RacingBrake

We are pleased to introduce RB 6-pot front and 4-pot rear direct bolt on calipers replacing OE Red caliper.

These calipers are made to have the same exact offset and mounting height, so they are compatible with OE rotors:

Red caliper with RB two piece stock replacement rotor:



RB caliper with the same two piece rotor:



OE caliper brake pad: (A cut down version of pccb pad)



RB caliper brake pad: (Same as Mustang GT500 D1666)



OE caliper+pad:




RB Caliper+pad:



OE caliper:









RB caliper:

TRAKCAR

So being no expert at brakes besides using a lot of rotors and pads;

I hate the new calipers. Closed bridge was a PITA on the 997 but it was only the rears and they at least lasted pretty good..

The open bridge is a huge benefit to be able to use up pads and do quick changes on track without removing the entire caliper. I stripped out an upright once. Ruined my weekend made a 1000 mile trip each each way for nothing and uprights are not cheap.
Now all 4 corners need to be removed and there are even more lines to be disconnected than before!
That would be enough reason to upgrade plus they look awesome.

I think there will be many pad changes with the new heavier faster car..

What other benefits?
Clamping the same as oem front and rear so no bias change?
Any other advantages, cooler, longer pad life with less tapering, rubber seals burn of slower, is the puck material the same?

Thanks for posting.

RacingBrake

Track people are more care not only how easy the pad is replaced, but also what shape (FMSI#) of pad is used in the calipers for the on-going maintenance cost, but unless the OE caliper is replaced, you are stuck to OE type pads:

• How easy to get (compounds, suppliers) - The more the better.
  RB brake pad is a standard FMSI pad, same as used for Mustang GT500 w/6-pot Brembo caliper for 380x32 rotor, with a better width to height ratio while OE pad is a retrofit version (7-8mm trim at the bottom) for iron rotor, the pad is basically configured for pccb rotor @410mm
• Cost wise - More suppliers means lower cost
  You know better on the cost saving for a similar part like pad if you can source elsewhere outside Porsche dealer or Pagid distributor.
  
• Performance wise - Is the pad made properly for the track task in terms of pad wear, modulation and durability - I think we should this to the track verification.

OE brake pads: (Note the iron rotor pad is a trimmed version of pccb)
Top = Iron pad
Bottom= pccb pad


RB Brake pads:
Top = CCM caliper kit (replacing pccb Yellow caliper)
Bottom = Iron caliper kit (as shown in above post replacing Red caliper)


Compare CCM brake pad:
Top=pccb
Bottom=RB CCM (Same as for ZR1, Z28, F430, F458...)


Compare Iron brake pad:
Top=OE Iron
Bottom=RB


RacingBrake is proud to present this stock caliper replacement (100% interchangeable with stock caliper), which not only can save your frustration and time in brake pads change but also open up a new horizon for your brake pad choice outside Porsche/Pagid.

Of course this caliper replacement option is not for everyone, if you are happy with stock calipers stay with it. But if you track a lot and are not too happy with stock caliper, and want to save time and money in brake pad change down the road, you may consider this option.

OE caliper replacement (direct swap) has not been offered by any brake company (as far as we know), until last year when we first introduced to GT-R community to alleviate their brake issue. We believe you will not be disappointed if you made the same choice as GT-R owners.

Thank you.

shandyman5

Brilliant.... *Claps loudly* Simply brilliant.

TRAKCAR

Awesome stuff.
Big benefit to have these components shared for cost, availability and bigger field tests :-)

So easier pads changes, cheaper rotors and pads that last longer.
The calipers / seals / pistons are all similar quality to the OEM Brembo's so life and rebuild intervals could be assumed the same?

Same setup with seals and ceramic piton pucks?

RacingBrake

The pain of pad change is well understood even we were just working on the bench in fitment test and picture taking. The more frequent you have to work on pad and fluid change, the better you can appreciate why a better designed caliper is needed. Not mention of "upright" change although it may not be as frequent as pad change.

As you will also see from the pictures, pads used in our calipers do not come with "wear sensor connector" which we know are more welcome by track people.

So far we don't hear much complaint about OE brake line, but we know it can be improved to eliminate the rigid line, when the caliper must be detached i.e. for rotor change.

Exactly, quick access to pad for visual inspection and/or change is a must for serious track racers, with the top load pad feature you simply just unscrew three bolts - No need to fight with the tight springs while holding the calipers.

OE caliper pistons size (mm) - Same for both Yellow (pccb) and Red (Iron):Total: 53.8mm^2
OE piston sizes are non-stagger like Corvette Z06 (33F/30R). This OE set up has a ratio of 53.8% front and 46.2% rear - Strongly rear biased.

RB pistons are:Total: 61.5mm^2
Having a ratio of 61.5% front and 38.5% rear, which is a little more rear biased than normal, but still within our design criteria.

We can't comment how OE pistons are so sized, neither is our intention to debate here which design is more appropriate, we simply present the facts.

Anyway one thing we all agree is the track tests shall tell the difference, and we are willing to accept this challenge, we will continue our efforts for any needed improvement until you are completely satisfied. So we need help from rennlist members for such a challenge.

More caliper construction details shall follow.

