Re: 91 200 TQ Brakes (longish ANTI-UFO)

["Avi Meron" <avi@cosmoslink.net>]

Hey,
Should we understand from your post that you don't like UFO brakes?.....
Puzzled in Yorba Linda...
Avi
-----Original Message-----
From: Sargent Schutt <sargent@novagate.com>
To: Greg Johnson <gregsj@iea.com>; ColinHames <cchames@mm.com>
Cc: Quattro List <quattro@coimbra.ans.net>
Date: Monday, January 26, 1998 1:09 AM
Subject: Re: 91 200 TQ Brakes (longish ANTI-UFO)


>I would never ever recommend buying UFO brakes to ANYONE. I bought my 91
>200q (the one in EC) WITH UFO brakes, to the advice of many who say they
>are great brakes and have not had problems. I can NOT corroborate that
>story.
>
>I bought the car in Michigan (during a snowstorm :-)) 1/2/97. On 1/4/97
>I drove from MI to Vail, CO. By the time I was in Vail, after a few
>mountain passes (high speed) the infamous UFO brakes had started to
>warp. Heat should not have been an issue. 90 or so MPH on the freeway,
>little use of brakes on downsloping passes, near to below freezing
>temps, and yet they warped. By the time I made it to Telluride a few
>days later, they were nearly trashed. A couple high-speed stops
>straightened 'em out a little. Compounding the problem was the fact that
>between Vail and Telluride it snowed pretty hard, and the snow/slush
>became clogged in the brake cooling scoops. That's some real FINE
>engineering; a quattro that isn't designed to be driven in the snow.
>
>Upon returning to San Diego, something had to be done. After waiting for
>AVS to put together a bracket kit using the UFO strut tower with a
>caliper bracket holding a four pot caliper over the OE S4 rotor (don't
>know if Max ever got this together or not), I went with the 'upgrade'
>kit. The upgrade kit (I bought from AVS) used the conversion strut
>towers and calipers used on the S4/S6/92+V8. Cost $1200 - used strut
>towers/rotors; new pads/rotors. I do not believe these calipers are the
>G60 units, but shamefully I do not have data on this. (Can anyone give
>me the answer -> S4/6 = G60s??) Regardless, they do not stop as nice as
>the UFOs, but no spasmic steering wheel, either. And replacement rotors
>don't cost $700. What a JOKE. Sorry, but I feel I got ripped-off by Audi
>on this one. How could they have done such a piss-poor job of
>engineering on such a major component, arguably the most important thing
>on the entire car?!?
>
>Bottom line - get someone to knock off around $1500 for a car with UFOs,
>buy it and throw some four pot calipers on it. You'll be pleased as
>punch. I had my two-pot set-up at Thunderhill, and I can only say that
>they were fine, not superb. The pedal felt a little spongy after 30-40
>minutes of hammering, but that may owe more to the OE fluid I had in
>there. Unfortunately some last minute snafus prevented my getting the
>car set-up properly. Next week it is getting stainless lines all around
>(DOT approved), new rear calipers, e-brake cables, and some Motul
>high-temp stopping sauce. This should cure the high-temp spongy problem,
>improve feel about 10%, and give a good measure of how well the calipers
>are working. Pads are PBR metalmasters. They did well, I did not notice
>tremendous fade, even after an hour and half on the track (only
>sponginess - more a function of the fluid, me thinks). Rotors are OE
>S4/6 rotors - not drilled or slotted.
>
>Oh, when I bought my car, the previous owner had installed *NEW* UFO
>calipers, rotors and pads 15k miles before my purchase. They were *not*
>warped when I bought it. I got only 2k miles or so out of them. Yes,
>they are like anchors, stopping feel is nice, very nice. But they are
>fragile as all hell. Not a commendable charactarisitic for BRAKES.
>
>Anyway, that's my .02 on these things. Actually more like $1500. I'm
>still fuming about it.
>
>Regards,
>
>Sarge
>
>91 200q
>86 5ktq
>
>
>