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Introducing: Essex Designed AP Racing Radi-CAL Brake Kit for the 987 Boxster/Cayman!
Essex Parts Services Background & Porsche Products
Essex Parts Services is located in Charlotte, NC and has been in business for roughly 35 years. We are the exclusive North American importer and distributor for a number of high-end, European brands including: AP Racing competition brake products, Ferodo Racing Brake Pads, Mintex Racing Brake Pads, Spiegler SS brake lines, etc. You can learn more about our company here. For many years our focus was exclusively on professional racing. However, about five years ago we began taking the previously unavailable technology from pro racing and transferring it to the enthusiast and club racer.
We've been sponsors here on Rennlist for about a year and a half now, but we've mainly been focused on GT cars. Our AP Racing 2-piece J Hook discs have become the gold standard in the 996/997/991 GT3 & GT4 markets. These discs are derived from the discs we're using in NASCAR Sprint Cup, IMSA, Grand Am, etc. Their metallurgy is incredibly stout, and they take an amazing amount of abuse. They are also inexpensive and relatively lightweight.
Competition Big Brake Kit Project Background
About five years ago we began developing a line of brake systems geared towards heavy track users. We call them our Essex Designed AP Racing Competition Brake Kits. We currently have applications for a host of popular racing/track day/AutoX/time trial cars: M3, WRX STI, Lancer Evo, BRZ & FR-S, Corvette, Mustang, Focus RS, S2000, etc. These systems are designed with the sole mission of making you go faster, and leverage the latest racing technology to improve performance. They focus on ultra-low weight, extremely durable materials, and inexpensive and readily available spare parts (pads and discs). They are built around components by AP Racing, arguably the top performance brake manufacturer in the world.
With these systems our customers have amassed a lengthy list of NASA and SCCA race and championship wins, time attack victories, rally and hill climb wins, lap records, etc. I'd highly encourage you to take a peek at our blog, which contains a slew of product reviews and race results from our customers. Below are some links to discussions about our Essex Designed Competition Brake Kits on other forums. Not only do these posts show the success that our customers have had with our products, they show the lengths to which we go to support our customers.
Our latest project- Front and rear 987 Boxster and Cayman Competition BBK
We've had quite a few of our GT3 customers ask us for a better brake system for their track toy Boxster or Cayman. They've complained about the OEM brake system's pedal feel, lack of heat capacity, etc. Our goal when tackling a new platform is always to build the ultimate brake system available for that platform. I believe we have succeeded in that objective once again.
Our system revolves around AP Racing's latest technology, the Radi-CAL caliper. You can read all about and watch a video on the development of the Radi-CAL and the impact it has had in racing in this blog post: The AP Racing Radi-CAL Story. AP's Radi-CAL is now widely accepted as the leading technology at the elite level of motorsport. Porsche's ultimate race car for 2017, the 911 RSR, features AP Racing Radi-CAL's. We have now taken this technology and applied it to the 987.
For a full breakdown of all components in the kit, please click here. With our front kit, we wanted to provide a solution for the most demanding environments our 987 customers will likely face, while still having them fit inside 18" wheels. We went with a six piston Radi-CAL , mated it to a 355mmx32mm AP Racing J Hook. The disc we used captured the 2012 Daytona Prototype Championship on the Action Express Corvette DP's (cars capable of hitting 220 mph). It is a heavy duty, 72 vane design that flows a ton of air. Despite being far larger than the OEM S discs, it still weighs less!
Our front system very closely replicates the OEM front brake torque output. That means it will mate seamlessly with either the OEM rear brakes or our rear kit. The piston sizes were carefully determined so there will be no interference with ABS, etc.
To see if your wheels will clear our kit, you can download our wheel fitment template. On the 987 we used for prototyping, our kit cleared the customer's wheels without a spacer.
As with the front, our rear system is built around AP Racing's Radi-CAL and J Hook technologies. The CP9451 caliper is a new design, featuring the same unique features as our front Pro5000R calipers. The 340x28mm disc is ample for anything even the fastest Boxster or Cayman will ever throw at it, while still maintaining a low weight. Our rear kit maintains full parking brake functionality, just like the OEM setup. Weight savings on the rear vs. stock will be roughly 6.6 lbs. per side, or 13 unsprung lbs. removed from the rear of the car.