RacingBrake

We found this type of OE pistons (composite material), the crown tends to crack under heat stress. A typical one is from BMW's 135i which we detailed our development and offer for piston replacement in this thread (also reviewed in other BMW forums):

BMW 135i Brake (Caliper) Improvement



And here is the dust boots:


Those on 991 GT3 are similar like one of those commonly found on other Porsches which we have a thread discussing this topic:

https://rennlist.com/forums/boxster-...ebuilding.html

Like this shaft/seal inside pistons from 996 Turbo



Or this type from 997 TT (can't put a name on it)



Or this type from 997 GT2/3 (Phenolic top is separated from piston body):



They can ALL be replaced with RB SS piston, seal and dust boot for a clean and less cumbersome set up, and bring your calipers to a new life.

RB pistons are machined from solid 304SS bar stock, with thin wall cut process to reduce the weight, having 6 vents to help brake release. The surface is of chrome plated to assure the smoothest movement for modulation and brake control, and for leak free service whether the calipers are under cold winter in your garage, or the hot summer on tracks.



RB's unique yet simple design Stainless Steel piston is all you need to replace a variety of OE type pistons:



The advantage of Stainless Steel piston over OE's aluminum:

1. Better thermal stability (less volumetric change as temperature changes)
2. Better strength & rigidity
3. No corrosion
4. Very lower thermal conductivity - Transmit on about 10% of the heat vs. aluminum, so you will not boil your brake fluid nor would need titanium shims or other cumbersome constructions like you see on different OE pistons.
5. One solid piece construction - Unlike OE's 2 or multiple pieces, which the top (yellow) part is usually of "phenolic" - different material than aluminum, for the idea to shield the heat to brake fluid, but it can get cracked or separated due to the heat stress and different heat expansion rate.

Seal & Boots:



Regardless what type of OE caliper pistons are, we have a simple and better solution for you, that is to replace to our "ONE piece" Ventilated SS pistons and you will soon forget about all those complicated and cumbersome piston/attachment etc. Like the one on left after rebuilt with RB components.



Some customers told us that you can't buy just rebuild components from Porsche dealers (I guess depending how you related to the dealers), and must purchase the complete new calipers. So I think you should be glad to know that you can purchase from us just piston, seal, or boots separately.

Buy just what you need or the complete rebuilt kit, but certainly not the caliper from us. We have tech desk that can help you DIY, or if you are not handy we can offer rebuild service (including hydro test).

RacingBrake

Adding to above three type of pistons, here is the variety of Porches caliper pistons :

Type 1 (996/Boxster)

One piece of aluminum


Type 2 (996 Turbo)



Type 3 (997 TT)



Type 4 (997 GT2/3)



Type 5 (The latest 991 GT3)
In 3 pieces:


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weight Info (Grams) on 991 GT3 pistons:
Front 30mm (All front x6 per caliper)



Rear 34mm (All rear x4 per caliper)



RB one piece piston:
30mm
12 gram (17%) lighter than OE



34mm
26 gram (28%) lighter than OE



Piston failure on 991 GT3 just reported recently by a customer:

TRAKCAR

I didn't know it but that's what I was looking for.

What are your pistons made from? I know on the 997GT3 we could upgrade to the titanium pistons they use in CUP cars.

I spent too much time fishing out pucks with a coat hanger..

orthojoe

so the new ceramic pucks are held in with a screw now instead of a clip?

RacingBrake

They are made of 304SS with chrome plating on surface for corrosion free and lasting performance. You can see above reply for the detail of how they were machined and the advantage over conventional aluminum pistons and multiple piece constructions.

We do not use fancy material such as titanium like others offer. The heat transfer rate is about the same although it weighs more, but as you can see from above comparison it still lighter than OE, and more practical to replace and run with confidence w/o the fear of cost factor.

Pete, thanks for all your questions allowing us to explain in more details of this optional choice with a close look inside the OE calipers.

Please feel free to ask if anyone has any questions.

RacingBrake

You need a 3mm Allen wrench to remove the screw, they are tight though. Not sure if you ever have to do that, but in case you do, we suggest you purge the piston out first, or the piston will just keep turning against the seal.

997TTMeteor

I installed the RB piston kit & high temp dust boots (after my OEM caps/pucks fell apart). Installation was easy and the brakes feel great. Will report back after more use, but so far, all good.

PMNewton

Um, the brakes are supposed to be more rear biased than other cars. With a static rear weight bias you can more effectively use all four brakes and contact patches to stop the car since the dynamic weight distribution is much closer to 50/50 when under aggressive braking. This is why the front and rear rotors are almost the exact same size unlike "normal" cars that are already have both static and dynamic front weight bias. I'm not sure your "design criteria" are valid performance parameters.

- Patrick

RacingBrake

We closely follow different OE caliper piston set up in relation to rotor size, and found in some motorsports set up the relationship is inconsistent.

For a close example, same exact piston size (front and rear) for yellow and red calipers, but:

pccb rotors: 410x36 front, 390x32 rear
iron rotor: 380x34 front, 380x30 rear

Our piston sizing criteria is based on a common practice for when a car stops, regardless of it static weight distribution, the force dynamic is always leaning toward the front.

Another observation proven consistent is the front rotor is always larger the the rear, expecting front to dissipate more heat energy than the rear - Any time, all the time.

So far we have seen two OE set up where the rear rotor is larger (in diameter) than front:

Acura NSX (97-05)
Front: 298x28
Rear: 303x23

CamaroSS
Front: 355x32
Rear: 365x28

Their rear are larger (in diameter) but volume wise the front is still bigger than the rear.