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S5 brake upgrade and EBC brakes

30K views 74 replies 12 participants last post by  TonyP  
#1 ·
As my stock brakes were in need of replacing, I decided to upgrade a little at the same time.

First part of the upgrade was to replace the single piston calipers with a 4 piston Brembo caliper off a Q5. This caliper uses the same 345mm x 30mm disc. The calipers I bought from Ebay were 8R0615105 BE and 8R0615106 BE. Be carefull when buying these Q5 Brembo calipers as some are for 320mm discs. After my research I can tell which calipers are the 345mm version and which are not, just from the caliper castings. :) As you will see, they were in need of a good refurbish! :) I used a sandblasting cabinet to clean them up, which worked well. Unfortunately I don't have pictures after the sandblasting, I forgot! I put new seals in the calipers and painted them gloss black to match the stock calipers. I did think of red, but decided against it as I would need to paint the rear calipers too.

With thanks to @EBC Brakes UK I fitted EBC Yellowstuff pads all round (Front pads for the Brembo caliper were about £50 cheaper than the pads to fit the stock S5 caliper!) and USR or Ultima discs.

I re painted the black discs in silver as prefer the silver colour.

I used ATE TYP200 Racing quality brake fluid and used a pressure brake pump to flush the fluid through. This worked really well and faster than using a second person to pump the brake. :)

I've only done about 60 miles with the new brakes and they are nearly bed in using the gentle braking bed-in stage. Just waiting for the rears to get rid of the black coating and for all the discs to get a sheen to the disc before going for the second stage of bedding in which is higher speed heavier braking to 'burn' on the pad coating onto the discs.

The stock brakes were squealing like hell. This was down to the pads having a sticky backing on them which doesn't allow them to move around in the caliper and this gives the squealing. Using copper grease on the pad backs allows some movement in the caliper hence the grease also being known as anti squeal. The single piston calipers are a sliding type caliper and 1 benefit of upgrading to a fixed multi piston caliper is even pressure on the pads. The stock pads showed signs of uneven pad wear, so this should be eliminated with the 4 pot calipers. :)

Even after 20 miles, the bite was confident. As I upgraded the front calipers, it's difficult to give a good comparison on the discs and pads as part of the brake feel will be down to the 4 pot calipers and the higher friction Yellowstuff pads. But they do feel good and will update once fully bed in. The initial bite feels very grabby and I need to re-learn how much to press the brakes as it feels like I am hardly pressing them.

So now I have my stock calipers and carriers to fit 345mm discs to your A5 with 320mm discs for sale

 

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#3 ·
And how much are you selling a complete upgrade kit for? [emoji6]
 
#4 ·
It has crossed my mind! It all depends on how much I can source the calipers for! AND find them. Looking on Ebay, there are only the 320mm version available or £900 for the Porsche variant, which I think you can buy direct from Porsche for about £5-600ish. Think the Q5 calipers are around the same new. You do find them used every now and then like I did, but mine had been sat in a leaky shed, hence the condition! If you manage to get hold of a pair of calipers, I could recondition and rebuild them for around £200 and this would include parts (seal kits, paint and S5 logos of your choice) etc :)
 
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#7 ·
No, going back on the shelf for future use, or I may offer them up as loaners on the Land Cruiser club for others to get theirs returned.

They are heavy buggers and the disk diameter is 330mm, so could be a cool big disk upgrade, although I doubt they will fit....

Yup, it's internal between the two halves and I split the caliper against recommendation, so it may leak...
 
#8 ·
#9 ·
@Dave Kwatro reading the below post on AZ, did you consider the Macan front brake set up or are they exactly the same thing (part no's differ hence the confusion)? Also states the rear Macan calipers are a direct swap.

Macan Brake Caliper Upgrade, F&R - Worth it!!
They are exactly the same except the Porsche sticker and matt grey paint! :) The front caliper is made by Brembo. The part numbers differ as one is Audi and the other is Porsche. The rears are the same too! But the rear caliper is the same as our S5 caliper. The same caliper is fitted to the S5/Q5/Macan and even the RS5 but the RS gets a 2 piece disc and is the same size as the S5 disc.

