Brake upgrade

[pmj]

Hi. I am looking to upgrade the brakes on my S4. Unfortunately my funds don't reach for an rs5 swap so I have been looking about and came across Stoptech web site where they list a sport kit and and a big brake kit to get a price from them can any one help me by letting me know what size discs are best on the front to go under the standard 18" wheels please. Car is off to MRC in a few weeks so would like to get this underway at the same time.

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Paul J

[saintS400]

There are quite a few options available as you will no doubt know. MRC gave me a couple of options which varied in price, so always worth speaking to them first. Also depends on what you are doing with the car & if you are having it tuned. I went for the RS5 upgrade because it was a straight forward swop over, but not cheap as you say. It has been worth every penny though, I am very happy with the choice & they are much better than the standard brakes.

[Kiteral]

I've been thinking about a brake upgrade too, the sq5 4 pot calipers fit straight on, the sq5 runs 380mm discs but I don't know if the disc and caliper combo will fit without brake bracket modification. You can get the sq5 calipers and discs for around £1250 all in, so a very cheap upgrade if they fit, it will not fit under 18" wheels though !

[pmj]

I was looking at the stop tech kit with either a 380 x 32 or the 355x32. I spoke to MCR this morning and they suggested only a brake fluid and pad change if the RS5 upgrade was to pricey for me.

[R1NGA]

I was looking at the stop tech kit with either a 380 x 32 or the 355x32. I spoke to MCR this morning and they suggested only a brake fluid and pad change if the RS5 upgrade was to pricey for me.

I ran 355x32mm Stoptech discs and their ST-40 calipers on a C5 allroad V8 a few years back and although they were good for a while, they suffered dreadfully in the UK's winter salt. The calipers corroded very badly and would nip up the free movement of the pads to the point that it would nearly grind to a halt sometimes. Unless their designs have changed over recent years, then I'd leave them to dry states like California only, as that's their natural environment. Just my view....

At 345mm however, the stock S4 discs should work OK in theory with just a pad, lines and fluid change. I've always gotten on very well with Pagid RS42 Blue or the Orange (forgotten the number) pads personally, so that's what I would have done if I hadn't have gone for the full swap.