- 06/23/2017
- 1 Min Read
- By: Evan Madore
How To Replace The Brake Pads And Rotors On An Audi Audi B7 S4
In our initial road review of project Audi B7 S4, we noticed almost immediately that our subject car was not responding well to brake pedal pressure application under deceleration. It was as if the car was not equipped with the 345mm S model brake package. I would not call the brake feel spongy, it just felt powerless and weaker than I was anticipating. For a vehicle originally equipped with such beefy brakes and how we tossed the car around in corners for some time after we took possession of it, there was definitely something wanting.
After the road test we decided to put the car up in the air to see what we were working with. The current brake set up on the car appeared to be Textar OE replacement rotors with the same brand in semi-metallic pads (we could tell this from the dust they were creating on our BBS CH wheels), that though functioning, could definitely be improved upon. We have several brake options available for the B6/B7 S4 models listed on the site and they range from slotted Stoptech rotors paired with Textar Fusion (ceramic) pads, to a standard aftermarket replacement kit from Meyle.
Either would likely work fine for our purposes, however, I wanted to bond both quality everyday brake reliability with something I would not have to change out were we to bring Project S4 to a more performance oriented setting. So, I decided to create a new package utilizing Zimmerman sport discs with Akebono ceramic pads. When paired together it should provide us with both exceptional braking performance regardless the condition, but also provide a cleaner brake wheel set up from the mixture of ceramic pads and perforated discs.
Some of the benefits of running the Zimmerman Sport Drilled Disc & Akebono Pads: - Better wet braking performance by permanent expulsion of brake dust and water - Anti-corrosion protection Coat Z finish, keeping our rotors free of rust for longer - Noticeable improvement in the braking power - Prevention of brake fade - Countersinking of holes protects the disc from cracking, and doubles as a wear indicator - Quiet performance from the Akebono pads, as well as the cleanliness of the pads from the ceramic friction material More here:
Paired with Akebono ceramic pads, we should have a brake package that will last longer, given the rust prevention of the coated discs, and perform exceptionally well under any condition. Also, these pads will help keep our wheels clean and avoid the weekly wheel scrub.
The brake replacement is pretty straight forward on a B7 Audi S4 or otherwise, and though it does not share the same setup more synonymous of other Audi models, in our walk through we will take you through the process and explain my pad bedding procedure after the fact. One of the things I commonly note when offering brakes to customers is the importance of bedding the brakes in properly, especially when both the disc and pad are being replaced. This process varies, but I'll show you how I prefer to get it done.
