Audi A3/S3/RS3 Mods - Why You MUST Upgrade Your Brake Pads!

[audi8v]

[Eli0073]

Saw the video, unanswered question... still compelled to make the question why do I need to? Lol!

By the way... there's a cheaper way to improve your braking. Changing the brake booster set up via OBDEleven will dramatically improve the brake pedal feel.

Module 03 Brakes
Brake booster : factory set value 4
The lower the value the more firm the pedal
Set to 1
Try out.

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[Spinnetti]

Stock brake pads are just fine on the street unless you drag the brakes constantly. Another "cure" searching for a problem. I did use EBC once years ago on my B6 and they were terrible - pulled them out and put something else in even though hardly worn.

[audi8v]

Stock brake pads are just fine on the street unless you drag the brakes constantly. Another "cure" searching for a problem. I did use EBC once years ago on my B6 and they were terrible - pulled them out and put something else in even though hardly worn.

Stock pads are still great, don't get me wrong! The point is that aftermarket pads can completely transform the feel.

- - - Updated - - -

Saw the video, unanswered question... still compelled to make the question why do I need to? Lol!

By the way... there's a cheaper way to improve your braking. Changing the brake booster set up via OBDEleven will dramatically improve the brake pedal feel.

Module 03 Brakes
Brake booster : factory set value 4
The lower the value the more firm the pedal
Set to 1
Try out.

Sent from my IN2017 using Audizine Forum mobile app

Because pads completely transform the feel of the braking! I have not tried a brake booster before, so unsure

[TheDude420]

Stock brake pads are just fine on the street unless you drag the brakes constantly. Another "cure" searching for a problem. I did use EBC once years ago on my B6 and they were terrible - pulled them out and put something else in even though hardly worn.

I got EBC red stuff brake pads this summer. No complaints from me yet. I'm stage 2 on my S3 and don't go to the track. For daily driving they are fine. The yellow stuff produce more brake dust so I went with the red stuff.

[sj9ninety]

I like EBC Reds but the brake dust is killing me


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[audi8v]

I like EBC Reds but the brake dust is killing me


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Same brake dust issue on the yellows, and my wheels are a btch to clean

[Chaoscreature]

I have found the OEM Audi brake pads to be pretty decent and are probably sufficient for 99% of owners out there. They are quiet, have sufficient braking power, are relatively low dust and are easy on the rotors. I actually thought they were a little too "grabby" when I first drove the car compared to my other vehicles which require a little more leg strength to stop and have less brake assist.
Just a point of conversation on this topic: braking performance or distance in a panic or emergency situation is almost entirely dependent on ones tires. It's only after repeated heavy stops that the true benefits of a higher performance brake pad can really be seen.

audi8v,
Have fun at Willow Springs, it is an awesome track and you will learn a LOT. If the Audi Club event has the option for having an instructor ride in the car with you I would highly recommend taking advantage of that opportunity.
Make sure you also change out and bleed your brake fluid before your trip out there, and bed the pads in per EBC's recommend procedure if you haven't done so already. It's doubtful that you will overheat Yellow Stuff pads at either SOW (Streets of Willow) or Big Willow, but you will almost definitely boil your old OEM brake fluid. Pick something with at least a 500deg dry boiling point, which shouldn't be hard to find. So long as the fluid is fresh, you don't need to worry about the wet boiling point too much. I like ATE Typ200 brake fluid because it's cheap and readily available, although there are definitely more advanced options available with boiling points well over 600degF but they get expensive and aren't necessary IMO.

[TheDude420]

Saw the video, unanswered question... still compelled to make the question why do I need to? Lol!

By the way... there's a cheaper way to improve your braking. Changing the brake booster set up via OBDEleven will dramatically improve the brake pedal feel.

Module 03 Brakes
Brake booster : factory set value 4
The lower the value the more firm the pedal
Set to 1
Try out.

