Brake pads Akebono or OEM Audi

Have always used Centric Premium rotors with Akebono ProAct ceramic brake pads to good effect. Good brake bite, low dust, low noise, and longevity.

Akebono are probably the best quality pads that you can get from Rockauto.

I had my S3 in last Friday and the dealership managed to fix my tick/click. I took a video of the noise before taking it in for service but it didn't turn out as well as nikhsub1's; however, the noise was almost identical to nikhsub1's but mine only happened when turning to the right. I would hazard a guess that it may be the same issue some are experiencing with the R. I didn't get the chance to talk to the technician directly but the service writer described the issue as a loose pin or tab on the brakes that was making contact with the rotor.

Ive always had good results with Akebono for a mild upgrade from OE, they are now OE supplier for Porsche so thats a testament to their quality.

I saw a review of the GTI with the PP and the reviewer said the brakes on the PP are the same brakes used on the Audi S3.

Aftermarket pads work just fine. Just don't get the cheapest brake pads you can find and you'll be okay. The OEM pads are very good, and I buy them from the dealer and put them on myself to save a lot of money. If you want to keep OEM feel Akebono makes most of Toyota's pads.

If you hate brake dust but want reliable braking power, Akebono pads are a good choice.

Well I feel that Akebono was a nice balance in feel and no dust (it drove me nut).

Akebono ceramic pads (ACT888) - not much brake dust, good cold bite, good wet bite. EBC rotors. Rockauto will have them - great website, btw. I got EBC simply because the rotor hats are painted black. My g35 had the rotor hats with a red ring of rust on them, looked awful. In hindsight, really any rotors will be fine. Centric premiums are ok, probably around 50 bucks each - I think they have the black painted hats as well. Akenbono pads were maybe 100 for the 4. I think I got those on Amazon. They have ones that are OEM form factor. Drilled/slotted are for racing applications, not so much for dd. Not necessary to spend the money on those. And by racing, I mean you are stomping on your brakes 20 times in 5 minutes, for 10 laps. You'll end up replacing the pads and rotors pretty quickly due to the sheer heat involved in constant hard braking. So the longevity involved is... 1 track day, or two track days. Brake pads and rotors are fundamentally a wear item. The pads/rotors will wear over time regardless of DBA's "kangeroo paw" ventilation system - DBA 4/5000's are what, 200 bucks a pop. It really doesn't matter. You should get 25,000 miles out of pretty much any set of brake pads and rotors almost regardless of what brand they are. No reason to buy 800 dollar set vs 2-300 dollar set unless you are literally a racetrack driver. I'm betting my EBC rotors and Akebono pad combo will last about 50,000 miles, seeing as how my sedan is a dd that I pack my kids into.

My stock rear brakes never made any noise. Recently replaced rotors and pads - went with Akebono Euro Ceramic - and now have the same "clunk" you describe. Usually only first thing in the morning when I back out of my driveway and then roll forward and brake.