Changing your own brake pads?

[eph94]

Does anyone change their own brake pads on the RS6? What kind of tools would I need to acquire in order to make the job as simple as possible?

Oh, and one other thing, I just spent 3 beautiful track days at NHIS in the RS6. After each spirited 20-minute session on the track at NHIS, though, my brakes would start "pinging" duirng the cool down lap and continued making the noise in the paddock for over 20 minutes. It sounded like someone hitting a piece of metal over and over again with a wrench. I assume it is from the metal in the rotors expanding and then contracting, but I want to make sure this is "normal." The brakes seemed to work fine in each subsequent session for about the first 15 minutes before fading.

The Pirelli Pzero Rossos also felt "greasy" as they got real hot. They seemed to run best at 42 lbs hot. Anything over that, and I felt like I had oil on the tires. Even straight line braking got a little hairy at some points. It was the feeling of ABS on ice. Scary!

When the brakes and tires were at their optimal temperatures... wow! For its size and weight, the RS6 can square off just fine against the lighter M3s and S4s. It just required a lot of LATE and HEAVY braking.

[Bauer]

Pinging is normal....has happend to me along with billows of smoke comming from the front rotors when comming in to cool off.

It just required a lot of LATE and HEAVY braking.

Agreed....it can get a little harry with the pedal getting soft as mash potatoes. Keeps the blood pumping

[andyp]

Changing front brake pads:

Time required ... 20 mins at easy pace.

1. hydraulic jack ... lift at points just behind front wheels and inside of sill.

2. cordless impact driver (I use a Craftsman professional which is awesome) ... remove wheel. Put one lug nut back to retain rotor in position.

3. small screwdriver ... reach behind caliper and lift up plastic locator with screwdriver on electrical connection from leading pad and twist connection to remove from metal retainer. Use small screwdriver to release clip holding connection together and pull apart.

4. Hammer/punch ... carefully tap two pad retaining pins from front and push the spring bushing on the pin clear of the caliper.

5. Remove retaining pins and pad retaining clips by pushing down on clip and pulling out retaining pin.

6. Pliers ... undo brake reservoir cap and place clean cloth over top to soak up excess fluid when you pull back caliper pistons. Squeeze pad against caliper with pliers to pull back caliper pistons ... can be done with your hands when cold.

7. Lift out pads and keep them in order or have some way that will allow you to put then back in the same position. I put an elastic band around each calipers pads, keeping the pads in a specific order (from left to right is top to bottom pad pairs, inside followed by outside pad).

8. Installing new pads is the reverse process ... don't forget to remove cloth from top of brake reservoir and put cap back on.

Tip: before trying to put wheel back ... press brake pedal so rotor is retained by the pads before removing the one lug nut you had holding rotor in place.

Andy

[7:53 RS6]

Originally posted by JJV-MA
Does anyone change their own brake pads on the RS6? What kind of tools would I need to acquire in order to make the job as simple as possible?

Oh, and one other thing, I just spent 3 beautiful track days at NHIS in the RS6. After each spirited 20-minute session on the track at NHIS, though, my brakes would start "pinging" duirng the cool down lap and continued making the noise in the paddock for over 20 minutes. It sounded like someone hitting a piece of metal over and over again with a wrench. I assume it is from the metal in the rotors expanding and then contracting, but I want to make sure this is "normal." The brakes seemed to work fine in each subsequent session for about the first 15 minutes before fading.

The Pirelli Pzero Rossos also felt "greasy" as they got real hot. They seemed to run best at 42 lbs hot. Anything over that, and I felt like I had oil on the tires. Even straight line braking got a little hairy at some points. It was the feeling of ABS on ice. Scary!

When the brakes and tires were at their optimal temperatures... wow! For its size and weight, the RS6 can square off just fine against the lighter M3s and S4s. It just required a lot of LATE and HEAVY braking.

The pinging is totaly normal(noise)
I agree about the whigt and size... whow the RS6 can really be driven fast. The gear box in sport mode realy workes fine.

[nyrs6]

Originally posted by 8:29 RS6
The pinging is totaly normal(noise)
I agree about the whigt and size... whow the RS6 can really be driven fast. The gear box in sport mode realy workes fine.

What about Tip mode? Is S mode better for the track or Tip mode?

JJV-MA
How are the tires are they worn out? And were the brakes gone after you drove it at the track?

[Bauer]

My tires (Dunlop 9000) were gone after 3 events, they had quarter size chunks missing from them. My breaks were replaced after two events and had 50% wear left after the third event.

I prefer Tip mode as it can be a little to exciting in Sport mode when you are throttle steering and the transmission kicks down I like having the control over the car.

[eph94]

Originally posted by nyrs6
What about Tip mode? Is S mode better for the track or Tip mode?

JJV-MA
How are the tires are they worn out? And were the brakes gone after you drove it at the track?

Tip mode is definitely better than S mode, but S mode is serviceable if you don't want to bother with thinking about gears. As Bauer pointed out, however, the S mode sometimes shifts at inopportune times (i.e. MID-corner)! There was one corner at NHIS where I had to totally take my foot off the throttle at turn-in until the apex; otherwise, even a little "maintenance" throttle would cause it to shift. After a few laps, I figured out where I needed to be especially cognizant of the throttle for fear of the gearbox shifting on me. I also learned that pre-selecting the gear via the shifter ahead of corners gave me a little control back. The only problem with that is that it took some time to figure out what gear the S mode was generally in prior to each corner. And that required me to be very consistent in each corner; otherwise, the gearbox might be in a differ gear than in the previous lap. It was really complicated to get it "right" in S mode, which is why I say stick with Tip.