Sent from my IN2017 using Audizine Forum mobile app

I recommend people try this. I tried it today and the brakes feel more responsive.

[audi8v]

I have found the OEM Audi brake pads to be pretty decent and are probably sufficient for 99% of owners out there. They are quiet, have sufficient braking power, are relatively low dust and are easy on the rotors. I actually thought they were a little too "grabby" when I first drove the car compared to my other vehicles which require a little more leg strength to stop and have less brake assist.
Just a point of conversation on this topic: braking performance or distance in a panic or emergency situation is almost entirely dependent on ones tires. It's only after repeated heavy stops that the true benefits of a higher performance brake pad can really be seen.

audi8v,
Have fun at Willow Springs, it is an awesome track and you will learn a LOT. If the Audi Club event has the option for having an instructor ride in the car with you I would highly recommend taking advantage of that opportunity.
Make sure you also change out and bleed your brake fluid before your trip out there, and bed the pads in per EBC's recommend procedure if you haven't done so already. It's doubtful that you will overheat Yellow Stuff pads at either SOW (Streets of Willow) or Big Willow, but you will almost definitely boil your old OEM brake fluid. Pick something with at least a 500deg dry boiling point, which shouldn't be hard to find. So long as the fluid is fresh, you don't need to worry about the wet boiling point too much. I like ATE Typ200 brake fluid because it's cheap and readily available, although there are definitely more advanced options available with boiling points well over 600degF but they get expensive and aren't necessary IMO.

I did the instructor option at the last event in Buttonwillow and it was amazing!

[morris39]

I recommend people try this. I tried it today and the brakes feel more responsive.

Did you try values in between 4 and 1? If so, how differnent was the pedal feel?
This is done in adaptations? In OBDII or VCDS? I have VCDS and assume the change is made in adaptaions in Module 03,
IDE04951-Brake booster. Hex or cvs?IDE04951-Brake booste.
Thanks for the tip.

[TheDude420]

Did you try values in between 4 and 1? If so, how differnent was the pedal feel?
This is done in adaptations? In OBDII or VCDS? I have VCDS and assume the change is made in adaptaions in Module 03,
IDE04951-Brake booster. Hex or cvs?IDE04951-Brake booste.
Thanks for the tip.

I set it to 1 and did it via OBDeleven. I'm not familiar with VCDS. Eli0073's comment is the first time I'd heard of this mod. The difference was immediately noticeable. The brakes feel more responsive and have more bite. I will be keeping it this way. I will say I just got new brakes pads, rotors, and tires this summer so YMMV.

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[morris39]

Saw the video, unanswered question... still compelled to make the question why do I need to? Lol!

By the way... there's a cheaper way to improve your braking. Changing the brake booster set up via OBDEleven will dramatically improve the brake pedal feel.

Module 03 Brakes
Brake booster : factory set value 4
The lower the value the more firm the pedal
Set to 1
Try out.

Sent from my IN2017 using Audizine Forum mobile app

Please see Post #12. Can you answer my Q's? Thanks.

[Eli0073]

You are correct is done in Module 03.

Now i'm not familiar with VCDS. As I use OBDEleven.

But it should work.

So in essence the Lower the value the more responsive and bite the brake pedal will have. So you can try it out and adjust accordingly to your own liking. As this mod is about personal feel preferences. Mine is set up to 1

Sent from my IN2017 using Audizine Forum mobile app

[Spinnetti]

I have found the OEM Audi brake pads to be pretty decent and are probably sufficient for 99% of owners out there. They are quiet, have sufficient braking power, are relatively low dust and are easy on the rotors. I actually thought they were a little too "grabby" when I first drove the car compared to my other vehicles which require a little more leg strength to stop and have less brake assist.
Just a point of conversation on this topic: braking performance or distance in a panic or emergency situation is almost entirely dependent on ones tires. It's only after repeated heavy stops that the true benefits of a higher performance brake pad can really be seen.

