RE: Brakes: Internal calipers

[Peter Henriksen <peterhe@microsoft.com>]

Message-ID: red-46-msg951211181323MTP[01.51.00]000000a0-31365

I have talked to a dealership in Denver who didn't think it was a big 
deal, but I'm inclined to believe other list members more and the 
things you point out are what I've heard too. However, according to the 
same dealership, not a lot of cars were converted (to the regular 200 
tq sedan disk brakes), so it will probably be very hard to find one on 
which the work has already been done.

Most dealerships don't even seem to know what you're talking about, but 
one dug up a tech bulletin on it, and then proceeded to say that they 
can't even get the parts anymore, so you're SOL unless you can find 
them lying around somewhere on a dusty shelf (my words, not theirs :-).

I'm very intrigued by the $500/wheel option of Brembo etc. brakes. I 
hadn't heard about that option before.
- peter

----------
| From:  <gregsj@mail.imm.com>
| To:  <quattro@coimbra.ans.net>
| Subject: Brakes: Internal calipers
| Date: Friday, December 08, 1995 10:23PM
|
| Fellow Audians: as most of you list regulars know, I am moving in on 
an '91 200
| TQW, in fact I am supposed to close the deal next week. I recently 
had some time
| to begin to work my way through some of the list archives and have 
uncovered a
| very troubling item - Internal calipers. In as much as my new car is 
"around the
| corner" and I am advising a friend who is looking at a 90 V8Q, I 
wanted to get
| an update/confirmation. Here's my understanding: 90 V8Qs and 91 200 
TQ's shipped
| with internal calipers. Apparently, what looked good on paper did not 
turn out
| too well in the real world and owners soon discovered that this setup 
did not
| cool correctly; which lead to warped rotors and/or steering wheel 
shudder and/or
| too much unsprung weight, which caused a heavy steering feel. Audi 
eventually
| acknowledged the problem and if the owner discovered it during the warranty
| period and made enough noise (the squeaky wheel gets the grease) Audi would
| upgrade the brake system to (what did they upgrade to?). Those who 
discovered
| the problem after the warranty period were SOL, or could pay for the upgrade
| themselves to the tune of $3K. What is the current status of this 
situation? Is
| the problem really that much of a problem for a daily driver (I can 
see how it
| would be a problem at driver training). Does it really cost $3K to 
resolve? If
| one is contemplating a '90 V8Q or '91 200 TQ that has not been 
upgraded, does
| that mean the car is worth $3K less than avg. retail or are cars with the
| upgrade worth $3K more the avg. retail. HELP! Any other comments/information
| will be greatly appreciated! Clearly, I do not want to buy a car only to
| discover that the only way to cure its brake problem is $3K! Many 
thanks! Greg.