Showing posts with label audi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label audi. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Audi A6 Brake Modification
The rear rotors are also slotted. The electronic parking brake proved to be a bit of a challenge as my VAG-COM kit had not arrived. After some headscratching, we figured a solution to the problem and the brakes were installed without further drama.
The brakes were installed with no drama and they fitted perfectly.
It was time to replace the brake rotors on my Audi A6 that were wearing thin after 90,000 km. Instead of replacing with OEM rotors, I decided to replace with OEM sized two piece rotors. I also opted to continue with the EBC Red Stuff pads which had served me well when I replaced the OEM brake pads at 50,000 km.
Review of the EBC Red Stuff brake pads.
OEM brake pads lasted for 50,000 km for the first time and the EBC Red Stuff brake pads which I swapped to lasted 40,000 km before I changed it along with the rotors. At both instances, I had both the front and rear sets changed at the same time. The brake oil was replaced at the 50,000 km change but this time, they did not appear to need a change and so I did not.
I chose to swap the EBC Red Stuff pads primarily because I was mainly looking for a small increase in braking performance, and a huge reduction in brake dust. And the EBC pads did all that. Braking was sharper compared to the OEM pads which were quite inadequate for emergency braking. Braking on the OEM pads felt vague and you never got the feeling that you would stop in time when you needed to as the Audi A6 is a heavy car. As a result, I tended to brake early, just in case. The dust from the OEM pads was quick to appear as well. The swap to the EBC pads was just what I was looking for. Naturally, one cannot expect a change of brake pads to instantly produce massive stopping power. And I was not looking for that. Braking was improved slightly, and it was enough to be noticeable. And the brake dust was gone, thanks to the ceramic compound on the EBC pads. Sure, if you looked hard enough, there is still a coating of brake dust on the rims, albeit a light coloured layer.
On the surface, it would appear that the EBC pads had a shorter lifespan - 10,000 km less than the OEM pads. In fact, it is hard to make a comparison as I was driving harder on the EBC pads. In the first 50,000 km, I was mostly doing short trips within the city and at most a 150 km run to Zhuhai or a 120 km run to Guangzhou. All of which was on flat ground and decent roads. After I made the change to the EBC pads, I had made a total of 6 long trips that were between 1200 km to 1500 km each way round and along the way there were long mountainous stretches with long stretches of downhill runs where opportunities to use the brakes were plentiful. In addition, I had also started to drive the car harder.
In all, I was very satisfied with the EBC Red Stuff brake pads.
Replacement Two Piece Rotors
In a luxurious sedan like the Audi A6, you cannot and should not turn it into a sports car. What you can do is to make small improvements so that it becomes a little more fun to drive. My modifications have centred around improving the handling of the car slightly with small adjustments. Even then, I have mostly adhered to the principle of replacing OEM parts with lighter and stronger aftermarket parts as the time for replacement comes. With the brake rotors wearing thin, it also presented me with an opportunity to swap the OEM rotors with something lighter. Swapping out for lighter rotors reduces unsprung weight. A reduction in unsprung weight theoretically leads to lighter load on the suspension and this translates to better suspension response and subsquently, better ride comfort and ability to soak up the irregularities on the road surface. In addition, the loss in unsprung weight also reduces the moment of inertia which means less energy is required to get moving. And in theory, this leads to faster acceleration and throttle response. In practice, the weight reduction from taking a kilogramme off each corner could well be meaningless, or virtually impossible to detect. Experts or enthusiasts tell me that I would expect to see greater improvement if I were to swap rims and tyres for lighter versions since the weight loss at each corner would be more like 3-4 kg or more. I couldnt agree more. However, it is not the time to replace the rims or the tyres and it is the time, however, to have the rotors changed. As such, I chose to go ahead and replace the OEM rotors with lighter aftermarket ones anyway. And even if it did not produce a noticeable effect, when the time comes to change the rims and tyres, I believe the effect certainly would be very noticeable when the aftermarket rotors were paired with lighter rims and wheels.
This is the front rotor and I have also opted for a slotted rotor since it looked nice and sporty too. I do not expect to need the slots to help counter brake fade since even with the hardest driving I have done so far, I have not had any problems with brake fade. The hub is aluminium alloy and lifting it and comparing it with the OEM rotors, the weight difference was obvious. Unfortunately, I did not have a scale on hand to measure the weights but I would put it as about 1-1.5 kg weight savings.
Review of the EBC Red Stuff brake pads.
OEM brake pads lasted for 50,000 km for the first time and the EBC Red Stuff brake pads which I swapped to lasted 40,000 km before I changed it along with the rotors. At both instances, I had both the front and rear sets changed at the same time. The brake oil was replaced at the 50,000 km change but this time, they did not appear to need a change and so I did not.
