Rxpert

Bumping this thread as I searched and couldn’t find an answer specific to the 992 GT3 yet.

Can someone recommend a pad for 90% street & 10% track?

The OEM pads are perfect for me on the street which is where I do the majority of my driving, but I have a few track days coming up this summer and read somewhere that the OEM pads will melt after a few hard track sessions.

Was thinking of going with the DS2500 and just leaving them on the car. Is this a good choice? Any better alternatives? Also any specific sizes for the 992 GT3 with steels?

Mech33

How hard are you pushing it on track? If you’re not really cooking it I’d try the stock pads out at a day and see what you think. Stock 991 pads would be another incrementally more track-worthy option for light to medium aggressiveness on track.

Rxpert

Thanks for the advice. In all honesty I’ll likely fall into the light to medium category haha, so stock pads then. When I use them up I’ll switch to the 991 pads.

Eric5280

A lot of times newer track drivers hold the brake way too long which dumps even more heat than faster drivers. Strongly recommend switching pads. Lots of good options.

Rxpert

This sounds like me….. now I don’t know what to do? Switch to 991 pads? DS2500? Any other recommendations for a mainly street pad with occasional rookie track driver?

GrantG

I had a bad experience with DS2500 (not on Porsche), so I’d probably not recommend those. 991 pads might be a good option.

JRitt@essex

Thank you very much for recognizing this and not falling into the traps I outline below. We see this discussion constantly on every automotive forum on which we participate!

Common misconception #1: "I am only going to the track a couple times, so I don't need anything special done to my brakes."

We never recommend OEM pads for track driving. They weren't designed for that purpose. Stock pads are designed to chase groceries, not lap times. Here's an article I authored on the topic: Can I run my OEM brake pads on the track?

Your brakes will either experience the conditions dictated by the track, or they will not. The frequency of how often you will be tracking the car does not matter. In other words, the pads you use on the track were either designed to handle the temperatures they will potentially reach on the track, or they were not. The car won't 'know' if you've only been to the track once or a hundred times. If you take your brakes to 1600F one time, you've exceeded the design parameters for the OEM components, and they will only perform (or rather not perform) as intended. As such, you need to ensure the pads you are running are up to the task of the max temperatures you may reach.

Common misconception #2: I am a beginner, so I won't be hard on the brakes.

As Eric5280 notes above, beginners are many times harder on the brakes than veterans since they don't know how to properly apply them. In my experience there's never reason to believe that a rookie track driver will be more gentle on equipment than a seasoned veteran. That goes for brakes, tires, tranny, engine...you name it.

Ideally, you'll run track pads on the track, and street pads on the street. These two different types of pads are generally designed for their specific environments. As a general rule, street pads melt, crumble, and fade at elevated track temperatures, while track pads squeal, dust, and devour your discs at the relatively cold temperatures experienced on the street. The ideal solution is to swap between street pads and track pads depending on where you'll be driving the car.

That said, we all hate changing pads (myself included)...particularly with stock calipers because they are typically a pain to manipulate. If you ultimately decide to run one set of pads on both the road and track you'll have to compromise. If you leave a set of track pads in the calipers at all times, you need to understand that you'll have accelerated disc wear, heavy brake dust (because the pads will be eating your iron discs, which is what causes the brake dust...more of the dust is disc than pad), and potentially squealing and scraping noises. If you run a street or sport pad on the track, you'll have a different set of compromises: They will potentially fade at very high temps (you'll press the pedal, it will remain hard, but the car won't slow as you expect it to...both scary and dangerous). They will also likely wear very quickly at the temps which are outside their normal operating range. If they get hot enough, they may even stick to your discs in big globs and create uneven pad deposits on your discs, which can be a real bear to remove (and can sometimes permanently mung-up your discs (technical term ) ). The problems really begin when people don't recognize or respect these compromises when they try running a pad in an environment for which it was not designed.

At a minimum install some quality racing brake fluid with a high dry boiling point (we recommend three bottles of AP Racing R2 is usually both effective and cost-effective).