FAQ
I'll try to head off a few more of the questions people will likely have about this kit with a brief Q & A:
Q: Will your brake kit fit my car? A: Our kits will fit any 2004-2012 Porsche 987 Cayman, Cayman S, Boxster, or Boxster S that came from the factory with iron brakes. Our kit will NOT fit cars that were equipped with PCCB's from the factory, as they have a different spindle/upright vs. the iron-equipped cars.
Q: Why aren't the discs bigger? A: Short answer: Because they don't need to be! Long answer: Our systems are built from a racing mentality. In the pro racing world, teams scrape and scrounge to remove ounces of weight from the cars. Anything that is larger than necessary to get the job done is simply dead weight to drag around. That is how we approach our designs. If you want to go faster and a 14" disc will work, a 15" disc will simply add weight, increase the moment of inertia, and hinder wheel fitment. Sure it will look pretty behind 20" wheels, but that's not what this product line is about.
Q: Are these kits road legal? A: All of the kits Essex sells are designed for off-road use only. If you read the fine print on any aftermarket big brake kit, from any manufacturer, you'll find the same thing...for off-road use only. We don't design our kits to meet any DOT standard, etc., as there is no such standard or requirement in the USA (there is however a DOT compliance spec on brake lines, which all of the Spiegler brake lines in our kits meet).
Q: Do your kits require more maintenance than other big brake kits on the market, due to the lack of dust boots, anodized caliper finish, etc.? A: Short answer: Absolutely not! Long answer: I always get a bit of a chuckle out of this one, because it makes no intuitive sense. Stop and think about that one a moment. If you have a product that is specifically designed to handle the extraordinary high-heat conditions of track use, why would it require more maintenance when used under those conditions vs. brake components that were designed to piddle around on the streets at low speed?
When using your brakes on the track, dust boots are pointless. I've seen many people burn them up in a single session. Once that happens, you're just driving around with some tattered, burnt rubber bits attached to your pistons. We skip making that mess for you to clean up.
Also, many people confuse piston seals with dust boots. All calipers have seals. They're the little rubbery rings inside the piston bores. If a caliper didn't have a seal, your brake fluid would leak out around the pistons! Our calipers use special high-temp seals designed for track use. That means they are less likely to get brittle and wear out when used under high-heat track conditions, therefore increasing the service life of the caliper.
The anodized caliper finish we use also holds up better to track heat than paint or powder coat finishes, which shrink, crack, and change colors. Ever hear the term "Brownbo's" thrown around at the track? The anodized finish will also fare better to a nice splashing of brake fluid, which we all know happens occasionally during bleeds.
To further reduce the maintenance load on our customers, Essex offers a complete rebuild service for the life of the product. You remove your calipers, drain the fluid, and ship them back to us. As AP Racing's only authorized caliper reconditioning center in North America, we rebuild stacks of calipers each year. We will put your calipers through our full reconditioning process. The average cost is roughly $100 per caliper, a very modest price to save you the time and effort, and you'll have the peace of mind that the job was done by a pro.
Q: Are spare parts available and reasonably priced? A: Being a company brimming with racers and track junkies, we're very aware of the costs of running a typical event schedule for the year...event fees, gas, hotels, tires, etc. It all adds up quickly. When we put this product line together, availability and long-term running costs were of paramount concern to us. We did a couple of things to address these issues. First we're buying loads of spares and keeping them on the shelf in our warehouse. Buying in bulk also brings the cost down, so we can pass them along at prices that may surprise those of you who are familiar with AP Racing's premium pricing. Our 355x32mm iron disc replacements retail at $359 each, and our 340x28mm discs are $329 each. When you look at the specification of our discs vs. the competition, their racing heritage, and the longevity you'll get from them, they are a bargain. Most of the competitive discs on the market are 48 vanes or less, weigh more, have less optimized vane design, inferior metallurgy, and have never been proven under the same conditions as the AP Racing discs. Many of my race customers have run an entire season or more on a single set of discs. Check out the feedback on our 2-piece J Hook discs GT3 and GT4 forums if you're worried about value.
