Brake Squeal at Low Speeds Help - 2017 S6 (EBC redstuff vs. yellowstuff vs. OEM)

[atbat16]

This is a new to me 2017 S6 purchased summer 2022 with 41k miles. I will likely never track this car and use it as my daily to haul my couple kiddos around with spirit .

The Audi dealership told me I needed new pads + rotors at 46k miles. So I enlisted the help of my car savvy brother and purchased a front/rear set of EBC yellowstuff pads + 4 new drilled and slotted rotors.

We installed them successfully and bedded them as EBC instructs. I have been running them for 1.2k or so now and they perform great in terms of stopping power. However, the brake squeal at low speed (coming up to a stoplight, creeping in traffic, driveway maneuvering etc.) is obnoxious, not getting any better and I've had enough.

After further research, it seems the EBC redstuff would have been a better fit due to the ceramic compound and my daily street driving. Hindsight's 20/20...

I have a feeling I know what the Audi dealership is going to say: that I need new OEM pads + rotors.

My question is: will I be compounding my squealing issue if I swap in the redstuff pads (or other ceramics?) for the yellows, without changing the rotors since they are already bedded to the yellows now? I'm happy to spend the $$ and time to install the redstuff pads but if I truly need new rotors too, I feel like I should cut my loses and go back to OEM pads and rotors and be done with it.

I welcome any ideas or input before I essentially throw away a very functional (albeit annoying) brake setup that is driving me crazy and go back to full OEM $$, begrudgingly.

[Audibot]

Yellowstuff pads tend to squeak more than Redstuff, from my understanding.

Also did you lubricate all the moving bits and replace the rattle clips?

[Mikes281]

I had a similar issue…new rotors and new pads and I hated the pads after 1k of driving. After talking to the rotor manufacturer (Girodisc), they said a switch that early on would be fine. Switched to Powerstop Zs and havent had a single squeak since with over 15k of driving.

My opinion…

OEM Pads - squeal and dust but best braking performance

EBC Red - no squeal but a lot of dust, didnt like pedal feel

Girodisc Magic Pads - no magic here, dust and squeal and poor performance

Powerstop Zs - zero squeal, zero dust, good pedal feel, perfect for street performance but not a better high speed stop than OEM or EBC

[Optimus247]

It sounds like you have shim issue ... the thin metal sheet between the pad and piston.

I love my yellow pads ... dust as much as OEM, the pedal feel (with Goodridge braided lines) feels so solid and not fading at high speed stops (when the V1 starts chirping) ...

Giro disk is coming out with rear rotors soon ...

[A6sport]

You bought the wrong pad. The yellow-stuff can be used for street driving, but it's also a track-pad. They can be noisy until they heat up. The pad you want is the red-stuff.

Get the red-stuff you'll be happy and never look back.

[Audibot]

I had a similar issue…new rotors and new pads and I hated the pads after 1k of driving. After talking to the rotor manufacturer (Girodisc), they said a switch that early on would be fine. Switched to Powerstop Zs and havent had a single squeak since with over 15k of driving.

My opinion…

OEM Pads - squeal and dust but best braking performance

EBC Red - no squeal but a lot of dust, didnt like pedal feel

Girodisc Magic Pads - no magic here, dust and squeal and poor performance

Powerstop Zs - zero squeal, zero dust, good pedal feel, perfect for street performance but not a better high speed stop than OEM or EBC

I can echo the Redstuff pad sentiment. Tried them on my B7 a decade ago and they were the worst dusting pads I've ever used. Currently use them on my C7 and they dust more than I'd like but less than they could.

Will look into the Powerstops. I have also heard some time ago that the Wearevers you can get at Advance Auto were a surprisingly good choice.

[Valpo A7]

For my A7 I went with Zimmerman front rotors and TRW pads. It was a kit from FCP.

Decent braking, no dust, no noise.

Just tossing out another idea if you don't want to go red or yellow.

FCP seems to use some logic when they put their packages together.

[benlaud87]

I have EBC Reds, as others have said here, I have a lot of brake dust. It’s quite a pain on the bronze wheels.

[Alabama]

This is a new to me 2017 S6 purchased summer 2022 with 41k miles. So I enlisted the help of my car savvy brother and purchased a front/rear set of EBC yellowstuff pads + 4 new drilled and slotted rotors.

Get your brother drilled and slotted. Another option for an S6 would be Hawk pads sold by Tire Rack. If you're going to keep the car a long time, FCP Euro offers a lifetime warranty so the next set of rotors would be free except for shipping. If you're never going to track the car and mostly drive reasonably, then any of the pads will likely perform adequately.

[A6sport]

The EBC formulation changed, Red-stuff used to be what Yellow-stuff is today. As for them being dusty, they were 10 - 15 years ago. I have red-stuff on 3 of my current Audis and dust is not an issue. There is hardly any.

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I can echo the Redstuff pad sentiment. Tried them on my B7 a decade ago and they were the worst dusting pads I've ever used. Currently use them on my C7 and they dust more than I'd like but less than they could.

Will look into the Powerstops. I have also heard some time ago that the Wearevers you can get at Advance Auto were a surprisingly good choice.

The EBC formulation changed, Red-stuff used to be what Yellow-stuff is today. As for them being dusty, they were 10 - 15 years ago. I have red-stuff on 3 of my current Audis and dust is not an issue. There is hardly any.

[Mikes281]

The EBC formulation changed, Red-stuff used to be what Yellow-stuff is today. As for them being dusty, they were 10 - 15 years ago. I have red-stuff on 3 of my current Audis and dust is not an issue. There is hardly any.

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The EBC formulation changed, Red-stuff used to be what Yellow-stuff is today. As for them being dusty, they were 10 - 15 years ago. I have red-stuff on 3 of my current Audis and dust is not an issue. There is hardly any.

I ran Red-Stuff last year…dust city.

[Patrick73RS]

The EBC formulation changed, Red-stuff used to be what Yellow-stuff is today. As for them being dusty, they were 10 - 15 years ago. I have red-stuff on 3 of my current Audis and dust is not an issue. There is hardly any.

- - - Updated - - -



The EBC formulation changed, Red-stuff used to be what Yellow-stuff is today. As for them being dusty, they were 10 - 15 years ago. I have red-stuff on 3 of my current Audis and dust is not an issue. There is hardly any.

Same experience. Have had my red stuff pads for a few months. Very little dust. Zero noise what so ever

[09S5]

Noise over here for the last 5k miles.
Just learn to live with it.


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