I commented last Wednesday on the arrival of my new pads (Carbotech Bobcats) and rotors (DBA 4000s), and this weekend I got to finally put them on and go for a spirited drive to bed them and become acclimated to them.

First, let me say "THANKS!" to RobC, a local S4 owner who lent his time, expertise, and garage space for the installation. Having the right tools, especially an air wrench, was really useful. Total time invested, including diversions for lunch, visitors and my bumbling hands, was the better part of 4 hours.

Next, the pics:

My dirty front calipers with the new DBA 4000s and the RED RED carbotech bobcats:



My driver's side rear; this pic really shows the temp markings featured on the DBA 4000s.



Now the fronts, also showing the temp marking. They're pretty easy to see, even with the wheels on.

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Hmm...next time I pull my wheels off, I'll probably clean the calipers. ;-p



The most satisfying part of the installation was becoming comfortable with the installation process. I'm not a guru by any means, but swapping pads or even rotors seems like a manageable task now. Oh yeah, it was nice not having to pay the dealer $500. :)

Impressions

On Sunday morning, I went for a spirited drive to get accustomed to the new pad feel. While the change wasn't dramatic, I did notice that the new Carbotechs felt more progressive and didn't give up the ghost if I pushed down hard. My OEM pads were very on/off and didn't inspire late braking. Coming to work today, I found myself applying more pressure than was really needed, stopping embarassingly short of my intended marks. ;) As a major plus, these new pads are silent (again, the OEMs were the exact opposite) and have the potential to dust far less.

As expected, my overall impressions were very positive. I'll be tracking my otherwise stock S4 in two weeks, and I'll update my impressions afterwards.

2008 Track days: Mid-Ohio, Talladega, VIR, Barber