Pads are another area of concern for us. We know that brake pads are a very personal choice, and that everyone wants to run something different. As such, the calipers we're using in our systems use some of the most commonly available shapes on the market, produced by just about every manufacturer in every flavor under the sun.
We also stock spare pistons, seals, springs, and other hardware components so they're available when needed in a pinch.
Q: When can I buy these kits? A: Our front kits will start shipping next week, and we are now accepting pre-orders for them. The rear kits will ship in 4-6 weeks, and we are accepting orders for them as well. As mentioned above, it's perfectly fine to install the fronts, and simply add the rears when available.
Summary
In summary...yes this is real, yes this is by far the baddest brake system ever available for the 987 chassis, and yes you can have them on your car!
I think that's about it for now. Feel free to fire away on questions. If you'd like to ask questions directly, you can email me at any time. We are also available by phone at 704-824-6030 M-F, 8am-5pm. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and we're looking forward to contributing more to the 987 community moving forward.
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'09 Carrera 2S, '08 Boxster LE (orange), '91 Acura NSX, Tesla Model 3 Performance, Fiesta ST
Jeff Ritter
Mgr. High Performance Division, Essex Parts Services Essex Designed AP Racing Radi-CAL Competition Brake Kits & 2-piece J Hook Discs Ferodo Racing Brake Pads Spiegler Stainless Steel Brake Lines
704-824-6030 jeff.ritter@essexparts.com
I hate the stupid calipers that have to be removed for a simple pad change!!
We absolutely want to do a 981 kit. We just need to get our hands on a car, and we're actively looking for one! If you know anyone willing to let us borrow their car to measure, we will make them an offer they can't refuse on the resulting brake kit.
You can measure mine, but it's in Scottsdale.
Come on out & enjoy the weather! Bring a ruler.
I wish! Thank you very much for the invite. Unfortunately, unless it's a very rudimentary measurement we need to take, we typically have to perform the measuring sessions here in our Charlotte, NC facility. The last two cars we've had in were both shipped to us from out of state, so we're definitely open to travelers as well! We don't have quite as much dry heat as Scottsdale, but we do have southern BBQ and lots of friendly folks in our neck of the woods...oh, and NASCAR! .
Jeff, do you guys plan to release a full kit for the GT4 as well, or are you looking only at the standard 981 cars? The OEM brakes on the GT4 work fine with pads and fluid, but not as well as the Essex AP kit I bought for my BMW worked. Also, changing pads on the OEM calipers is a major pain even with the caliper studs and spiegler lines installed. The calipers and rotors are so heavy it just isn't worth doing unless the pads are toasted. I had planned to swap pads and rotors between street and track setups, but that plan went out the window after swapping one time. Now I just leave in my race pads and AP rotors all the time and live with the noise and grabby pads on the street. I also would not mind shedding some unsprung weight.
Jeff, do you guys plan to release a full kit for the GT4 as well, or are you looking only at the standard 981 cars? The OEM brakes on the GT4 work fine with pads and fluid, but not as well as the Essex AP kit I bought for my BMW worked. Also, changing pads on the OEM calipers is a major pain even with the caliper studs and spiegler lines installed. The calipers and rotors are so heavy it just isn't worth doing unless the pads are toasted. I had planned to swap pads and rotors between street and track setups, but that plan went out the window after swapping one time. Now I just leave in my race pads and AP rotors all the time and live with the noise and grabby pads on the street. I also would not mind shedding some unsprung weight.
Right now we're only looking at using these particular components on non-GT4 981 cars. The reason being, is that these calipers will not work on those cars. The mounting holes are not in the proper location for the GT4. We are investigating some custom billet AP Radi-CAL's for the 991 GT3 and GT4 though (for the reasons you point out). Please just stay tuned on that project, but I can't really say much more about it at this stage. Thanks!
Right now we're only looking at using these particular components on non-GT4 981 cars. The reason being, is that these calipers will not work on those cars. The mounting holes are not in the proper location for the GT4. We are investigating some custom billet AP Radi-CAL's for the 991 GT3 and GT4 though (for the reasons you point out). Please just stay tuned on that project, but I can't really say much more about it at this stage. Thanks!
04-26-2017, 11:03 AM
Introducing: Essex Designed AP Racing Radi-CAL Brake Kit for the 987 Boxster/Cayman!
