Masher

I have a feeling there are so many answers to this and it's probably well trodden ground but here goes...

Currently got a C2 on standard engine, Bilstein PSS10 suspension and 4 pot rear brakes. Brake discs (front and rear) upgraded to cross drilled ones (Sebro). Both standard diameter for a C2.

Currently using Textar pads (standard equipment?) and I'm not unhappy with them but I'm wondering if there is an obvious upgrade for the next pads? I need to buy some spares for Spa trip.

I do approx 5 to 7 track days a year and do NOT want:
Brake squeal (some race pads are overly noisy I believe)
Corrosive brake dust on my wheels (as some pads give I understand)

Thoughts welcome please.

Porsche964FP

More importantly you'll want some high boiling point race fluid. Last thing you want is stock fluid boiling over...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Motul-RBF6...61f0884&_uhb=1

As for pads, most track pads squeal when cold/ going through heat cycles - it's just a trade off. I would just swap pads when doing track days...

EBC and Pagid track pads are good UK available pads. I'm sure Boxsey and co who have more experience than me will chime in as to which is more dusty/ noisy etc.

I've found EBCs to be very dusty. I now have Hawk Blues (available from the US) that I really like and are a lot less dusty but so damn loud. Slowing at every traffic light - people think something is very wrong with your car

Take not also that a track pad is sporadic - when hot and cold they act very differently. Just something to bear in mind when driving on public roads...

Not that I heeded warning but cross drilled discs tend to crack - especially cheaper after market stuff.

Bill Verburg

This is just my experience.

I have used Pagid Orange -years ago, they squeeled like a stuck pig and left awful rotor deposits, I'd caution anyone not to use them

On stock 911 for street use Axis pads which used to be Repco Metal master worked great, little dust and no squeal but they weren't up to track use as they would glaze easily.

On my 911 w/ 993RS brakes I have used Pagid Blue, nice quiet pads the only negative is that they generate a lot of dust, they were ok for occasional track use. Currently have Textars for street use pretty comparable to the Blues, they also generate a lot of dust.

On my 99% track 993 w/ RS brakes I have used Pagid 19 yellow and currently 29 Yellow, both are great track pads that can do double duty on the street, They will be quiet even w/o the spyders as long as you keep them clean and never put them away wet. They do generate a fair amount of dust. the 29s have better bite than the 19s

I never let brake dust sit so can't comment on it's caustic nature but there are pads out there that are notorious for the caustic nature of their dust

Cheeksyboy

I only use the EBCs for street. In my experience they were hopeless on track.

Have been very happy with the Hawk blues, same as Frank and Boxsey, but going over to Pagid 29s for Spa, as per brake guru Bill , with new discs.

Defiant

I can verify Bill's statement about Pagid Orange. The squeal like a school bus in town and leave big deposits on rotors. They did work well this past weekend at the track. I'll be looking at Yellows for my next set. Thanks for the notes Bill!

Masher

Thanks. I upgraded the fluid middle of last year to a much higher BP fluid (ATE super R blue I think it was).

Ref changing pads just for track days... changing the wheels is the full extent of my mechanical knowledge. If I touched the brakes the car would never stop again! Evening classes needed or maybe I'll look over someone's shoulder at Spa. I realise I've just lost any small credibility I may have had

Take your point ref needing a pad that stops you on the road - kind of why I asked the question since the Textar's seem to be doing OK for both at the minute. Mental note - must learn to brake later!

Thanks to all for the input.

Cheeksyboy

Changing pads isn't too difficult on these cars, provided you've got the right tools and it goes without hiccup!

I'd thoroughly recommend you bring a change of pads with you and I, and others doubtlessly, will be happy to help you change them.

Don't worry about losing cred, I never had any to begin with!

John Boggiano

This is very topical for me and will save me searching it all out again, especially once Steve chimes in, as I know I discussed it with him a while back but can't remember the conclusion! :-)

Similar concerns, really, but will be exclusively road use. My primary concern (along with no nasty dust and no squealing) is that my brakes seem to be the culprit in producing long-standing severe wheel judder when it all gets hot. What did you end up recommending, Steve (Boxsey), as my next service is now looming.

boxsey911

Masher, I feel there is going to be no perfect answer given what you don't want to happen!

I love my Hawk Blues. They've been the perfect track pads for my standard brakes. No fade, no judder and great feel. However, they do squeal a bit and they're harsh on the rotors. I don't see the latter as a big problem because standard Sebro rotors are much cheaper than any of the performance pads! The biggest downside is the corrosive dust which bakes onto the hot wheels if they get wet. Even though I only put them in for trackdays, I still get caught out.

It's for the last reason that I'll be going to Spa with my Textars fitted. Textars produce lots of dust but it's not corrosive like the Hawks. I'm hoping that the cooling that I've added to the brakes will see them work at a level than I'm happy with. I expect them to wear faster but I'll have spares with me if I need to change them. I also have a full set of Hawk blues that I'll take with me, just in case I'm not happy with the Textars at Spa.

My experience with Pagid blues is that they're no better than Textars and they cause judder if you overheat them. Therefore there's no point paying extra for them. Pagid greys ARE better stoppers than textars but again cause judder if you push them too hard. To me the only Pagids worth considering are the RS29s. They're low on dust, last well, don't overheat and are great stoppers (of course). However they do squeal quite badly and are nearly £500 to fit them all round!

Masher

Nice offer, thanks. Pads are fairly new but I'll get some spares all the same.

boxsey911

Hi John. In that thread about my brake judder you'll remember that I took off the front discs, fitted new ones and Hawk blues all round. I ran these discs and pads for about 18 months and 10 track days. No hint of judder at all. By then the front discs were getting thin so I took them off and put the 'juddering ones' back on (I'd kept them to try out later as an experiment). However, this time I fitted Hawk blues to them. The judder disappeared and has not come back. Essentially, the more abrasive Hawks scrubbed off the uneven Pagid grey deposits and brought them back to life. They obviously weren't warped after all.

Unfortunately, as mentioned above, the Hawk blues aren't a car friendly pad.

John Boggiano

Damn.

Cheeksyboy

For road use only, the EBC red or yellow are fine and I don't think create too much dust. There's no squeal that I've noticed and I've never had any judder from them.

On track they tend to glaze very quickly and didn't seem to recover well between braking zones. They also didn't have the strong initial bite I like and progressive response.

John Boggiano

Hmm. What's the difference between the yellow and red? I seem to vaguely remember that it might have been EBC yellow that I had decided to try.

Cheeksyboy

EBC rate the red as a direct replacement, the yellow as an upgraded pad.

Effectively both work from cold, but the yellow has a greater resistance to heat induced fade (well that's the theory)!