Yes, if you plan to track your car, you should definitely remove those dust shields. They trap heat/reflect heat back to the inside of the disc face. They can cause your inner pads to burn up more rapidly than the ones in the outer half of the caliper, and they can cause the disc to distort and crack if the inner half of the disc is running hotter than the outer. Definitely get rid of them. Yours are fortunately very easy since they bolt right on. Sometimes they need to be snipped off with tin snips. Thanks, and let us know if you have any other questions!

 

Thank you so much!

 

No worries. Below is a link to an article on brake ducts that I co-authored last year with our technical director. It mentions those dust shields and how they can trap heat. Hopefully you find it an informative read. Thanks!

Do I need brake ducts on my track car?

 

Friends don't let friends take their OEM pads on a racetrack! Here's an article I wrote on that topic:

Can I run my OEM pads on the racetrack?

In terms of the conditions your brakes will face, taking your car to the track a handful of times, or even only one time, is no different than taking your car to the track every weekend. Those conditions are what they are, and when you go the track your brakes will be subjected to those conditions, which they'll never experience when driving on the road. That will occur the very first time you track your car, and the 700th time. The frequency of your track visits will only impact how quickly you burn things up. To avoid destroying the stock brake components, you need to be prepared the first time.

We always suggest at minimum a good set of pads and good fluid before taking your car on any racetrack. As outlined in the article above, OEM pads are not designed for track conditions, period.

Megatek95, which track are you planning to run? Also, any notable modifications to your car, and what type of tires are you running(I'm assuming 200+ treadwear street tires)? If the track yo plan to run is not terribly hard on brakes, and you're going to be on street tires, you may be able to get away with Ferodo DS2500 front and rear. While the DS2500 will start to burn more rapidly at high track temps, they have proven incredibly fade resistant. We've had them on two C7 Z06 at VIR and they didn't fade, and that's a 650HP, 3400 lb. car. Running the DS2500 would provide the advantage of not having to swap out your front pads for the road, and they're also less expensive than the DS1.11. You just have to set your expectations based on where you are running, and how hard you plan to run. We'd also suggest a high quality racing brake fluid, something like an AP Racing R3 if your system is otherwise stock (people running our 2-piece AP J Hook Discs or complete brake kits can many times get away with the slightly lower spec AP R2 fluid, since our brake components run much cooler than OEM).

For now, leave your stock drilled discs on the car and drive them until they crack...no sense throwing money at those until you assess your overall brake needs. Below are two videos that cover the topics of the basic brake upgrade path, as well as assessing your future brake needs:

 

If you run with traction control ON, you will burn up rear stock pads fast. I run full off, and now my rear pads can get a full season. Pretty much replace the fronts 5 to 1 now. Instead of both at same time.

If you are fast, put up with a little squeal and do matching front and rear. If you are a beginner, and are worried about squeal with not much tracking, then quieter rear is fine. As you get deeper into the corner and start to brake harder, the fronts start to over power the tyres if the rear pads aren't matching. Again, know yourself and your car. Matching is always best on track. But non matching is more than fine for street for more quiet.

The ME 20 really aren't that bad. The RSL 29 were horrific. The pitch of the ME20 isn't as high, so its more tolerable, and its only light squeal just before the car comes to a complete rest. I can't stand pads that squeal everytime you touch the pedal and the whole time you're on the pedal. ME20 only at the end of braking they squeal. But they withstand a hammering at the track.

 

I got ME20's per 4 Point 0's recommendation and I like them a lot on the track. Paired with sticky tires, I stop so much quicker than stock but I do think some pedal feel/nuance is lost. Depending on what your preference is on the street, you will get some good squeal relative to stock pads when you come to a stop. I always cringe a bit when coming to a stoplight; I sound like a garbage truck. But it is true, it only makes the noise on the street when getting down to slow speeds.

 

I am trying MX72+ all around shipped in a few weeks. Will report back on how they hold up at the track and street

 

look forward to hearing, thanks!

 

I'm getting ready for my first track day with my 991.2 Carrera T. I enjoyed these videos. I have the same question about brakes, but my instructor/friend says the brakes are OK for what we'll do at Carolinas Motorsports Park.

 

For your very first track day, it would be highly unlikely that you'd overwhelm your stock pads. Have fun and be safe!

 

Also known as, Higg the Stig

 

Hey, JRitt@essex
Two quick questions:
1. Last year I installed the AP Racing BBK... and have copious amounts of extra bottles of Brake Fluid. I am thinking of an annual flush, just because I am tracking the car a smidge. (I.E. 5-10 times per year)... how long does that unopened bottle of brake fluid last?
2. For a flush for your typical 911... how much fluid would you use?

Also, when doing the back calipers, I don't expect to see much difference in color after only one year. So how much do we think I'll need to drain out? To try to get the fresh brake fluid all the way through?

 

Yes, definitely do an annual flush if you're tracking the car 5-10 times per year. The industry standard puts a date of manufacture on the bottle and not a “best before” date. It is not like food. A best before date is not terribly useful, as the product will always work. Its boiling point will just be marginally lower. It's just that the manufacturer cannot guarantee that it still adheres to the original specification. Fluid takes up water at the rate of something like 0.05g per 100ml of fluid every year under “temperate” conditions in an unopened bottle. The wet boiling point as stated in the specification is the boiling point of the fluid when it contains 3.5% water. In a sealed bottle, we therefore wouldn't arrive at the state at which the wet boiling point would be hit for decades (assuming a 500ml bottle). At that time we would just be saying that the dry boiling point will have descended to the wet boiling point. Even then, not a disaster. In summary, don't worry about unopened bottles of brake fluid going bad. It will take a sealed bottle an extremely long time to absorb enough water to have a meaningfully detrimental impact on performance. You'll grow old and have poor on-track performance before the fluid does!

As for how much fluid to use, we typically recommend 2-3 bottles to flush out a system completely. That should be plenty.

 

Thank you for the informative response.

The track event I will be attending will be at GingerMan Raceway in Michigan. I’m fairly familiar with this road course since it’s my home track and have been going there for few years now.

Last three years I drove B9 Audi S4 on that track which was a very heavy car, and I obliterated the stock brake pads after second day once I got the hang of it. Afterwards I’ve gone through several aftermarket race compounds.

In any case, I feel like DS2500 would be good for someone who has very limited track experience, but not for me. I’m fairly quick and brake deep and late.

I thought that maybe I can fly with OEM brake pads since C2 manual transmission car is very light in comparison to Audi S4.

The only difference here is I’ve never driven Porsche 911, nor a rear wheel drive vehicle. Most likely, the traction control will stay on.

Car is completely stock with Pirelli P-Zero 220TW.

 

Sorry to bump this old thread. Just curious if anyone has tried ME20 pads on oem rotors. Or the slotted sebro rotors from fcpeuro. How do the rotors hold up?