best buy upgrades

[DrB]

I know upgrades have been discussed alot, but where is the best place to buy these and what is the best price you have seen?

My shopping list:
1. Front brake upgrades: Brembro / Big red brakes (Porsche)?
2. H&R coilovers
3. Tanoga short shifter

The best price I have been given (parts only):
1. Brembro brakes: USD 3295.00 - Although AMD quote £1600+vat for the 'big red' upgrade. (What is the difference?)
2. H&R coilovers: Audi A4/S4 saloon x 17 FA 30-80 £710
3. Tamoga short shifter - £215.00 + vat + carriage

It is the brakes I am having the main problem with.

Help?

Mark

[DavidT]

There are lots of posts in this forum re upgrading, but to answer some of your specific points:

Brakes

I am going for the Porsche 993 Twin Turbo ones because:

a) Porsche are generally regarded as the best road car brakes
b) The discs and pads are relatively cheap (£120 each and £90 respectively)
c) Lots of people have them on S4's and I have not heard any complaints (where they have been treated with respect at least [img]images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] )

H&R Coilovers

The A4 and S4 versions are different. Make sure you get the right ones.

Tanoga shortshifter

Karl (screename tanoga) is a regular on here, why not contact him with a PM. I think he fits them at meets, worth checking.

You need to shop round. I'd be suprised to see people posting many prices up on the forum to be honest, what deal you get is upto you really.

Hope this helps.

David

[jeffw]

c) Lots of people have them on S4's and I have not heard any complaints (where they have been treated with respect at least )

Not sure that's accurate David.....

[Carps]

2. H&R coilovers: Audi A4/S4 saloon x 17 FA 30-80 £710

Where did you see the H&R for that money ? I just got quoted £1150+vat from AMD and that was without fitting [img]images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

[DrB]

Direct from H&R: http://www.h-ruk.com/appframe.html

P.S. I know what I want I am just trying to get prices which people have paid or know. Where is the best place to get the Porsche brakes from?

Mark

[Joshie]

Direct from H&R: http://www.h-ruk.com/appframe.html

P.S. I know what I want I am just trying to get prices which people have paid or know. Where is the best place to get the Porsche brakes from?

Mark

Well as far as i know you can't just walk into a Porsche dealership and order a set.

AmD at Bicester (Tel 01869 323205) have a source for the calipers, disks and pads and then get a company to make the bells to allow them to fit the S4.

Also, picking up some of the comments on this thread:

Jeff - David T did add the caviat of "where they have been treated with respect" this of course means that going on a trackday doesn't exactly treat the brakes with respect. Otherwise the only complaint is squealing when beddding-in which disappears after changing to new pads.

Pads are actualy very cheap for the Porsche brakes at around £75 including delivery and cheaper if you call and collect.

Discs are also cheap with repacements at £200 or so a set.
This means you can actually treat them as disposble items - which of course they are. [img]images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Dippy]

Well I would count as a complaint over the skimming issue. But now that mine have been skimmed I am totally satisfied.

[DavidT]

I'd forgotten about that Dippy, why did you need your new disc's skimmed ?

[Joshie]

Well I'm confused over the skimming of the disks.

JR swears blind that skimming ruins them. When I get a new set of disks (which judging by the cracks radiating from each drill hole will have to be soon or the disk will disintegrate) I'm certainly going to avoid having them skimmed.

[Carps]

Spoke to AMD again about suspension...
To correct my earlier post, the price is £710 for parts and about £240 for fitting and alignment. Total cost is about £1150. Seems they made a mistake earlier [img]images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Dippy]

I'd forgotten about that Dippy, why did you need your new disc's skimmed ?

Scott's explanation was that in the old days, Porsche used to leave the newly forges disks out in the open for a while before skimming them. This would mean that when they were used on a car, they would not warp.

However now that the disks are in such demand, they get made and then skimmed immediately. Thus when they are put on the car they may be slightly warped, and need reskimming.

Anyway thats what I was told. This is what happened:

AmD fitted my braked. After bedding in I was unimpressed by their stopping power and they squealed worse than a bus.

I took the car back to AmD and they skimmed the disks. Now they really stop the car and are quiet.

So in my experience the disks needed skimming. If this causes problems for track use I don't know, but it's not going to be my problem!