About to order a new RS4 but what about ceramics ?

[Outtlaw]

[quote="RSQ"]

The damage thing is relevant, if you do crack or smash one it will be pricey but I have never heard of anyone doing so (If I do so next week I will be sad now!).

Very sad and out of pocket
fingers crossed that "Sods law" does'nt happen next week!
RSQ how one have you had yours for now, and would you recommend having the ceramics over the standard brakes?
Peter

[Ricky]

Taken from the Audi website and tends to suggest approximately 190k.


Incredible braking performance
Compared with conventional steel discs, ceramic brakes not only last four times longer, but also offer high braking performance, even when driving at the limit, as well as high resistance to fading. Braking performance is not diminished even after repeated braking, when driving down a mountain pass, for example. The unsprung rotating masses at the wheels are reduced by a total of around 20 kilograms or 50 percent compared with conventional brake discs, resulting in noticeably improved handling and agility.
Compared with an identical brake disc made of steel, this material lasts four times longer: the high abrasion resistance of ceramic discs means that they will last for up to 190,000 miles. The extreme surface hardness of the composite ceramic also means that the brake discs are unsusceptible to solid and liquid road salts as well as to corrosion and rust. There’s virtually no brake dust either – so alloy wheels don’t get blackened and dirty.

[Moschop5]

For me the ceramics were a late addition to my order and I'm glad I specc'd them now. They look great, but also the ball ache we had with the RS3 brake issues and now some RS4's suffering the same I'm glad we did.

Picture to help make your decision....

[RSQ]

I have done 4,000 miles since 1 Sept when I got it.

I would recommend them but then I haven't lived with one without them to compare, no issues at all with them, no squealing and stops fast.

The photo sums it up, every time I go to the car (mine is Daytonna) I see the Audi Ceramic writing I smile a little bit, outside I 42 but inside I am a 12 year old.

IMHO when the grey calliper matches the grey of the car it looks even better

[RSQ]

Ceramic Brake Porn

Sorry the v-spokes are in storage, the wheels are the audi winter package ones but sprayed matt grey, helpfully I have stopped so you can't read the "ceramic" bit - d'oh!

[Moschop5]

Ceramic Brake Porn

Sorry the v-spokes are in storage, the wheels are the audi winter package ones but sprayed matt grey, helpfully I have stopped so you can't read the "ceramic" bit - d'oh!

RSQ what size are those wheels please? Are they avaialable in the UK?

[RSQ]

The winter ones are 19s. They look poop IMHO when you buy them in normal audi silver.

So I had them resprayed in matt grey and I think they look better.

They are the standard Audi Winter Wheel Package so I think I paid around £3k, but then they do store the other wheels when out of season.

Yes I know I could have bought cheaper ones on eBay but....

<edit> yes I bought them in the UK from the dealer

[Moschop5]

The winter ones are 19s. They look poop IMHO when you buy them in normal audi silver.

So I had them resprayed in matt grey and I think they look better.

They are the standard Audi Winter Wheel Package so I think I paid around £3k, but then they do store the other wheels when out of season.

Yes I know I could have bought cheaper ones on eBay but....

<edit> yes I bought them in the UK from the dealer

Thanks chap...

[RSQ]

Getting carried away now....

[RSQ]

Damn, I think I could have saved myself £4k!!!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUDI-ceramic- ... 461a89019f

[Graeme4130]

For everyday driving, standard brakes are more than good enough
Ceramics don't actually provide any improvement in braking, they just don't overheat and fade on sustained track work like the standard ones do - I toasted my standard ones at donnington, although they were eventually replaced under warranty with an updated version as squeal was a known issue
Another benefit of ceramics is that you don't get the brake dust that you get will steel versions, so if you're a cleaning fanatic, this will help a lot

Fwiw, I know of a case recently on what was a 6momth old RS5 where he scored a ceramic disc by something (he thinks a bit of flinty stone) lodging itself between the leading edge of the pad and the disc and the repair bill was not far off £5k, none of which was covered by Audi

They do look a lot cooler though to those in the know, whereas the guy on the street is likely to think the wavey discs are cool

[Outtlaw]

Getting carried away now....

They do look good, thats a given, even with those wheels which i believe were the RS5 alloys.

[adsgreen]

Taken from the Audi website and tends to suggest approximately 190k.

...The unsprung rotating masses at the wheels are reduced by a total of around 20 kilograms or 50 percent compared with conventional brake discs, resulting in noticeably improved handling and agility...

I think that if you have an S6/RS6 type car and replace both front and backs.
It's about 5kg's per disc per corner difference give or take

[adsgreen]

For everyday driving, standard brakes are more than good enough
Ceramics don't actually provide any improvement in braking, they just don't overheat and fade on sustained track work like the standard ones do

I've seen some older ceramics with a worse co-efficient of friction rating than traditional pads.
The overall improvement though is that with less rotational inertia of the wheel assembly more braking force can be used to slow the car.

[SPIKE_RS]

The look of that alone is surely enough to make you want them

Is your car slightly raised on a platform Moschop5? The gap in the wheel arch is big!!