I will agree with that post on AZ about them feeling more positive and confident!! They are nearly bed-in on the first stage, so not used them in anger yet! But they feel good! :)

Oh and that rear caliper cover presses into holes in the caliper, which we don't have, but you know me, I'm looking into another cover attachment method so we can get that rear caliper cover and put S5 badges on them! Watch this space! They are £45 EACH from Audi and online! I'll be offering them as a pair at the same or less in price - if I can get a satisfactory result in making them!
 
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#10 ·
Thanks for the info @Dave Kwatro. And I look forward to your rear caliper cover offering.

Initially when I was planning on brakes I was not considering this upgrade and was leaning towards a BBK of some sort (circa 380mm disc size). But after getting a puncture the other day, it dawned on me whether the space saver wheel would clear the caliper on a BBK. Maybe someone that has a BBK can chime in here.

Anyway due to that and costs (upfront and ongoing), this upgrade is now firmly a front runner for my brake plans.
 
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#11 ·
Yeah the BBKs are a good setup, but they are quite expensive, so the decision would be based more on the depth of your pockets. :)

@Smokey Joe Your other brake option of the 380mm SQ5 front brakes, do you know if the space saver or indeed a 19" wheel will fit over these brakes? The SQ5 calipers are like the Millennium dome!! :D

If you can get some used Brembo Q5 calipers at a good price, they are a good money viable option. I was only looking at RS5 calipers at first, but there are 4 pads per caliper and the front discs are the same price as I paid for EBC discs and pads all round! :) Give me a shout if you need any help, as I've done the research already! Plus as I've said the pads for the 4 pot brembos are cheaper by about £50 than the OE S5 calipers!
 
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#12 ·
If you can get some used Brembo Q5 calipers at a good price, they are a good money viable option.
And what would be a good price to pay for a set of front calipers?
 
#15 ·
I fitted the Sq5 calipers and 380mm discs this weekend and I can tell you that the space saver will absolutely Not fit. Not even close.
Obviously an extra 5 minutes work but with a flat front the only option would be to fit the space saver to the rear then use the rear wheel on the front.
Now I need a pair of 10mm spacers as my wheels are slightly staggered and only the rears would fit over the calipers. (but that's another story 🙄)
 
#16 ·
Any update on braking performance now some time has passed?

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#17 ·
Any update on braking performance now some time has passed?

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
Sorry, only just seen this! Been busy ordering FIS control and researching charge coolers! :D

Update is, the overall braking is better. As I upgraded to 4 pot Brembos from the OE single pot calipers, plus higher friction Yellowstuff pads and grooved discs, a direct comparison wouldn't be fair, but they are improved. I still haven't used them in anger so still can't say what the performance is like in repeated or high speed braking, but they give good feel and confidence. I have used them quite hard above 80mph and they just do the job, no humming or wobble, nice and quiet smooth braking. I have given them a god press coming off the motorway and they do grab very nicely. The dust, I think is about the same, possibly less than OEM pads. But it is said grooved discs can create more dust due to the 'cleaning' effect they have on the pads, so with blank discs, the dust will probably be even less.

The only complaint, if it is one, is moving off the drive slowly, the brakes can grab too much making if feel like you are doing a bit of a little kangaroo, like a learner with a clutch. :D But this just shows the grab the brakes have right from stone cold!

Are you deciding between the Q5 4 pot 345mm disc setup and Smokey Joe's 2 pot SQ5 380mm disc set up?
I think it's more about aesthetics. Smokey Joe's fill the wheel better and I think mine look a little small behind a 19 inch wheel. I think the overall performance will be similar, but SJ's wins on the 'big brake' look, but my calipers look more track/sportier with the exposed transfer pipe and piston cylinder mouldings. I guess it's down to person taste or which you can get hold of, plus SJ's setup, the discs about 4 times the price! But they are 2 piece which adds to perormance benefits.
 
#19 ·
Luckily, when I was looking the pair I bought, were left by most due to the condition, but I knew they could be reconditioned with a bit of work! So got them at a good price! I was a little concerned whether I would have to start replacing bits on them, but thought, there isn't a lot to brake calipers, so just made an offer and bought them.

Look sooo much better with nice shiny paint on them! You wouldn't even notice them if left the bare aluminium!