I chose to swap the EBC Red Stuff pads primarily because I was mainly looking for a small increase in braking performance, and a huge reduction in brake dust. And the EBC pads did all that. Braking was sharper compared to the OEM pads which were quite inadequate for emergency braking. Braking on the OEM pads felt vague and you never got the feeling that you would stop in time when you needed to as the Audi A6 is a heavy car. As a result, I tended to brake early, just in case. The dust from the OEM pads was quick to appear as well. The swap to the EBC pads was just what I was looking for. Naturally, one cannot expect a change of brake pads to instantly produce massive stopping power. And I was not looking for that. Braking was improved slightly, and it was enough to be noticeable. And the brake dust was gone, thanks to the ceramic compound on the EBC pads. Sure, if you looked hard enough, there is still a coating of brake dust on the rims, albeit a light coloured layer.
On the surface, it would appear that the EBC pads had a shorter lifespan - 10,000 km less than the OEM pads. In fact, it is hard to make a comparison as I was driving harder on the EBC pads. In the first 50,000 km, I was mostly doing short trips within the city and at most a 150 km run to Zhuhai or a 120 km run to Guangzhou. All of which was on flat ground and decent roads. After I made the change to the EBC pads, I had made a total of 6 long trips that were between 1200 km to 1500 km each way round and along the way there were long mountainous stretches with long stretches of downhill runs where opportunities to use the brakes were plentiful. In addition, I had also started to drive the car harder.
In all, I was very satisfied with the EBC Red Stuff brake pads.
Replacement Two Piece Rotors
In a luxurious sedan like the Audi A6, you cannot and should not turn it into a sports car. What you can do is to make small improvements so that it becomes a little more fun to drive. My modifications have centred around improving the handling of the car slightly with small adjustments. Even then, I have mostly adhered to the principle of replacing OEM parts with lighter and stronger aftermarket parts as the time for replacement comes. With the brake rotors wearing thin, it also presented me with an opportunity to swap the OEM rotors with something lighter. Swapping out for lighter rotors reduces unsprung weight. A reduction in unsprung weight theoretically leads to lighter load on the suspension and this translates to better suspension response and subsquently, better ride comfort and ability to soak up the irregularities on the road surface. In addition, the loss in unsprung weight also reduces the moment of inertia which means less energy is required to get moving. And in theory, this leads to faster acceleration and throttle response. In practice, the weight reduction from taking a kilogramme off each corner could well be meaningless, or virtually impossible to detect. Experts or enthusiasts tell me that I would expect to see greater improvement if I were to swap rims and tyres for lighter versions since the weight loss at each corner would be more like 3-4 kg or more. I couldnt agree more. However, it is not the time to replace the rims or the tyres and it is the time, however, to have the rotors changed. As such, I chose to go ahead and replace the OEM rotors with lighter aftermarket ones anyway. And even if it did not produce a noticeable effect, when the time comes to change the rims and tyres, I believe the effect certainly would be very noticeable when the aftermarket rotors were paired with lighter rims and wheels.
This is the front rotor and I have also opted for a slotted rotor since it looked nice and sporty too. I do not expect to need the slots to help counter brake fade since even with the hardest driving I have done so far, I have not had any problems with brake fade. The hub is aluminium alloy and lifting it and comparing it with the OEM rotors, the weight difference was obvious. Unfortunately, I did not have a scale on hand to measure the weights but I would put it as about 1-1.5 kg weight savings.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
WEC Audi Presents The 2012 World Champion
Audi has dominated the first season of the new World Sportscar Championship. Consider the Ingolstadt secured all the titles they have won.
In the manufacturers standings of the FIA World Endurance Championship was uncatchable Audi since August. At the finals in Shanghai the Audi factory driver Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer won a third of the race, the drivers standings - subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA. The second title crowns a successful debut season of the first hybrid sports car from Audi.
Audi shaped the new FIA World Endurance Championship, not only by the double title: Five times the team secured the top spot, and five times in eight races managed an Audi R18 overall victory - including the eleventh success of the brand in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Here, the e-tron Audi R18 quattro scored the first victory of a hybrid sports car in the endurance classic.
Toyota in China better
An intense battle with Toyota coined the second half of the season - including the final in China. The new world champions was enough in hybrid racer with the number one third place in the six hours from Shanghai to win the title. Your leadership in the table is now 13.5 points. Three individual wins, the driver trio has secured this season, three second places complete the balance.
The second place in the standings is going to a teams Audi drivers Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish, who had started from the front row in China, arrived in the race in second place behind the Toyota of Nicolas Lapierre and Alex Wurz. Seven podium finishes, including the opening game of the Twelve Hours of Sebring - together with Dindo Capello - stand in the season record of the Danish-Scottish Audi duo. They were also the most efficient combination in the field: In seven out of eight races of the season the Michelin Green X Challenge award went to the race number two.
The title win with the R18 e-tron quattro in China completes a unique long-distance season of Audi. With the GT3 sports car Audi R8 LMS this year has already decided the twelve hours of Bathurst and the 24-hour race at the Nurburgring, Spa-Francorchamps and Zolder for themselves.
