AP Racing 6 Pot S3 Conversion - Weights.

[Spin140]

The guys at AP have finished the development of my S3 for the above kit which will marketed within the next month, I will be posting a full review with pics and initial thoughts once I collect the car on Thursday but for now here are some of the weights of OEM S3 kit Versus AP racing set up.(All weights were taken with pads etc included)

OEM Discs = 12 kg
AP Discs = 8.5kg

OEM Single Piston Calipers = 8.5kg
AP 6 Piston Calipers = 4.1kg

Total weight saving = 7.9KG

This is 'Upsprung' weight so subject to the usual calculation of each corner x 4, therefore a total saving of 63.2KG, Can anyone confirm this is the correct calculation ?

Either way a significant weight saving coupled with the promise of far superior performance.


Looking forward to picking the car up.

 

[S3RYE]

those are some impressive stats.. cannot wait to see them!! :icon_thumright:

 

[CJ3BLUE]

Sounds impressive any rough idea on cost for the conversion ?

 

[N8]

It'll be amazing Spin...

 

[devonmikeyboy]

I bet the calipers are 3 piston each not 6 piston each not that it makes much difference.

 

[N8]

I'm pretty sure they are 6 pots Mikey....

 

[Spin140]

Sounds impressive any rough idea on cost for the conversion ?

Approx £2K

 

[devonmikeyboy]

Yeah sorry my bad AP stuff is usually 4or 6 pot each caliper. That`s what happens when i type before thinking

As Spin said AP 6 pot stuff is usually around £1,900 and very very good. I just wish AP would offer there kits with bigger discs if wanted as most of the Audi stuff including S3 come with 330mm discs when 355mm discs look alot better even if it doesn`t improve the braking as far as AP are concerned.
http://www.bigbrakes4u.co.uk/racing-kits-p-478.html

 

[Spin140]

I agree that AP could use larger discs but there kits are more about performance than pure aesthetics. The link is a useful indication but the discs will be grooved rather than drilled, AP went into great detail as to why grooved is far better than drilled, they did agree though that drilled look better, I was after the ultimate BBK from a performance perspective and hopefully this is what I will have. The actual onsale is being slightly delayed due to awaiting the manufacture of custom carriers, the attention to detail is impressive and it was a joy to have mini tour of the factory and see just how well some UK manufacturers are doing. Roll on tomorrow afternoon.

 

[S3RYE]

Thats a fair price. Wouldn't think twice between this or the rs4 kit. I will 100% have these. Any plans for the rears? Is it worth doing the rears? I know on some cars when you uprgrade the fronts to a high spec you should balance the rears??

 

[mrgicm]

AP and Brembo sare surely in the top top of preformance Brake kits, so you canot choose any better. However, the biggest difference you will fell about the weight is the less weight of the rotors as they along with the rims are the rotation mass, and there you will feel gains, however the weight of the callipers is not a rotating mass so it wont influence you that much (but ofcourse still is a difference). so the only imprtant gains are at the rotors. I must say that this is a really good price that is worth every penny. And in my opinion brakes are VERY VERY important when your runing stg2+ because OEM just cant cope with the speed. Since here in Croatia brakes are very expensive STOPTECH - 2500 pounds , AP - 3000 pounds , brembo 2900 pounds , I have done alot of research and lot of my friends are using AP,brembo and porsche. I found a great deal with the porsche 6 piston monoblock callipers (also weigh much less than OEM) and a set of 2 piece floating 360mm discs, and in my opinion they will more than enough. and since in this way my brake balance will be unbalanced, I went for the 255 2 piece floating discs at the rear with the OEM callipers. as it is very hard to find callipers that will mach the handbrake connection to the rear, in my calculations this will give me about 30% better braking power at the rear and somewhat putting the brake bias in balance... Very nice choice and cant wait for pic and a rewiew....

 

[N8]

when you uprgrade the fronts to a high spec you should balance the rears??

