orthojoe

I'd have to agree that they don't serve any real purpose. Although, I will say I like the look of the large 6 piston calipers behind my 19" wheels.

mrd_spy

It's the turn in which you will notice I would think.
I love how the car feels with PCCB regarding that.

I have driven a normal Boxster back to back and it felt dull.
But not a steel disk Spyder.

texasviany

Technically the car will handle a bit better with the Brembos. Why? Porsche does not provide a different spring rate for PCCB shed cars. I would love to soften the stock fronts a bit since I have PCCB and the LI battery.

Pad choice is critical on the PCCBs. Porsche had a bulletin that explains what pads to use for the track. I got 5 years out of my PCCB brakes on my GT3. No issues at all but I only tracked 4-5 times a year. (I drove the car hard.)

the_vetman

Joe, this is great to hear!!

I'm happy for you that you're finally happy with your brake pedal after so much frustration!

Z356

A few years ago, right here on Rennlist, I read one of the best post regarding this subject. I was written by Gary Cogis, a salesperson for Race Technologies, the Brembo Performance Distributor in the US. I found it very useful...and I hope you guys will too!

"OEM Porsche calipers are in fact made by Brembo.
OEM Porsche discs are not.

OEM Brembo, and Brembo High Performance, are very different. OEM development follows a different criteria for design, performance, longevity, cost, etc...

Porsche's are definitely known for having some of the best braking cars on the planet, in comparison to other road going cars. That doesn't mean that there's not significant room for improvement, and that's exactly what Brembo's High Performance division focuses their developments on.

That said, Your ultimate goals with your car should dictate the direction you want to go next....followed by your budget, and your expectations of what an aftermarket braking solution should provide/accomplish.

You can upgrade pads, brake fluid, and lines to make sure the OEM system is working to it's optimum capabilities.

You could upgrade to higher quality aftermarket Brembo 2pc. discs in order to save weight, improve temperature management, increase component quality, and overall longevity.

You could also consider an OEM transplant such as Porsche 6-piston GT3 calipers and the larger 350mm discs.
Some have even gone the extra step and used the Porsche 6-piston GT3 calipers WITH aftermarket Brembo 2pc. lightweight discs.

If you really want to spend some money and not look back, there's a handful of aftermarket brake kit options from Brembo that include their aftermarket monobloc calipers, their 2pc. discs, pads, lines, and hardware in a number of different combinations to cater to different types of expectations, usage, driving styles, and wheel fitments.

Brembo worked extensively with Porsche on the development of the OEM braking system (including the entire corner module...wheel carrier and uprights), so they already have a significant head start on where they can make practical and noticeable improvements that cater to performance enthusiast who have already exceeded the limits of the OEM braking system. In my humble and educated opinion, the OEM brakes are quite good, and with minor upgrades like pads, fluid, lines,... and if necessary, their 2pc rotor kits,... will undoubtedly perform at a much higher level than most other companies aftermarket BBK options. And if you still feel that you are at a level that requires a complete system upgrade, Brembo's High Performance aftermarket systems are the only options I would trust to improve upon Brembo's OEM systems."

Saludos,
Eduardo

Schmidts Cat

Thanks Eduardo. Does anyone know if the gt3 calipers can be easily fitted to a cayman s? Some take-offs and the two piece rotors could be a sweet and affordable (?) upgrade. Joe?

the_vetman

Excellent info. Thanks, Eduardo!

And I forgot to specify earlier that rotors are not Brembo. OEM suppliers include Zimmerman, Sebro, etc. Now that I think about it, OEM brake pads aren't Brembo either... Textar, etc.

So I guess it comes down to calipers, uprights, etc. Hmmm...

the_vetman

EDIT: oops, please ignore this post. I didn't catch the "calipers" part.

orthojoe

I took the car out to some remote twisty roads this AM. I didn't notice any difference in handling. This is a good thing for me. Keep in mind, again, I am not the best when it comes to noticing subtle differences.

As far as pad choice goes, Porsche doesn't give us many choices. P40. That's it. They used to allow P50, but then changed their minds. Just like they changed their minds on the longevity of PCCBs. Just like they changed their minds on the service intervals of centerlocks...

Thanks man. The pedal is still not GT3 solid, IMO. However, it's solid enough for me at this point.

Great re-post, Ed. I think the recommendation above is essentially what my setup currently is. Larger OEM 6 piston calipers with aftermarket 2-piece brembo 350mm discs.
The OEM PCCB calipers have 'made in italy' stamped on them, and I have to restate that they feel VERY light. Surprisingly light.

Ian, if you're looking to upgrade your brakes to a larger size, I think take-offs are a good idea. Whether or not it's needed is debatable. There are plenty of guys running OEM steel sized 4 pot calipers and do just fine. If you want to go bigger, though, some 987 PCCB take offs, 997.1 GT3, 996 GT3, or equivalent would do the job nicely. It would probably be an easy swap to do, assuming that the mounting points to the hub are the same (I don't know if this is the case). 380mm sized 997.2 GT3 calipers are probably overkill for our application, given that 350mm is likely overkill already.

Schmidts Cat

Thanks joe, I may do brakes down the road. 997.1 seems prudent, if.... They bolt up. Next step for me will be PSS10s, I think. I'm looking forward to feeling the recent mods at TH. then think about what's next.

orthojoe

One more thing to note about my setup:

The front pfc08 pad shape is compatible with the rotor and caliper, but the shape is not identical to the stock pads. As a result, the retaining spring does not stabilize the pads as well and you will sometimes hear a little rattle coming from the brake pads moving inside the caliper. Some people don't bother using the retaining spring when it's a dedicated track car because the rattling is only an issue when driving at slow speeds over bumps. In this case, since the pad shape is slightly different and the pads rattle anyway, the retaining spring might not be worth installing at all..... Or might make the rattle even worse. I'd have to test it out

mrd_spy

What is your front and rear camber now ?

Am just about to get mine changed, but mine is a road car with maybe 3 track days this year, was going to go -1.5 all round and see what happens.
After a better road car than track, on track I'll drive round the issue and is only for fun.

orthojoe

I'm running -2.0 in the front and -1.8 in the rear. I think for dual street/track use this setting is a good compromise.

My next alignment will likely be more aggressive, though, if I continue to see outer edge wear on my NT01s

orthojoe

Pic with the wheel mounted and after brakes bedded:



Next weekend I'll throw back on the track wheels to get ready for April 19th

fhp911

OrthoJoe: You've got the really hot setup now !

You look so cool with the yellow PCCB calipers and yet you're running the better setup !!