I'm helping a friend out & changing the pads in his 1998 Boxster. This vehicle is strictly used on the street. Any recommendations on pads for the car.
Unfortunately Boxsters are not my forte.

 

Done the brakes a number of times on my 2002 Boxster and I used the factory pads sourced at the local/handy Porsche dealer parts counter. With my PCNA membership I get a discount. I forget how much.

I've encountered at least two different makes/brands of pads. I can't recall the names now.

Pelican Parts sells parts online/mail order if you prefer to go that way.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/Porsche/index-SC.htm

Suncoast is another source of online Porsche parts.

http://suncoastparts.com/

Generally the rotors need to be replaced at the same time as the pads. No need to get all fancy with a micrometer. A 1mm lip on the outer edge of the rotor means 2mm of wear and that's the wear limit.

Porsche sells a brake hardware kit that contains the hardware to do one "axle". The kit includes the brake hardware like the pad retainer, the retainer pin, its spring clip, new flat head screws that hold the brake to the hub, and maybe a few other items.

You can see what some of the smaller items in this kit offered by Pelican Parts. Be aware that this is not the same kit as the kit offered by Porsche.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/...rTech%23item17

When I remove the calipers to replace the rotors I use new caliper bolts.

Sometimes one can reuse the wear sensors. If I reuse them I am prepared to have a spurious brake wear light come on. Other times I just replace the wear senors especially if the brakes have worn enough to trip the wear light.

After the brakes are done it is important to flush and bleed the brakes hydraulic system and if the car is equipped with a manual transmission to flush and bleed the clutch hydraulic system too.

 

Thanks for the info. I do all the work on my 996TT, 911 Cab & 928 but th Boxster is new to me.

 

If you have done the brakes on your Turbo, 911 and 928 the Boxster brakes will be quite similar. There are no real gotchas. (If fitted you must know the "trick" to using a large putty knife to separate the anti-squeal pads from the pad backing plate?) Just good disciplined intelligent auto wrenching and smarts about doing brakes -- a safety critical system to be sure -- is all that is required.

I find laying some newspapers under the brake hardware and giving each brake a good spraying with brake cleaner from an aerosol can to remove the considerable grime that brake hardware can accumulate helps a bit.

This is a good time to remove the dust from the areas generally buried behind brake hardware, the rotor, and wheel/tire. Gives one a chance to clean the piston dust boots of dust so when the piston is shoved back in the caliper to accommodate the new and thicker pads the dust boots don't have to fold up a layer of dust.