I think your okay on the S3, I know RS4 rears are amazing upgrade......AP & Brembo are the same company

 

[NHN]

AP and Brembo sare surely in the top top of preformance Brake kits, so you canot choose any better. However, the biggest difference you will fell about the weight is the less weight of the rotors as they along with the rims are the rotation mass, and there you will feel gains, however the weight of the callipers is not a rotating mass so it wont influence you that much (but ofcourse still is a difference). so the only imprtant gains are at the rotors. I must say that this is a really good price that is worth every penny. And in my opinion brakes are VERY VERY important when your runing stg2+ because OEM just cant cope with the speed. Since here in Croatia brakes are very expensive STOPTECH - 2500 pounds , AP - 3000 pounds , brembo 2900 pounds , I have done alot of research and lot of my friends are using AP,brembo and porsche. I found a great deal with the porsche 6 piston monoblock callipers (also weigh much less than OEM) and a set of 2 piece floating 360mm discs, and in my opinion they will more than enough. and since in this way my brake balance will be unbalanced, I went for the 255 2 piece floating discs at the rear with the OEM callipers. as it is very hard to find callipers that will mach the handbrake connection to the rear, in my calculations this will give me about 30% better braking power at the rear and somewhat putting the brake bias in balance... Very nice choice and cant wait for pic and a rewiew....

Either you're in Labour or you're in rush, lmfao

 

[c41lum]

any news on the price for replacement rotors when the time comes?

 

[mrgicm]

Either you're in Labour or you're in rush, lmfao

Why????

 

[Spin140]

I asked about upgrading the rear but AP said it can be done and they would be very happy to take the money but really not considered nescessary in the case of the S3, we discussed at length the brake bias but I must admit he lost me somewhere along the way as very technical !


Some more details (Edited due to pricing information etc)...

The recommended list price for the AP Racing 6-pot set up = £1,973.48 + vat.
Part # CP5575M1011Bk.CG12
Kit involves: -
Caliper 6-pot type.
Disc Ø355x32mm, with 48off internal curved cooling vanes handing them LH & RH, 8off grooves per brake face. The discs are mounted to alloy bell centres using the AP Racing strap drive floating mechanism.
Alloy caliper mount brackets.
Hose adaptors.
APF404 fast road & track pads,
Brake fluid Dot 5.1.
All bolt fixings.


Projected running costs if you want to compare: -
6 Track day a year plus 15,000 road miles on this type of sports model is probably going to use up between 2 to 3 sets of front pads over the 12 months. *APR pad set full list = £198 + vat.
You may also use up a set of front discs, depending on track type and driving style. APR discs and strap drive kits to mount to the *bells, approx list £200 each + vat.

APR pad’s are 152mm long x 54mm deep.

I asked AP about the brake pad wear sensor that is standard on the S3 and wether I would have any check lights etc..


The Audi pad wear indicator consists of a hard plug slotted into the steel back plate of the brake pad; this has a simple wire running through it. When this is broken through by the action of disc rubbing on it, the indicator light comes on. On the S3 model this is only fitted to the near side inner pad and operates when approx 6mm of pad material left on the back plates.
The APR 6-piston pad cannot accommodate this plug; therefore this facility gets disabled by wrapping this small sensor plug out of the way. This way it can be utilised again if the OE brakes are refitted at any time.

Unlike the S3 standard single piston calipers, the APR 6-pots are of an open back design so it’s quite easy to look into the caliper to see if the pads are worn down before and during a track event, just as a Group A Touring car running on very similar 6-pot calipers, would do.

The APR 6-pot calipers pads can be changed by simple removing the 2 off M8 Alun bolts, pull out the old pads and slide in new ones, just as they would in a race car installation. This takes 5/10 minuets a side as opposed to 15/20 minuets each side if the caliper has to come off !

The anti -lock is NOT affected!

Hope this info helps answer many of the questions.

 

[N8]

I already had that info But thanks Mart