audi8v,
Have fun at Willow Springs, it is an awesome track and you will learn a LOT. If the Audi Club event has the option for having an instructor ride in the car with you I would highly recommend taking advantage of that opportunity.
Make sure you also change out and bleed your brake fluid before your trip out there, and bed the pads in per EBC's recommend procedure if you haven't done so already. It's doubtful that you will overheat Yellow Stuff pads at either SOW (Streets of Willow) or Big Willow, but you will almost definitely boil your old OEM brake fluid. Pick something with at least a 500deg dry boiling point, which shouldn't be hard to find. So long as the fluid is fresh, you don't need to worry about the wet boiling point too much. I like ATE Typ200 brake fluid because it's cheap and readily available, although there are definitely more advanced options available with boiling points well over 600degF but they get expensive and aren't necessary IMO.

BTW, fluid boiling has more to do with the pads than the fluid itself as crappy pads build up and retain a lot more heat. Even on my 3400lb enduro car plain fluid is fine. The more suitable the pad, the less concern the fluid. Across all my race cars I've never used any expensive fluid. Also, wet boiling point is often more important unless you flush the system right before use. The fluid picks up moisture pretty much right away. Seems to me something like RBF600 is a good compromise on cost and performance, though I typically use much cheaper, lower performing stuff like Castrol LMA.

[Eli0073]

Having a background in motorcycle racing and Engineering I concur with your assessment on pads as well as the brake fluid. Most drivers will not feel any difference.

I'm not saying EBC doesn't do good brake pads. And I mean no offense or disrespect to anyone. And I apologise in advance if I do.

However the statement on how changing brake pads and I quote " totally transform the car" is unfortunately a biased and compromise statement...this is nothing more than placebo effect the fact that you know you have changed something and are purposely telling your brain is better and feel some sort of difference. But without actually making for example a brake distance test and proper comparison is just a user perception.

If you really want to improve braking, remove unsprung weight. Get some Tires. I can stress this enough TIRES, increase disc radius, increase caliper piston area, Line Pressure very important, friction coefficient between pad and rotor.

And I just when to technical into the rabbit hole. Yeah I'm staying off this thread.

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[morris39]

You are correct is done in Module 03.

Now i'm not familiar with VCDS. As I use OBDEleven.

But it should work.

So in essence the Lower the value the more responsive and bite the brake pedal will have. So you can try it out and adjust accordingly to your own liking. As this mod is about personal feel preferences. Mine is set up to 1

Sent from my IN2017 using Audizine Forum mobile app

Thanks for replying. I am not familiar with OBDII but from reading it appears that the protocols are not set by the scanner maker but by some standards organization like UDS. So names and functions should be the same for any scanner.
Per VCDS, channel number for the brake boost level is "IDE04951-Brake booster" and should be exactly the same for others.

[Chaoscreature]

BTW, fluid boiling has more to do with the pads than the fluid itself as crappy pads build up and retain a lot more heat.

The point I was trying to make was the OP should flush his brake fluid if he hasn't done so already, regardless of which pads he is running. I have boiled fluid before (and overheated pads on a different occasion) and it adds a little too much excitement for me. Now I flush fluid prior to every track event at the same time that I swap in my track pads and do my pre-track inspections.

The PCA requires a pre-track checklist to be filled out prior to most events, which is a good guide for anyone planning on attending an AX or DE event:
https://www.pca.org/sites/default/fi...2012-20-18.pdf

[Spinnetti]

The point I was trying to make was the OP should flush his brake fluid if he hasn't done so already, regardless of which pads he is running. I have boiled fluid before (and overheated pads on a different occasion) and it adds a little too much excitement for me. Now I flush fluid prior to every track event at the same time that I swap in my track pads and do my pre-track inspections.

