Let's talk brake pads
 

I need to replace my stock pads in the 996.

I found it amazing that the pads were only half worn with 28K miles on my car, and I managed to destroy the other half (literally) in about two months with 2 auto-x events and one track day. I actually had to cut my track day short (only by about 2 laps) due to complete pad wear. I got the dash warning as well as the old "pedal to the floor squishy brake" warning :)

Anyway, I need pads and the car is grounded for the time being.

What should I get? I plan on doing at least 3 DE events in the upcoming year and maybe a little auto-x'ing.

Should I put factory pads in there or go for some sort of upgrade?

The stopping power of the car is directly related to the grip provided at the contact patch. IMO, the factory pad, or OEM sport pad is fine for lower run groups, especially when running street tires. Wear will be higher than average, but workable. OEM pads are cheap by comparison, but about right given their performance level.

Higher grip tires may over tax normal compound brake pads under constant extreme loading conditions. You can still lock up R-compound tires with OEM pads, but you will likely eat through the pads quickly. Put another way, you can upgrade to a more aggressive compound to better utilize better tires. Upgrading to an endurance racing pad will give you better performance and longer life. Some compounds have a good operating range, long life, and are rotor friendly. Other racing pads have better bite, better stopping power, but need higher temperatures to really work. I would shy away from these if your car is used on the street, as these types of pads will not operate optimally without correct temperatures (which won't happen in normal driving).

Pagid makes a number of compounds that will fit your needs. Many use RS19/29 (Pagid Yellow). Others use RS14 (Pagid Black). [some even combine the two front to back]. You could even try one of their other compounds since you will have minimal track use (RS5 (Blue) or RS4-4 (Orange)). HERE is some info.

PFC and Hawk are some other choices, but I don't have much info on them, as I have only run OEM and Pagid products. But many track junkies and club racers swear by them.

Be prepared to shell out some dough, as high performance pads, regardless of manufacturer, will run around $500-$600+ just for the pads. Add on install, high temp brake fluid, and and flush, and you'll be closer to $700. You can save some $ by picking a lower performance pad, but not much.

-td

Sounds like the pagid yellows are the way to go then.

Since their they're times more expensive than OEM I hope they last three times longer :)

What are your thoughts on the OEM sport pads? $250 for the set (front and rear)

http://e-partssales.com/Merchant2/gr...PADS%20BIG.jpg

http://e-partssales.com/Merchant2/me...6BrakesCarrera

How bad do the pagid's squeal?




Here's their chart:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3027/...22be8e33_o.png

The RS 14's will "talk" to you when they are cold. It happens mostly at low speeds and it's not too bad IMHO.

I just ordered a set of RS29's this morning. They seem like the best compound for what I am trying to do. I still can't believe how much these pads cost.

Let me know what you think of them.

I've got the Porsche Sport pads and like them. They don't make any noise and have marginally better feel than the reg OE. For the price, they fit into my needs very well. If you have not already, be sure you upgrade your fluid also.

Get some good brake fluid while you are at it. Like Castrol SRF or Brembo 600

Have you done any track days on the sport pads yet? I've heard they don't last much longer than the stock pads. The price is certainly reasonable though compared to the pagids.

Already running Motul. I'll probably have them flushed again while it's in for pads.

I have one track day and 2 auto-X on the sports and they are still at about 75%. The track wasn't too hard on brakes (and my first time there) and the auto-X were both slow (damn miata club events). So, in fairness, I have not really pushed them too hard. If they last as long as the OE, that is fine with me. I needed to change and just wanted something with some moderately better stopping ability and low noise at a reasonable price.

Part of my problem, if you will, is that my car has an upgraded suspension as well as the supercharger. I'm carrying more corner speed as well as much more straight line speed than a standard 996. I'm sure if I had larger brakes (ie turbo reds) with stock pads it might not be as much of an issue.

However, the car is out of balance right now and the brakes are the weak link. Something I didn't discover till getting out in a track environment. I'm hoping the crazy expensive performance pads will even things out some. Even though they are way more pricey than stock pads, they're still cheaper than upgrading the calipers and rotors. We'll see how it works out.

Throw on some of the cup car brake duct spoilers. They are supposed to help with cooling and are cheap.
Good luck out there!