Joe, I think your expectation of getting your 987 brakes feel "exactly" like a GT3 is a little lofty given the significant differences in the brake setup. I just drove a 986 last week to compare to my 987 after seeing your post that the 986 feels better and I didnt get that impression. However, my 993 has a rock hard pedal (same pads as I have on the 987) and it obviously doesnt have GT3 brakes either...so I guess there has to be some kind of solution!

 

It doesn't have to feel exactly like a GT3, but I don't think that asking for a firm pedal is too lofty. What is it about the GT3 braking system that is so drastically different than others? My 'lowly' Mitusbishi Evo X has a great pedal and is still much better than the pedal on my spyder even with the GT3 master cylinder. As far as the 986 goes, yes it's no GT3, but I still thought it was better than the current 987 stock pedal, and better than my PCCB setup with GT3 master cylinder.

 

I drove both the Cayman R and 997.2 C2S on the track this weekend, and I can attest once again that the brake pedal feel of the 997 is far superior. I talked with another guy with a Cayman R (fairly advanced driver) and he agreed that the pedal feel is spongy, and he felt that the GT3 MC offers only a modest improvement. And another guy there with a Cayman R cooked his rear brakes, to the point where the red calipers turned dark crimson.

Seems to me that Porsche missed the mark with these brakes. No excuses for that in cars that are intended for significant track use.

 

I completely agree. At the very least, the R/Spyder should have had some form of upgrade from the factory.

 

I had another track day yesterday with the CR, and am getting to really dislike the brake pedal feel. Part of the problem may be that I'm only an 'advanced beginner', but it seems to make it a lot harder to develop and maintain threshold braking (while heel/toeing) when the pedal feel is spongy.

 

I wonder if anyone has swapped in a 997S or GT3/turbo/gt2 brake booster. Is the braking between these cars of the same design?

 

I don't have any information on which brake booster would be better for your cars, as extensive testing would be needed. However, here are the part numbers Porsche used, and the models with which they correspond.

98735592300 is the standard 987 booster for all cars with steel brakes. This includes Cayman R and Boxster Spyder.

99635592300 is the 987 booster for all PCCB cars. This part was also used on all 996 Carrera and Turbo models.

99635592390 is the 996 GT booster. This was used on 996 GT2 and GT3 models from the factory.

99735592300 was used on 997 Carrera 2, C2S, Speedster, and Sport Classic models (both PCCB and steel rotors).

99735592320 is the booster used on 997 Carrera 4, Targa4, and GTS models without PCCB.

99735592537 is another 997 booster number. This unit was used on C4, Targa4, and GTS models with PCCB, as well as C4S, Targa4S, and 997 Turbo regardless of braking package.

99735592390 is the 997 GT booster. This was used on all 997 GT3, including the RS 4.0, as well as all 997 GT2, including the RS.

I hope this has helped to clear the muddy waters of Porsche brake boosters. If not, I would be glad to answer any questions you have.

We also have plenty of the GT3 master cylinders remaining in stock, ready for shipment.

 

We put some fairly aggressive track brake pads on the Cayman R and the brakes feel much better now. Maybe not the best solution if you're not tracking the car much, but IMO definitely the way to go if you're tracking a lot (stock pads don't last long on the track).

 

I've had similar experiences with the stock pads going away relatively quickly on track. Try some EBC RedStuff or Hawk Blues to give your car an edge.

For the rest of our brake pad options, click here!

 

Supposedly the brake booster in a GT3 is not a direct fit and would a 'monumental' task to custom fit. :-(

 

The track pads we currently have are Hawk HT10s, which squeal so loudly that they're unusable on the street. Several people suggested PFC 08s as a quieter option. Any thoughts on those?

 

Hmmm, would that 996 GT Booster work on a standard 2001 996 C2?

 

@Manifold I've heard good things about the PFC Brakes but have never dealt with them, we are currently looking into the PFC Brakes and will get back to you as soon as we can. We do offer a competitive brake pads by Hawk that work great, the DTC-60 or DTC-70 Pads. Proven to be great on the track and with stand the test of many weekend track warriors.


@Reborn996 After doing a little research, it seems that the 996 GT booster should work on a standard 2001 996 C2.