Brakes - do front B7 discs work with B5 calipers

[ianw]

before you flame me for being crazy - yes I have spent the last few days getting up to speed with current options and I know the B7 calipers are the best thing since slice bread etc.

Once again the brake issue has arisen, last winter I had to replace the rear calipers which had seized and stayed with the original b5 calipers, the disks however need replacing and the service light has now lit meaning a trip to the stealers is imminent plus I have a trip to germany coming up in a couple of months.

Bearing in mind I have a lot of mouths to feed and the car is not used for trackdays (I ride motorcycles for adrenilin kicks) its mainly used these days around town with the occasional 250+ kph jaunts over to Germany I am wondering what the best option is. Stuff here is very expensive compared to the uk and its a hassle to get things shipped from UK

anyway here are my options

1. replace discs with standard B5 ones again cost 1800 plus pads
2. replace discs with quattro "drilled" B5 upgrade cost 2600 plus (pagid) pads
3. Replace front with B7 discs and calipers cost 3500 plus would need drilled rears to match front as MOT testers would pick up solid rears and drilled fronts so quattro sports drilled disks 1300 plus pads.

If I go option 1 or 2 I can later maybe next year update the front calipers to the B7 versions but I am not fully sure it will be necessary with option 2

OR if the slightly bigger B7 front discs fit with the B5 calipers would that be a better route than option 2 again I would need drilled discs on the rear to not draw to much attention from the MOT tester - has anyone tried that

I also see reference to phaeton discs are they also an option do they use the same calipers

At the moment I am favoring option 2 as its a good compromise and an upgrade from standard and hopefully the disks don't rust as fast as standard ones and then maybe next year upgrading the calipers to B7.

As I will do the work myself option 2 is easy to do as no bleeding would be required, yes I know its not too difficult to do with the right equipment but is cold here at the moment and the 6 nations is about to start so the less time outside the better

[graemep]

Unfortunately, the better option may be to bite the bullet and do the B7 caliper upgrade, as the options on the B5 set is limited to say the least. I am assuming you are referring to prices for front and rear.

This will give you access to more choice in respect of the pads and discs you choose to use, e.g. the Phaeton discs or those from Loba or JHMotorsport depending on both budget and what the Swiss MOT allows. From memory, the JHMotorsports discs have the option to have drilled or undrilled. There would be the option to source used B7 calipers, but you may have the similar attitude to me that buying new offers more piece of mind.

The Phaeton discs are the same dimensions as the B7, and just need the inner bell swapped to correct the offset.

[ianw]

Thanks, the reason I thought of option 2 is that its much easier to get the Quattro sport discs here than it was for people in the UK, and as the B7 calipers fit on standard discs I considered than an option - although I am thinking about the affect of the lip that the pad from the original calipers would make on the disc should I later swap calipers.

as for the B7 disks on B5 calipers I was thinking that if the calipers are interchangeable then the discs might be as well, they would stick 2.5 mil more into the caliper but I am not sure if thats an issue. I am with you on second hand items and am especially wary when brakes are concerned.

[RS2_Russ]

You can fit 18Z brembo 6-pots (good enough for Cayennes/Touareg/Q7 tanks) with ML55 AMG disks for about £600.....99% as good as B7.

I actually swapped B7 out for this set-up and it feels better through the pedal.

The discs were £90 and the Ferodo Premier pads were £58.

Avoid the RS tax completely....fit much cheaper Porsche brakes!

Russ

[ianw]

Thanks for info, sadly just a bit too late for me as I went to meet a young lad (they all seem to be to me these days) who advertised a B7 setup including fitting and most importantly the necessary paperwork to register the mods with the swiss version of the DVLA, so its booked in and getting the B7 calipers disks etc on the front and quattro sports disks on the rear. I have also contacted sportec for a stage 1 remap.

I am no longer single like when I bought the car so have other things to drain my money on so thats probably it for now after a few nicks have been touched up. They use real salt here in winter not the brown grit stuff in the UK so stone chips are rare BUT no one gives a t*ss about other cars so door dings are common! Hopefully it will satisfy me then for another 7 or 8 years (hoping to get to 20 years)

[PhilT]

I'm very happy with my B7 brakes. Look the part and work well. I'd recommended getting the wheel bearings done at the same time.

[ianw]

I have just posted some pics of the new calipers and disks waiting to be installed in the gallery, yep you have seen it all before except maybe the rs2 calipers and quattro sport disks.

not sure how I link the gallery pictures to here