I live in Chicago, and I need to replace my front brake rotors and pads. I'm a "very spirited driver", (all year round, including in 6+ inches of snow) and drive an '02 Audi TT 180 Quattro, nearly stock, Kumho SPT's in the summer, Hankook IceBears in the winter.

I've used EBC Green Stuff on my old eclipse in the past, have decided to go with EBC Red Stuff pads, and figured I would get standard rotors. I just wanted to know if anyone else had used slotted rotors in comparison to standard rotors in cold and/or snowy climates. I do realize that stopping in snow/slush is limited regardless of the rotor, due to the wet/snow weather traction of my tires, just wanted to know if anyone else has dealt with this issue before...


In addition, has anyone used the standard ECS rotors or the Schwaben slotted rotors? Any other rotor input is welcome (i.e. Zimmerman, etc)

I am buying tonight, so Thanks for all of your responses in advance!

 

I'm in milwaukee and just put zimmerman drilled (not slotted) rotors on last winter. The pads I got were from ecs.com. I cant remember the name, but they were really expensive had had the wear sensor. I'm happy with everything. It wasn't cheap.
I did a full break job all around on my 225 and it was around $500 parts and shiping alone. I got the rotors on ebay.

Tires are going to make a huge difference in the winter. Keep in mind that the tt is only a few inches off the ground. I wouldn't drive it, if your going to hit 8" ice ***** that'll crack the bumper or lower lip. It's good in light snow (1-3"), but thats pretty much it. It's not a 4x4 truck.

 

Oh, I forgot... how it compares to stock. Stock was nearly exactly the same when everything was "cold", however, after a few hard stops... the aftermarket parts were better. How much better? Just a bit... maybe 15%?? I dont know. My drilled rotors are holding up at all temp's too. I think it's all in the pads.

 

Don't get EBC Reds, they're basically a track pad, and in cold weather they'll never come up to temp...I'm going to put on a set of Hawk HPS by winter, and I'm in Chicagoland as well

 

I do realize it isn't a truck, though it does handle better than most 4x4's and my lower lip is already cracked because of my dumbass driving into a hunk of ice overhanging a curb last year...haha oops, merely a flesh wound.

Ya'll up in Milwaukee had a much worse winter than we did down here, and it was pretty nasty here last year, but I didn't get stuck once. I really have to give that all to the winter tires though.

 

I'm really just concerned about whether or not the slotted or drilled rotors will be more beneficial over the standard rotors when driving all winter long throughout the snow and slush that seems to plague us here in the North.

I guess cracking under extreme cold use would be a concern as well, but you said that you didn't have any issues with cracking. Damnit and I thought I had already made up my mind earlier!

 

I thought that the Reds were considered Fast Street / Track, and their Yellows were considered Track pads? There are no minimum temperature ratings on their page either.

 

If I were you I would spend the money in pads. I think the ones I got were hawk, as suggested above. The rotors are not going to make a huge difference, IMO. I got drilled, zinnerman rotors.
My rotors held up perfect, but if your going to be using the tt as a DD, I think stock rotors *may* be better. Like I said, my rotors didn't crack in the cold.... but they also didn't warp in the heat. It might have been my driving, maybe luck?? It's hard to say. I think stock *may* hold up at all temps better, but zinnerman work *slightly* better. You are going to have to make the same call or "guess" as I did.

 

Anyone have issues with brakes NOT working after upgrading to higher performance pads/rotors?

Really only happened on long highway drives where i wasn't touching the brakes for quite a long time in rainy/snowy conditions. I'd go for the brake, and for the first second or so, they'd be useless until they heated up enough to drive the water out.

With that said, I still loved my zimmerman x-drilled rotors for 99.5% of driving, and I've used mintex red box pads. some will say not to, they wear out in very short miles, but thats not true. A few years back, there was a bad batch, and they really did have a 3000 mile lifetime before they were shot. But that was a bad run. It happens. I'll use them again, unless I can find Ferodo pads in the US. I wanna give them a shot.

 

I had noticed some similar issues in the snow where the pads didn't seem to grab the rotor quite as well as I had hoped, with stock pads and rotors. Since this is my DD all year long, I was hoping that the cross drilled or slotted (or drilled and slotted) would allow the water wick away from the rotor and thus hopefully make the brakes more effective and a little more responsive in the snow and rain.

Does anyone have any experience with the Schwaben rotors from ECS??