For tires, I have Pirelli Pzero Rossos and they have survived three track days. They probably have one more day left in them in terms of tread depth, but the rubber doesn't look very healthy. (Any opinions there?) I'm totally dissatisfied with the hot performance of the Pzeros but they haven't spit out quarter sized chunks like Bauer's Dunlop 9000s, so I can't really complain. When they overheat, though, you can't drive any faster than 6/10ths or you're going to risk life and limb. I suppose I need to learn how to drive within the limits of the tires so they last the entire run sessions. I can't be like Tom Cruise in Days of Thunder.

I don't know quite how to judge pad usage yet. I had 8000 miles of street use on my first pads before taking them to my first track event at Lime Rock. At the end of the event, I probably had 1/3 of the material left. Before my two back-to-back NHIS events, I replaced those pads with Pagid Greys since I knew I didn't have enough on the stock pads. I burned through about half of the Pagids in two events. My rotors look pretty badly scored too (reminds me of the old 45RPM records) but I haven't gotten any vibration when braking yet. I'm closing in on 10,000 miles on the odometer. I'm going to need to take the car to my local Audi garage to get a professional opinion. I have another two days at Lime Rock coming up in the beginning of June and those rotors look scary to me. When I run my fingernail across them, the grooves are very pronounced. I'm shocked that I'm not getting the vibration under braking.

And last but certainly not least, Andyp, thanks for the instructions on changing the pads! That is EXACTLY what I was hoping to find!!

The RS6 burns right through consumables... This is an EXPENSIVE car to track. I'm dying to replace the brakes with Mov'its, but 4950 Euros for the fronts is a bit much at the current exchange rate. And I'd love to do the rears too. Dumping ten grand on brakes is way too much for me right now. That's half the cost of the MINI Cooper we just bought. My wife would kill me.

[7:53 RS6]

Originally posted by JJV-MA
Tip mode is definitely better than S mode, but S mode is serviceable if you don't want to bother with thinking about gears. As Bauer pointed out, however, the S mode sometimes shifts at inopportune times (i.e. MID-corner)! There was one corner at NHIS where I had to totally take my foot off the throttle at turn-in until the apex; otherwise, even a little "maintenance" throttle would cause it to shift. After a few laps, I figured out where I needed to be especially cognizant of the throttle for fear of the gearbox shifting on me. I also learned that pre-selecting the gear via the shifter ahead of corners gave me a little control back. The only problem with that is that it took some time to figure out what gear the S mode was generally in prior to each corner. And that required me to be very consistent in each corner; otherwise, the gearbox might be in a differ gear than in the previous lap. It was really complicated to get it "right" in S mode, which is why I say stick with Tip.

For tires, I have Pirelli Pzero Rossos and they have survived three track days. They probably have one more day left in them in terms of tread depth, but the rubber doesn't look very healthy. (Any opinions there?) I'm totally dissatisfied with the hot performance of the Pzeros but they haven't spit out quarter sized chunks like Bauer's Dunlop 9000s, so I can't really complain. When they overheat, though, you can't drive any faster than 6/10ths or you're going to risk life and limb. I suppose I need to learn how to drive within the limits of the tires so they last the entire run sessions. I can't be like Tom Cruise in Days of Thunder.

I don't know quite how to judge pad usage yet. I had 8000 miles of street use on my first pads before taking them to my first track event at Lime Rock. At the end of the event, I probably had 1/3 of the material left. Before my two back-to-back NHIS events, I replaced those pads with Pagid Greys since I knew I didn't have enough on the stock pads. I burned through about half of the Pagids in two events. My rotors look pretty badly scored too (reminds me of the old 45RPM records) but I haven't gotten any vibration when braking yet. I'm closing in on 10,000 miles on the odometer. I'm going to need to take the car to my local Audi garage to get a professional opinion. I have another two days at Lime Rock coming up in the beginning of June and those rotors look scary to me. When I run my fingernail across them, the grooves are very pronounced. I'm shocked that I'm not getting the vibration under braking.

And last but certainly not least, Andyp, thanks for the instructions on changing the pads! That is EXACTLY what I was hoping to find!!

The RS6 burns right through consumables... This is an EXPENSIVE car to track. I'm dying to replace the brakes with Mov'its, but 4950 Euros for the fronts is a bit much at the current exchange rate. And I'd love to do the rears too. Dumping ten grand on brakes is way too much for me right now. That's half the cost of the MINI Cooper we just bought. My wife would kill me.

Tip or S-mode It may have somting to do whit what kind of track driven? Anyway Its still just an atomatic(adaptive). But WHAT an atomatic My feel is that the brakes are overall god but pads need to be replaced to race pads. RS6 Avant eats stock pads to quick. Many years back It was relly easy to costom make pads whit asbets material. Nowdays its forbiden and you cant get the material anymore.. to bad in some ways but of course accepteble. Its forbiden for a reason I guess Hope to track my rs6 in sweden soon...slow short track not the best for the beast, but any way fun!