Mike in CA

I'm no expert, but aren't the materials used in those race calipers different (and much more expensive) than those in Brembo's cast aluminum GT calipers for street cars? Might have an affect on how they're designed for rigidity.

Maybe I'm naïve, but brake engineering based on increasing maintenance and repair time to discourage owners from changing their own pads seems very unlikely and stupid. We can argue whether Porsche's engineers don't know what they're doing and have made a mistake with this design, but to suggest that they have purposely tried to make their brakes less user friendly seems pretty "out there" to me.

kosmo

Oh whats wrong w/ me , How about the uber easy design of the airbox filter in the 991?!!

Oswald was not alone!

orthojoe

Take a look at the website. The race calipers are all made out of forged monobloc aluminum, just like the GT3 calipers are. The only difference that I can see is that the piston inserts on the race system are made out of titanium, while their GTR and GT systems are not



Hard-to-get-to Airbox design was for increased performance...

Mike in CA

Joe, unless I'm reading it incorrectly, the red GT calipers which look exactly like the ones on the GT3 with the integral stiffening bridge are described as "Cast, Aluminum-alloy, Monobloc or 2-Piece" on the Brembo site.

The race calipers on the other hand are described as being "Billet 5-axis Machined, Aerospace Aluminum-alloy, Monobloc and 2-piece", and, as you point out, are also described as forged further down on the page.

Cast versus forged, apparently different grades of aluminum, and no doubt cost factors likely make a difference as to whether the bridge is required for a given level of stiffness or not.

orthojoe

Look at the GTR system, mike. Not the GT. Porsche system is monobloc forged

orthojoe

Actually, maybe I'm wrong and the Porsche calipers and not monobloc forged, but the Cadillac calipers ARE. I assumed they would be because the Cadillac ones are. That would explain the difference. Disappointing if true

Mike in CA

Hmmm....Due respect, but the GTR caliper on the Brembo page (right) looks nothing like the Porsche caliper while the GT caliper looks exactly like it. Moreover, I've looked through the Porsche web site tech specs and PDF spec lit that I have on the Porsche brakes and while they consistently mention "fixed monoblock calipers" I can't find anywhere where it says "forged". Can you point to a source where it says the Porsche GT3 monoblock calipers are forged?

Edit: Just saw your post above......you posted while I was looking up stuff. Forged calipers or not, I'd much rather have the Porsche....

kosmo

Caddys brakes > Porsche brake? C'on!!!

Mike in CA

You got me curious. There's nothing on the Cadillac site about forged CTS-V calipers (they do mention Brembo) and I can find no reference to it anywhere else that I've looked on the web. Those pics you posted of them at the beginning of the thread sure look nothing like the forged calipers on the Brembo site. Did the Brembo guy tell you they were forged? I recently had a Porsche rep tell me the diesel in the Cayenne wasn't turbocharged. Just sayin'......

orthojoe

Brembo engineer did a presentation for us specifically talking about the benefits of monobloc aluminum calipers over 2 peice. Complete with PowerPoint presentation. I'm gonna believe him.

Agree that Id still rather have a Porsche, but from the looks of it, Id rather have the Cadillac calipers on my Porsche

Mike in CA

Don't mean to be a PITA about this, but monobloc calipers can be cast not forged, which is the case with the Porsche calipers.....

Edit: I have some confirmation from a Brembo site on the CTS-V. The link below starts a brief slide show. The third slide shows the racing caliper on the left and the series CTS-V caliper on the right. The street car caliper is described as being "Cast monobloc construction" not forged. Don't give up your Porsche calipers just yet...

http://www.pixelmotion.com/customers/brembo-cadillac/

orthojoe

I don't recall if the engineer stated if they were forged or not, which is why I didn't specify.

However, this would finally give us a good reason why the Porsche calipers have a bridge and the GM ones don't. The GM ones are stronger.

Mike in CA

See the edit and link in my previous post above. The GM CTS-V calipers are cast, not forged, just like the Porsche's, except they don't have the bridge so they are likely less strong.......

orthojoe

Darn. Back to more speculation. I'll put my tin hat back on.

Mike in CA

lol.....