savyboy

Ok, here we go. 7 full track days. Aggressive but not abusive brake use. Rarely invoke PCM while tracking. Allow a cool down lap. 2400 miles on the clock.

Pads are wearing at an angle across the face of the pad, especially the front outboard pads but evident to some degree on all pads. Most wear at front edge of pads as if it is "biting into" the rotors.

Pad surface has a bit of heat cracking, but certainly no chunking or other worrisome charecteristics.

The rear pads could probably have gone another 3-4 track days, and were perhaps 50% gone.

Rotors by the way look A-OK.

So- my question to the audience is, do 997.1/.2 GT3's with steel and GT3 with PCCB wear like this? Mine is PCCB. Comments from folks with experience?

Wear is such that at the thin point it is less than backing plate thickness so off they come. I think 1-2 more track days and I would be into the backing plates at the front edge of the front pads.

I just installed P50 Greens from Craig at Rennstore and will see how they wear. On the drive home the pedal was rock solid and braking performance seemed fine, and perhaps a bit more pedal pressure was needed but no big deal or at all worrisome.

PS the Pagid P50's are Front 2707 Rear 8006. Stock are Pagid P40-3

Avid trackers had best get a set of pads ordered up as you see what to expect.

mobonic

wow!

you're my new idol... 7 track days on a new RS!

997gt3north

- exactly as pccb gt3.mk1
- pccb gt3.mk1 also experience "wedge" from top to bottom - especially on rears (pre-cooling ducts) - post ducts can't remember
- p50s last 1.5X longer - also will "wedge"

- you must re-warm p50 pads if you do a drive-thru pit lane
- usually full lap to come up to tempt

- RAD reported that compound is very similar to (Greys? iirc) so rs29s may also be another alternative - between OE and P50s

mooty

i only ran steel brakes but the wear pattern (tapered/angled) of the pad is similar.

TRAKCAR

Same here, with steel and R29 I do 4 days, flip the fronts (Rear is too much work and the wear more even.) and do another 4 days. They will still be about 25%.

I am looking at putting studs in the rear uprights, like on the CUP cars, maybe the fronts also as I eventually will strip the aluminium uprights and have to add Time Certs as a fix or new uprights, if the caliper comes loose on the track. It should also make it a bit easier to take the calipers off.

sfbimmer

just curious where have you done your 7 track events? just saw you're in nv, and i know reno-fernley closed last november. thunderhill?

CRex

Not really. I don't have as much track experience as others here, but I have gone thru three sets of track pads and mine haven't "wedged" like yours.

PCCB front calipers contain three pairs of pistons of different sizes--IIRC the largest ones are at the top and the smallest at the bottom. Although it hasn't happened to me, I've seen two separate .1RS's with lazy pistons (typically the largest one) which eventually "prop up" one side of the pad and wear it down to a wedge--like the those in your pics. Have seen this happen fairly early on--on my last event this '08 RS with only 5k miles on the odo was having other work done trackside when the tech discovered that one of the front pads was worn all the way to the backing plate for the same reason...

So, long story short, not saying there's a big problem here (you still got a fair bit of pad left) but I don't think they're meant to wear unevenly. Doesn't hurt to have your dealer check the caliper pistons next time you're in there....

carrering

pad wear you have was same i saw on my .1 GT3 with steel brakes. i asked the master technician about it and he said its normal. He just flipped the pads in front to maximize use. This was same on oem pads and then PF01's.

savyboy

Flipping seems the sensible answer and is easy enough to do so that is my plan.

My new motto- "Flipping is for pads, cars are for driving!" haha!

3 events, 7 days. 1 Buttonwillow, 2 TH.

Coming up this month-Spring Mountain (x2), Buttonwillow, Laguna Seca, TH.

Reno/Fernley is TRYING to reopen for a few events this year. Chances are excellent SCCA is going to be able to run a DE there in June- so I am SUPER STOKED that for once I do not have to drive for hours and get a room just to feed my track-crack habit.

rodjac

Wear pattern looks familiar. The Green pads will wear a little better but you will still get a substantial wedge shape in front and will need to flip them to get maximum life.

sws1

When flipping, are you flipping left wheel pads with right wheel pads? Or flipping the pads within the same rotor?

cfjan

Can you tell me what's involved when changing bolt system to the stud system?

How does one prevent the stud from backing out (when you undo the nut)? It has some sort of locking mechanism when the stud goes in the first time?

TRAKCAR

I just flip them upside down on each side.
Maybe it can be better when you move the left pads pads upside down to the right and the right pads vice versa when you have a track that uses a lot more brake on one of the fronts?

I am not sure, but I was told that the Cup cars have the same as we do, just the studs Locktite in place of the bolts. They take them off more often than I do and it seems to me that there is less tress than wheel studs by example.

I do know that the OEM system does not work.

cfjan

Would be great for you to post when you find out what's involved.. Looking forward to your setup!

Thanks!

TRAKCAR

I should know by Monday..