In terms of driving impressions, well...it feels heavy and clumsy around town. The steering is very heavy...forget twirling the wheel with a finger. The shifter is mounted low and away. It takes effort to shift, and it's very solid and mechanical (rod shifter). The clutch is progressive but the friction point is not very obvious. Ride is quite good, and push through the clumsy feeling and she can dance. Brakes are hysterically soft, typical for a SHO.
I was still on the original pads/rotors when I sold it back in '04 and not a day goes by that I don't miss it.
aftermarket pads will do that. I had the same problem on my passat, put in OEM pads and no more rattle. it was annoying as hell every little bump or crack in the road. The reason they supply those \"anti-rattle\" clips is because the pads ARE NOT made to oem specs. Only slightly oem specs and you get the play in the pad to bracket clearance like the pad is not tight in there. Those clips take up that space. I have used pads from just about every manufacturer, bendix, ate, wagner, ebc, monroe, bosch, beck arnley, raybestos. All not made to OEM specs. The only pads I have found that are close or good enough to oem are akebono but they tend to squeel if you glaze them from hard stopping. Cheap pads gets you cheap pads.
I had 'em on my 323i and agree that the initial bit was a bit less, but the stopping power was still good and the wheels stayed very clean.
Sorry to disagree, but the Akebono pads have been way quieter than stock and create practically zero dust. The rate of wear is seemingly slower than OEM too.
Installed front and rear Akebono Euro ceramic pads on my car. Have only driven about 200 miles but there is almost no brake dust on my wheels. Initial bite is a little less than stock pads but modulation is fine and no noise. So far, so good.
I had Akebono pads on my A4 and will be getting them for the CC, they stopped great and the dust will much much better than OEM.
I'm running Akebono ceramic pads, good price, no dust and brake nice for an OEM setup.
Update: Replaced all the brake pads with Akebono Euro Ceramic pads last week and have been squeak free since. Let's hope it stays this way. Besides being quiet, they give off low brake dust, have a nice brake feel and were reasonably priced ($130 after tax and shipping off Amazon).
Like the Akebono's better than the Hawks, but the smell is almost clutch like which can be disconcerning at times. Hawks stink when cooked, but not like the Akebono's.
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