Apart from parts breakers, charging over the odds, they are quite rare! Examples would be breakers charging £180 for an old downpipe! I sold my old ones for £60 for a pair, but the guy who bought them sold parts on Ebay, so wouldn't be surprised to see them for sale again at a marked up price! They try and get away with the high price as they think the little silencer is a secondary cat! :D
 
#20 ·
I've found 1 caliper! Off an A6, but the 'correct' version, ignore the silly price, unless you want to sell your car for 1 caliper!!?? :D Must be a typo!? They do have other calipers for sale. Maybe ask? How good is your German? :)

Think there must a shortage on them, or just not made anymore!?
Found these brand new at £174, but out of stock - watch these websites as they add a surcharge on items like this, but this is only £22. Could enquire when back in stock?Part No. 8R0 615 107G and 8R0 615 108G

 
#21 ·
I've found 1 caliper! Off an A6, but the 'correct' version, ignore the silly price, unless you want to sell your car for 1 caliper!!?? :D Must be a typo!? They do have other calipers for sale. Maybe ask? How good is your German? :)

Think there must a shortage on them, or just not made anymore!?
Found these brand new at £174, but out of stock - watch these websites as they add a surcharge on items like this, but this is only £22. Could enquire when back in stock?Part No. 8R0 615 107G and 8R0 615 108G

Yeah over £20k is a bit much for one caliper.

107H and 108H seem to be the most recent revision, not saying anything changed though.

I've looked on that website, but the ones in the price bracket you mention are not original Brembo (Manufacturer noted as A.B.S).
 
#23 ·
Not quite sure what you mean? What 345mm calipers do you have? The stock S5 has the same calipers as the 3.0tdi 320mm disc, but the S5 has bigger carriers to take the 345mm disc.

You can't use 320mm discs with calipers designed for 345mm discs as you will get 12.5mm of unused pad. You can use the pads as they are the same as the S5.

But I am using totally different calipers with the S5 345mm disc. The 4 pot Brembo calipers use different pads.
 
#25 ·
Ah, yes, 4 pot Brembos have the carrier built in, as they are a fixed caliper with no sliding carrier, but yes they use totally different pads and 345mm discs and will go straight on your A5, all A5s, A4s, Q5, I think A6/A7, you can get these calipers from an A6/A7 too! So these calipers are an option to go to 345mm discs other than getting S5 carriers. The pads are quite generic, possibly why they are cheap too, like £40-50 cheaper than stock A5/S5 pads, and the discs too! The pads fit Q5, Porsche Macan, Subaru Imprezza, probably others that have a 4 pot Brembo calipers! :)
 
#32 ·
Yes, same hose connections!

Only downside to fitting these is it isn't a banjo connection where you can just bolt in! With these you have to hold the caliper and spin them around to screw them on the hose! Don't screw the hose into a fixed caliper as you will twist the hose and this is an MOT failure, not to mention dangerous. :)
 
#33 ·
Awesome GTI selling the 4 pot Brembo calipers now with HEL brake lines. Not a bad price considering it's being marketed as a brake upgrade! I was half expecting them to be about £800, but £560 isn't bad for a brand new caliper!
 
#34 ·
#38 · (Edited)
Starting to plan a brake upgrade as my next mod, especially as the disks will need changing as they are rusting. I like what you have done here Dave, so looking at a set of second hand Q5 calipers on eBay.

It's not however clear if these are for the larger 345mm disks.

@Dave Kwatro what do you think, are these the correct ones?
 
#39 · (Edited)
Starting to plan a brake upgrade as my next mod, especially as the disks will need changing as they are rusting. I like what you have done here Dave, so looking at a sect of second hand Q5 calipers on eBay.

It's not however clear if these are for the larger 345mm disks.

@Dave Kwatro what do you think, are these the correct ones?
They are for the smaller discs @TonyP

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#41 ·
Yeah as CadGuy showed in the pics, that is how you tell the difference. If it has the bulbus bit on the back of the caliper, then it's the smaller caliper. The larger ones are more flat on the back.

They are quite rare! As Cadguy found and ended up biting the bullet and getting brand new ones! I have seen brand new ones from AutoDoc at about £250 each, so if you can as Cadguy did and get a deal then the new ones are an option.