The PCA requires a pre-track checklist to be filled out prior to most events, which is a good guide for anyone planning on attending an AX or DE event:
https://www.pca.org/sites/default/fi...2012-20-18.pdf

10-4, never a bad idea. Track pads are a requirement for any track time in my book . Stock pads are great for the street, but I'd never want to use them on track regardless of fluid. Driving style matters a lot too - the mantra is that most of the time you want to be fully on or fully off - like a switch and not drag them which builds up a lot of heat. If you want to eliminate pad issues entirely, Raebestos ST43 can handle anything but are expensive. Porterfield R4 is almost as good (and what I run on the rear) and are a lot cheaper. For most of the track day type folks, the R4S is even less expensive and can be used on and off track. Once I landed on these combos, I've never found a need for anything else (in fact I'll probably downgrade to the R4S in the back next time on the race car). If I ever wear out my stock brakes on the S3, I'll run R4S on both ends. PCA guys are super anal - almost comically so. I'm pretty lazy about it as I've never boiled fluid before (racing since 1987). I do a partial flush before each race and this time I'll use RBF600. Two weeks till a 14hr enduro in Houston.. Got a decent shot at the podium assuming decent pit stops and barring any surprises - only have to beat 110 other cars lol.

[audi8v]

The point I was trying to make was the OP should flush his brake fluid if he hasn't done so already, regardless of which pads he is running. I have boiled fluid before (and overheated pads on a different occasion) and it adds a little too much excitement for me. Now I flush fluid prior to every track event at the same time that I swap in my track pads and do my pre-track inspections.

The PCA requires a pre-track checklist to be filled out prior to most events, which is a good guide for anyone planning on attending an AX or DE event:
https://www.pca.org/sites/default/fi...2012-20-18.pdf

It is a good idea to flush the brake fluid, cause i have not done that yet. Will get to it

[B5Davem]

Stock brake pads are just fine on the street unless you drag the brakes constantly. Another "cure" searching for a problem. I did use EBC once years ago on my B6 and they were terrible - pulled them out and put something else in even though hardly worn.

I know this is a few years old post but I had to say I'd used a couple of different EBC pads on my cars and had pad separate from the backing plate in the second season. I had them on for about 20k with drilled and slotted rotors before the failure. On one car I'd used them front and rear when I heard a clicking from the rh front separation and the caliper held the pad material sorta in place. Upon inspection I found cracking where most of the pads contacted the backing plate. Those were Green Stuff and Red Stuff. Never went back to using them on either car. That was when I owned a couple of B5 Audi.

[Jerryjohn]

Haas anyone tried Akebono pads? I used them on my Acura and was impressed. Curious about Audi drivers impressions.
2018 A3 S Line

[Eli0073]

Pads are pads, rotors are rotors no rear magic about it. If you have tried them before and they work for you...I see no reason why they won't work on Audi.

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[texasboy21]

Pads are pads, rotors are rotors no rear magic about it. If you have tried them before and they work for you...I see no reason why they won't work on Audi.

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This with the caveat that the pad material matters more than brand per se. A ceramic is great for the steel and is low dust, whereas a semi-metallic will be much more dusty and noisy but have more bite and overall performance (and higher operating temp range).

[Jerryjohn]

Agreed, Thanks

[S3DAN]

I think having newer pads is the biggest factor. I have been running Hawk Street pads for years on multiple cars. Really a good balance as far as the performance:dust ratio. I consider them OEM+.

Buying track pads or too aggressive pads is actually counterproductive because you will not often be operating them in their optimum operating temperature range, thus actually reducing you braking potential. Also for anyone who may read this thread, buy your brakes on rockauto you can pick your brand and the prices are excellent.

The S3 has pretty crazy brakes, most of us know you have to negotiate the driver behind you just as much as the driver in front of you because AUDI brakes in general are good enough to get you rear ended stopping too quickly. Powerstop, any of the major brands that you find that are suppliers of auto manufacturers ( ie zimmerman ect. )are pretty good brakes even for someone who tracks occasionally. If you rally need the peace of mind of a name brand you can buy relatively ok priced Brembo pads if you insist on candy