PCCB wear on track
10-02-2014, 03:33 PM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
PCCB wear on track
I'm wondering if using PCCB brakes on the track will wear out so quickly that I will be regretting buying them since replacement costs are "high"
I understand on the street they last longer then steel but does anyone have any experience with how long they last on the track?
I understand on the street they last longer then steel but does anyone have any experience with how long they last on the track?
10-02-2014, 03:38 PM
#2
Race Director
According to Porsche the new generation PCCB's taken directly from the 918 are supposed to have "greatly increased wear resistance" over the old version due to a much higher percentage of ceramic material in the discs. I doubt any owner has enough track miles on a set, however, to know whether that is true or not. Would be very curious to know myself....
10-02-2014, 03:40 PM
#3
Drifting
Thread Starter
10-02-2014, 03:46 PM
#6
In the past this option was pretty much to be avoided if you tracked the car. There were many horrid stories of PCCB's melting burning up at the track after a very limited number of track days. You had to be very very careful with cool down and pad depth. No one has tracked the new ones significantly BUT being very close to a major Porsche Cup team I have heard that this gen is no better and should be avoided for heavy tracking also.
10-02-2014, 03:47 PM
#7
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10-02-2014, 03:47 PM
#8
Drifting
Thread Starter
In the past this option was pretty much to be avoided if you tracked the car. There were many horrid stories of PCCB's melting burning up at the track after a very limited number of track days. You had to be very very careful with cool down and pad depth. No one has tracked the new ones significantly BUT being very close to a major Porsche Cup team I have heard that this gen is no better and should be avoided for heavy tracking also.
Question: What constitutes "heavy tracking"?
10-02-2014, 03:51 PM
#9
I'll make it easier-in the past they sucked and should be avoided. If you are going to be tracking the car avoid them.
10-02-2014, 04:19 PM
#10
Race Director
You ask a very valid question. Again, we can make assumptions based on old information, but there are a number of new variables that might change the answer. I plan to do a dozen or so autocrosses a year, maybe a DE or two and street driving. I was confident PCCB's would handle that based on the fact that guys I know with even the old PCCB's have found them to wear fine with similar use. But if you plan an extensive track schedule, the risk of premature wear and the large associated cost for replacement, may make them a bad choice for you since we don't know yet how well the new rotors will last.
The bottom line is, until we have hard data from actual users of the new brakes, not the old ones, it's all speculation. My $.02.
10-02-2014, 04:43 PM
#11
Drifting
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I can't speak to the 991 specifically, but I can speak about the 997.2 cars on PCCBs. I tracked my RS extensively and vigorously. It came with the PCCBs, so I ran them for maybe three sets of pads.
The pads wear very quickly. My estimate is roughly half life of a comparable pad on a cast iron rotor (please don't use the term steel - they are not). This was due to two issues. One, the rotor is a lot harder, therefore the pad took most of the wear. Second, you never want to run them down past 1/4 remaining thickness, as the rivet that secures the pad material onto the backing plate will machine into the rotor and ruin it. If you were to do this on a cast iron rotor, you can easily machine it smooth again.
The other problem I encountered is chipping of the rotor due to flying debris (rocks). And, of course it's very easy to chip or crack them in the course of taking off/on the caliper and/ or the wheel.
The pads wear very quickly. My estimate is roughly half life of a comparable pad on a cast iron rotor (please don't use the term steel - they are not). This was due to two issues. One, the rotor is a lot harder, therefore the pad took most of the wear. Second, you never want to run them down past 1/4 remaining thickness, as the rivet that secures the pad material onto the backing plate will machine into the rotor and ruin it. If you were to do this on a cast iron rotor, you can easily machine it smooth again.
The other problem I encountered is chipping of the rotor due to flying debris (rocks). And, of course it's very easy to chip or crack them in the course of taking off/on the caliper and/ or the wheel.
10-02-2014, 04:54 PM
#12
It will depend on your driving style. With the last generation of PCCB's, the worst I heard of was destroying a set of front rotors in two track weekends. If you are in a beginner group or on a more technical track, they may last years.
Only time will tell. Who will be the first to risk nearly $20k in rotors??
Although I did find this on the Suncoast site referring to PCCB rotors: "Factory rotors come with a 2-year unlimited mileage warranty, all warranty claims must be reviewed and processed by your local dealer." Not sure if that applies to original rotors, replacements, or what. Also, I imagine the warranty would not apply if track use was suspected. Again, who wants to be first to find out?
Only time will tell. Who will be the first to risk nearly $20k in rotors??
Although I did find this on the Suncoast site referring to PCCB rotors: "Factory rotors come with a 2-year unlimited mileage warranty, all warranty claims must be reviewed and processed by your local dealer." Not sure if that applies to original rotors, replacements, or what. Also, I imagine the warranty would not apply if track use was suspected. Again, who wants to be first to find out?
10-02-2014, 04:55 PM
#13
Burning Brakes
I can't speak to the 991 specifically, but I can speak about the 997.2 cars on PCCBs. I tracked my RS extensively and vigorously. It came with the PCCBs, so I ran them for maybe three sets of pads.
The pads wear very quickly. My estimate is roughly half life of a comparable pad on a cast iron rotor (please don't use the term steel - they are not). This was due to two issues. One, the rotor is a lot harder, therefore the pad took most of the wear. Second, you never want to run them down past 1/4 remaining thickness, as the rivet that secures the pad material onto the backing plate will machine into the rotor and ruin it. If you were to do this on a cast iron rotor, you can easily machine it smooth again.
The other problem I encountered is chipping of the rotor due to flying debris (rocks). And, of course it's very easy to chip or crack them in the course of taking off/on the caliper and/ or the wheel.
The pads wear very quickly. My estimate is roughly half life of a comparable pad on a cast iron rotor (please don't use the term steel - they are not). This was due to two issues. One, the rotor is a lot harder, therefore the pad took most of the wear. Second, you never want to run them down past 1/4 remaining thickness, as the rivet that secures the pad material onto the backing plate will machine into the rotor and ruin it. If you were to do this on a cast iron rotor, you can easily machine it smooth again.
The other problem I encountered is chipping of the rotor due to flying debris (rocks). And, of course it's very easy to chip or crack them in the course of taking off/on the caliper and/ or the wheel.
10-02-2014, 05:04 PM
#14
Drifting
Thread Starter
Thanks for all the replies. I'm tending toward changing my build to "cast Iron" brakes. Then maybe 6 months down the road I will look into the MovIt brakes, which sound great but I want to be sure they work as advertised since it is a big nut.
Any more opinions please keep them coming
Any more opinions please keep them coming
10-02-2014, 06:49 PM
#15
If you plan on tracking it hard and regularly I would recommend the steels for their lower replacement cost. PCCBs brake pads do wear out in as quickly as 5000 kms if driven hard on a track. And eventually the brake discs would need replacement too, which would be a very painful expense. For street driving Pccbs last a very long time.