Luluza

I have a 2008 A6 3.2 Quattro. The dealer quoted me $1,200 to replace front & rear brake pads. Does anyone know a reputable place where I can get the brake pads replaced for much less in Bergen county, New Jersey?

raj99

not sure of the relative distance from you, but the following seem to have good feedback from board members:

Dion @ Drive autoworks, Lynhurst
Patt @ http://www.redlinespeedworx.com/ 908.223.7477

first.octopus

I got the same car. The Audi dealer at Pasadena, CA quoted me $1500 to replace front & rear brake pads and rotors. I was able to order the Audi pads and rotors online. Cost about $550 including tax. A reputable Indie shop will charge me about $350 to install them. It is going to be $900 when it is all done.

BTW, front and rear pads together cost $180 only. Your dealer is charging over $1000 to do a simple brake job! LOL.

haloguy628

Before you pay anybody to do the brakes, go on youtube and watch some videos on how it's done. It's pretty straight forward job and maybe you can do the fronts yourself. The rears are little bit involved because you have to use VAG-COM so get those done but bring your own parts.

I get my rotors from here. They give you basic pads with the rotors but I don't use those but you might.

ftex

Doing the rear-brakes yourself is the perfect excuse to get the Ross-tech VCDS VAG-COM. This is what I did on my 2006 C6 Avant. After the OEM brake pads were low and needed changing, a trip to the dealer produced a quote was insane... I mean almost laughable. Decided to use Akebono ceramic pads (got the lead from feedback here), as the OEM pads were a dusty mess that coated my wheels black. Took a few hours, I learned something about the car, and savings paid for the VAG-COM and then some.

raj99

Many folks out there don't want to ever do there own brakes. Forums like this exist to help those out who want to attempt to, but also to help those folks out there that want to find people (i.e. indy/dealers) who can do the job well for them.

I for one have done my own brakes, but have also recently paid to get them done. It's an opportunity cost for me. I had purchased my own rotors (Brembo) and my own pads (Akebono) and my local indy had a slow Wednesday. I brought over a pizza and a $150 and had all for wheels taken care of. While I spent my time getting other work I needed to address.

When I need to do something quickly and don't have time/patience to work through it myself, having a good resource available to you is invaluable. On the other hand, I'm also someone who spent a whole weekend doing a TB, water pump, idler, struts, brakes, pads on my original C5 WITHOUT A BENTLEY! This forum was invaluable during that adventure (aka hell weekend), but an invaluable learning experience.

If you have the time, go try to do the front brakes, they are in fact fairly easy to do.

FWIW, when I think of all the DIY things folks do to their cars, I keep going back to this website and realize how people can completely mess up jobs that others would consider 'easy' : http://www.reddit.com/r/justrolledintotheshop

05whtaudia6

The brakes are extremely simple to do, many posts on the forum to say how. Yes you will need a Vag for the rears. to unlock e brake and to re engage it. I have a vag maybe something can be worked out.

If you want to pay someone i agree with raj99, good indy place to get work done.

Buckeyedoc006

I can second the Akebono pads. I put them on my '06 (now sold) before I put my 19's on. I was very impressed with the little to no brake dust.
I am going to order some for my 2011 now also before I put on the summer 19's. (Sidenote:should I consider upgrading the rotors when the time comes?)

Worldwidebeagle

Definitely get new good rotors.
I also use the Akebonos on my 11 avant. Much better better pedal moderation.
Oem rotors are poor, soft and rust badly. The Germans all use soft iron for rotors, so no german oem rotor lasts longer than the pad. Virtually all rotors are now made in China. Even the fancy rotors tuners use Chinese blanks and then add their mojo. As well as Brembo. For street use, just get new good oem equivalents in metallurgy and interior vaning, such as the Centech Stop tech and Raybestos advanced technology. Both these companies copy the oem iron composition and internal venting construction. I am Sure there are others. Both use the new high tech coatings to keep the top hats from rusting. I know several audi mechanics that will only use them. For street use drilled or slotted rotors are a pia and actually stop worse. Yes, they look cool. But in everyday street normal or hard driving, nothing stops, lasts and is as trouble free as quality Undrilled and unslotted discs.

raj99

All good point! I too use Akebonos and have been a fan for sometime. BTW, when you do the brake job, you might as well do a complete brake fluid change as well...especially if you have no idea when it was done last.

As for rotors, Beagle is correct with regards to rotor type, especially slotted which will in fact cause MORE brake dust. Since they are literally cutting away layers of your brake pad to get the vehicle to stop faster!

Although 90+% of blanks are now produced in China, you do get 'lucky' sometimes. My recent order of Brembos were actually manufactured in Italy.