Quotes after the race
Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): "Its nice that after the mark WM also could decide the drivers championship for us Unfortunately, we were not the year end with a victory in China We have very strong competition.. , which is a great incentive to work hard for the next year. "
Ralf Jüttner (Technical Director Audi Sport Team Joest): "Well, we won all the titles Congratulations to Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish have reported widely in China, although it was not enough to win... Both teams have implemented at the end of a hard season flawless pit stops. WEC is a great new championship, and weve won the first. "
Tom Kristensen (Audi R18 e-tron quattro, race number two): "This course has our Japanese competitors located very well congratulations on winning the race I look forward at the same time have a good race from Allan, had our team and me on the title.!. we for one simple reason no chance. Our opponents in the title fight went an Audi, and these cars are simply not Marcel, André and Ben have really earned the title with her performance. "
Allan McNish (Audi R18 e-tron quattro, race number two): "Second place was the best thing that could reach we now We have got the maximum out of the car and the tires, but Toyota was simply faster Congratulations to Marcel, André.. and Ben to the world title. They were incredibly good. we compete against each other, work as a team, however. "
Marcel Fässler (Audi R18 e-tron quattro, starting number one), "I want Audi to sincerely thank, because without this brand I had to experience such success never I have super teammate and a great team to me the title means a lot... Its a nice feeling to be world champion. "
André Lotterer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro, starting number one): "Le Mans and win the world title together is just great and I am pleased to share this success with Marcel and Ben We have three really good friends yet... Our huge thanks to Audi and to our team. car was always top. Unfortunately, it has not been enough for the win today, but we can be very happy after winning the title. "
Benoît Tréluyer (R18 Audi e-tron quattro, starting number one): "Im more than happy for this beautiful season, the world champion title is a nice section in his biography Many thanks to Audi for the good season..."
 |
| Audi: a new power in the World Sportscar Championship |
Audi shaped the new FIA World Endurance Championship, not only by the double title: Five times the team secured the top spot, and five times in eight races managed an Audi R18 overall victory - including the eleventh success of the brand in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Here, the e-tron Audi R18 quattro scored the first victory of a hybrid sports car in the endurance classic.
Toyota in China better
An intense battle with Toyota coined the second half of the season - including the final in China. The new world champions was enough in hybrid racer with the number one third place in the six hours from Shanghai to win the title. Your leadership in the table is now 13.5 points. Three individual wins, the driver trio has secured this season, three second places complete the balance.
The second place in the standings is going to a teams Audi drivers Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish, who had started from the front row in China, arrived in the race in second place behind the Toyota of Nicolas Lapierre and Alex Wurz. Seven podium finishes, including the opening game of the Twelve Hours of Sebring - together with Dindo Capello - stand in the season record of the Danish-Scottish Audi duo. They were also the most efficient combination in the field: In seven out of eight races of the season the Michelin Green X Challenge award went to the race number two.
The title win with the R18 e-tron quattro in China completes a unique long-distance season of Audi. With the GT3 sports car Audi R8 LMS this year has already decided the twelve hours of Bathurst and the 24-hour race at the Nurburgring, Spa-Francorchamps and Zolder for themselves.
Quotes after the race
Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): "Its nice that after the mark WM also could decide the drivers championship for us Unfortunately, we were not the year end with a victory in China We have very strong competition.. , which is a great incentive to work hard for the next year. "
Ralf Jüttner (Technical Director Audi Sport Team Joest): "Well, we won all the titles Congratulations to Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish have reported widely in China, although it was not enough to win... Both teams have implemented at the end of a hard season flawless pit stops. WEC is a great new championship, and weve won the first. "
Tom Kristensen (Audi R18 e-tron quattro, race number two): "This course has our Japanese competitors located very well congratulations on winning the race I look forward at the same time have a good race from Allan, had our team and me on the title.!. we for one simple reason no chance. Our opponents in the title fight went an Audi, and these cars are simply not Marcel, André and Ben have really earned the title with her performance. "
Allan McNish (Audi R18 e-tron quattro, race number two): "Second place was the best thing that could reach we now We have got the maximum out of the car and the tires, but Toyota was simply faster Congratulations to Marcel, André.. and Ben to the world title. They were incredibly good. we compete against each other, work as a team, however. "
Marcel Fässler (Audi R18 e-tron quattro, starting number one), "I want Audi to sincerely thank, because without this brand I had to experience such success never I have super teammate and a great team to me the title means a lot... Its a nice feeling to be world champion. "
André Lotterer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro, starting number one): "Le Mans and win the world title together is just great and I am pleased to share this success with Marcel and Ben We have three really good friends yet... Our huge thanks to Audi and to our team. car was always top. Unfortunately, it has not been enough for the win today, but we can be very happy after winning the title. "
Benoît Tréluyer (R18 Audi e-tron quattro, starting number one): "Im more than happy for this beautiful season, the world champion title is a nice section in his biography Many thanks to Audi for the good season..."
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