i agree...just toss 'em MY way! ")

 

I believe Michelin is the best tire manufacturer and I had the same experience and initial great opinion when I installed PS4S - great ride quality, super quiet, and great wet handling. In time I came to despise the PS4S due to the soft sidewalls. I won't buy them again.

If you go back and read/watch early discussions/reviews with the Michelin engineers when the PS4S was released, they are very clear the goal was to match the outright grip of the PS2 and PSS, but with more comfort, longer life, and less NVH. This is because the Cup tires have moved to be the true performance tires while the PS4S is intended to be the performance tire for daily drivers. The PS4S's new compound aids in the longer life and quieter ride. But the extra comfort comes from softer sidewalls. In the end, the PS4S can match lap times for Michelin's earlier tires but has lost a ton of the steering feedback. Phenomenal steering is a major reason I purchased a Porsche. Since I swap tire/wheels often, the soft sidewalls were extremely apparent. The only way to avoid this is to go with a manufacturer-custom tire like the Porsche N-spec, BMW Star, etc which are so different in compound and construction they should really be deemed a separate model of tire.

I hope you continue liking the PS4S. My favorite thing about them was how easy they were to sell.

 

I understand why you might not like the steering feedback. They are a bit spongy.

I'm actually happy with the tradeoff. This car is my daily and my wife is not what I'd call a car person. The roads around here can vary from fresh pavement to 1.5 lane farm roads. The ride with the MPSS was a bit harsh. Up until last week I was seriously considering switching back to 18" wheels for the street. I just hadn't found a set I liked yet. When I saw that the rears were practically bald I decided to take a chance and just get a fresh set of tires. I'm happy with them.

I have a set of wheels and tires just for track days so if I really want better feedback I can put those on the car.

 

I recently bought my second 987.2 Spyder. It had its Michelins replaced at some point and I didn't want that, so for convenience I just had the dealer install a new set of Michelin PS2 N2. They would have installed a PS4S if I wanted, no N spec option though. Our '19 Cayman GTS has N spec PS4S and they are exceptional but I opted with the PS2 N2 as they were a little better price and I wanted to keep it OEM. I have to say the Spyder with X73 and new 19" N spec PS2s is much more harsh over bumps than the Cayman GTS with 14k mile 20" N spec PS4S, although the Cayman has a DSC Sport PASM controller installed which even makes PASM on sport mode livable over rough roads.

 

The brake pedal on the 987 Boxster and Cayman is a bit soft from the factory. This was by design since these weren't supposed to be as performance focused as the 911s. The stock master cylinder has a 23.8mm bore. Thanks to Porsche's Lego mentality though the GT3 master cylinder bolts right up and has a 27mm bore. It increases the pedal pressure by 29% and reduces the pedal travel by the same amount. I found the 27mm MC for a $155 at FVD Brombacher last week so I ordered one and received it on Friday. it looks like they raised their price slightly since I ordered mine.
https://www.fvd.net/us-en/9973559103...le-models.html



I installed the new master on Saturday morning. The installation itself was an easy but slightly messy job. I bled the brakes with my Schwaben pressure bleeder at 18 psi. I flushed plenty of air and roughly 3/4L of Castrol SRF through the lines, put the wheels back on and took it for a test drive. I was pretty disappointed as the pedal felt softer than the original setup. I did some research and found that you should use a scan tool to activate the ABS pump to properly bleed the brakes after a MC swap. I went back out to the shop and hooked up my Schwaben Porsche scanner (Foxwell NT510) and found the correct section for the automated Bleed process (OBD scan -> PSM -> Functions -> Bleed?). You're also suppose to use 2 Bar (28psi) of pressure in the bleeder. I went through the automated process and was immediately rewarded with a nice firm pedal.



On Sunday I rolled over 10k miles since I purchased the Cayman back in May, six months to the day since I bought it. I'd say at least 90% of those miles have been on fun drives. I've only put 150 miles on it driving in to the office.

 

I signed up for a HDPE at Thunderhill East Bypass this coming Saturday. I can't wait it's been a few months since my last track day.

 

Is heel toeing any more difficult with the GT3 master cylinder? Seems like the shorter travel could make it harder to blip the throttle when using light/medium brake pressure.

 

My car is a PDK so I’m not worried about heel/toe. You can adjust the brake pedal height if it bothers you though.

 

Ah okay. Didn’t know you could adjust it, thanks!

 

Thanks for the feedback on the MC install and feel. Good choice on SRF and doing it correctly with the scanner

 

I had a good day at Thunderhill on Saturday. I only got 3 laps in the first session and 2 laps in the third session before someone wetted the track down. In the second session I started to get a feel for the track and my best laps were in the 2:13 range. In the forth session I had a friend who is an instructor ride along with me and then I rode along with him in his modded 987.2 Cayman S. That opened my eyes to how much I was leaving on the table. In the 5th session I got down to a 2:08.62. My Point By group wound up getting the bonus session combined with Open. I got stuck behind a couple open drivers who were faster on the straights but slower in the turns. my times weren't as fast but it was fun chasing them down.

I was happy with the Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3 220TW tires. They had good traction and were consistent throughout the sessions. I wasn't very impressed with the Porterfield R4 and R4E pads though. They just don't seem to had the bite I'm looking for. I honestly think my GTI with the front BBK braked harder with the same pads. I think I'll be moving to Ferodo DS1.11 pads eventually.

 

Looking back at my notes:

The tires looked good. 32/33 PSI hot. 6-10F spread over each tire's face. Wear over the entire face but not onto the edge of the treadblocks.

I was really happy with the setup of the car. It never felt out of shape even under heavy braking or kicking down a gear coming out of corners.

 

I think you'll love the DS1.11 pads. The newer DS3.12 is supposed to be very good as well in these cars. My understanding is the 3.12 has more initial bite and will wear rotors faster, and probably the right pad for slicks. I so happy with the DS1.11 pads though, I'm reluctant to try anything else now. I'm running Falken RT660 200tw now.

 

Thanks for the feedback. A friend who's an instructor had a set of the 3.12s. He said that you need a really soft touch or you'll kick in the ABS on 200TW tires.

 

I also ran the DS1.11 on my old 987.1 Cayman S with NT01 tires, it is an awesome pad compound that I can't recommend enough.

- Brandon