remove the rotors and take a good look at the friction surfaces. When I had the hart spot issue on my zimmerman rotors, it became visible - I don't recall exactly what it looked like but it seems that there was a spot a few inches wide with a visually different appearance than most of the friction surface. If there is a significant hart spot, it may be a problem for resurfacing, I am not sure. Also, as with any slotted or drilled rotor, always good to inspect closely for any cracks during service.

Also, FYI, I have used slotted rotors, but on the centric slotted rotors I used, there was some significant humming during hard braking. It was not alarming, but was definitely noticeable from both sound and feel. I think that the slots are not causing your issue, though they may be adding to the noise a little bit.

[Audibot]

Interesting that you used Zimmerman rotors. I was told that these should be good quality rotors, and put a set on one of my C5 allroads. Within a few weeks I had vibration issues while braking which became severe after a few months and I purchased different rotors. It appeared that the rotors had a "hard" spot which was wearing differently and this created quite an unpleasant braking experience in that allroad.

This happened to me almost 4 years ago, I wonder if there is still an issue with Zimmerman rotors? I don't know much about their quality, but I replaced them with a different brand (I think it was Bosch) and had no more problems.

On my RS, I replaced with Zimmermann and after a group driving trip in the mountains, they juddered like crazy when they were roasting hot. Thankfully I bought via FCP, who accepted my return. Second set has been perfectly fine. Did the same trip and no issues whatsoever.

You could have gotten a bad batch, but that's all it takes to shape your experience. Same reason I won't get one of those clay detailing pads. First one left orange peel in my paint that I had to later polish out. So I'll stick to traditional clay.

[Avantly]

On my RS, I replaced with Zimmermann and after a group driving trip in the mountains, they juddered like crazy when they were roasting hot. Thankfully I bought via FCP, who accepted my return. Second set has been perfectly fine. Did the same trip and no issues whatsoever.

You could have gotten a bad batch, but that's all it takes to shape your experience. Same reason I won't get one of those clay detailing pads. First one left orange peel in my paint that I had to later polish out. So I'll stick to traditional clay.

Agreed, I'd definitely give them a chance again, but I always buy the plated rotors due to salt belt and rock auto always seems to have the best price by far (and they don't sell zimmerman). Does Zimmerman make 2-piece rotors for the C7 like OEM? It seems that back when I purchased rotors for my S6 the only OEM style option was VNE, but that was years ago.