The DS2500 has proven to be one of the most versatile dual-purpose road/track pads in existence today. If they are taken past their max MOT (just like any other pad), they can wear quickly, break down, smear, etc. They do have a very high max operating temperature for a pad with such good road manners however. Here's the link again that explains the three primary Ferodo pad compounds we offer in North America:
Which Ferodo pad compound is right for me?

Which track will you be running, what tires will you be running, and what modifications are done to your car? Just like your driving style and how you actually use the brakes, these factors all play into how much abuse your brakes will take.

Thanks!

Rxpert

Thanks for the detailed reply! I agree 100 with having separate street/track pads and fully intend to do so going forward. I ordered and am still waiting on the RennTorque tool and am looking into purchasing caliper studs to make swapping pads a much easier task. The only problem is my track days are coming up in the next month so I’m not sure I’ll have enough time. For the first few track days I was just hoping to have the dealership pop in a set of “all-in-one” pads and burn through them until I can get my gear/tools for pad swaps.

To answer your questions, I’ll be driving at Area 27 (Canada) on stock Cup2 tires with no mods. Car is bone stock so far mechanically.

After reading your post, would I be better off going with the DS1.11 and running them on the street until I get my gear to swap pads?

Also is a full bedding in procedure required every-time the pads are swapped between street & track?

Clark-ApexPerformance

992 GT3 uses the same pads as the 991 GT3. Most popular pad is clearly The Ferodo DS3.12. I am selling the majority of the Porsche pads and rotors on this site
(last Year $1.6 million) I give advise based on what I have learned from my customers. Anyone that has gone to the DS3.12 compound has not gone back to what they used to use.
Call me if you want to talk. 843 299 0997 Clark

Kitc2246

You have more HP and weight; this experience is from a 981 but should apply. Putting in caliper studs does not add much time to a brake pad change if you have to remove the caliper bolts.. Don't forget the brake line bracket studs also. I drove my 981 with DS1.11s on the street with no squeal or other issues. Not a lot of miles between DE weekends, local travel and errands. The front DS1.11s only lasted me six track days. I have Pagid RS29s now but will try a set of DS3.12s running Sebro slotted rotors.

Brake bedding applies/transfers/melts a thin film of brake pad to the rotor. The film can wear off based on rain, car wash, street driving, etc. If you switch pads the old film has to be scrapped off by the new pad and then a new film applied with rotor heat. Switching pads can sometimes lead to grabbing, but will eventually bed.

If you don't get your studs before the next event I'd put on or have the DS1.11 put on without getting new caliper bolts. While they technically will wear your rotors more on the street, unless you have a lot of street miles not sure its worth switching between street and track pads.

For me getting -2.5 front camber with adjustable LCAs, dedicated 18s with Hankook RS4s was the next step. I went with RS4s for their longevity. The track negative camber can be an issue with inside tire wear IF you drive a lot of street miles. OEM tires while not as much as a compromise and safety as track pads and brake fluid are definitely next on the list not counting a good coach and the "nut" behind the wheel.

As Essex states: its a slipper slope and a continuing compromise improving track performance while maintaining streetability.

JRitt@essex

The DS3.12 and DS1.11 are not ideal for street use, but many of our clients use them to get to and from the track, the occasional weekend drive to push oil through the car, etc. DS2500 are far better suited to the road. One of the great things about the Ferodo DS series of pads is that the core materials are the same. That means you can switch amongst the DS2500 and the DS1.11/3.12 without having to re-bed every time. All of these compounds play nice together on the discs, which isn't typically the case in other brake pad product lines, and can really cause some issues when switching across different brands of road and race compounds. When swapping Ferodos you've previously run, you just need to do a few moderate stops after the switch to get them seated in on the disc face. It makes pad management a whole lot easier.

4carl

Does the 991.2 GT3 and the 991.2GT3RS use the same pad, steel brakes ? Thanks carl

GrantG

Yes, and also GT4.

Clark-ApexPerformance

992 GT3 uses the same pads as the 991 GT3 and GT4. Ferodo DS3.12 is the current favorite P/N Front FCP4664G rear FCP4664G. Questions ??? Give me a call. 843 299 0997
Clark

Mech33

Awesome guys to get these pads from! They’ve saved my butt on more than one occasion by getting me pads quickly on short notice.