Mark in Baltimore

Looks like you have some decent temps for the weekend. Have fun!

Bill Verburg

That's not necessarily true, the Big Reds are capable of generating more torque than normal 993 due to their larger radius. The limiting factor will always be tires and the normal force on the tires.

Thermally the whole Big Red system will always run at a lower temperature than a 993 normal system under comparable use, this prolongs the service life of all components, rubber parts, pads and rotors as well as fluid are susceptible to heat damage from excessive temps, thats why good ventillation is very important.

Mark in Baltimore

Hmmm, guys at the track have not reported shorter stopping distances, but, since I don't have Big Reds, what do I know?

chris walrod

This is true. A larger pad annulus has more leverage with respect to rotor centerline. This in addition to an increase in pad area..

NoSubEDU

True, but when you take both systems and compare them next to each other, the TT calipers are not so much larger than the C2 calipers. I'm not saying they aren't larger, they are...but only by a little bit. I guess, not as much as I would have though. My GT caliper is much larger than both, FWIW.

I think the stock brakes will be more than adequate. We'll see where I end up after a few events with these brakes. I still think the tires are going to make more of a difference than spending 3 grand to replace the brakes.

Thanks again.

Bull

I have found that this is caused by the tires being the limiting factor, as pointed out by others. I have driven both on the track and find that both get you to ABS (if so equipped, of course) easily due to the tires being the limiting factor.

Pads and rotors do last longer in my experience with the Big Reds....BUT, take a look at the cost differences between the standard and BR components before you let this be the deciding factor. Changing pads and rotors on a 993 could not be any easier!

NoSubEDU

Totally agree. Cost for the Big Red Upgrade would equal about a year's (or more?) worth of rotor and pad replacement.

And I leanred something new yesterday. The stock pads have those little keepers installed on them to keep them from shimmying back and forth in the caliper. I decided to forego installing these on the race pads as I didn't really see a point, but very interesting concept. Never saw that before.

Bill Verburg

The difference at the front is 18mm, the difference at the rear is 23mm in diameter and 2mm in thickness

993front vs 993RS/tt front

swftiii

NoSubEDU,

Good discussion here and I would agree with everyone that using the stock brakes should be fine for a while. Heck all the 993 stock club racers have to use them, so they work just fine.

The rear Big Red brake pad is the same as the front NB brake pad, so the pad sizes are pretty significantly different in size.

Enjoy your first track day with the 993 and take some pictures so you can post them for those of us in the north who are only day dreaming about track time.

-SKip

NoSubEDU

Didn't know that about the rear TT calipers. I assume the RS caliper uses a pad that is similar to the TT pad? Or is it different? I saw above that TT rotors can be used for the RS calipers.

I really do think the stock brakes are going to be fine. I'm not anticipating having any issues with them. I guess I was more interested in figuring out a way to use my $3000+ set of GT calipers...oh well!

Will take LOTS of pics this weekend!

Bill Verburg

The anti-squeal spiders are not needed pic1 shows from left Big Red pad, middle 993front or 993RS/993tt rearand right 993rear

pic2 & 3 are views of Big Red front and 993RS rear,

Martin S.

The stock brakes on your car....a few year back, people would die to have brakes as good as what you have. And besides, its the tires that are really stopping you. This is discussed in a recent two (2) part article in the Porsche Panorama by Bob Gagnon and ????????

Big Reds will allow you to run cooler for a little longer in a tough endurance race, but they wont stop you any faster...but, there is a down side:
Big Red rotors are much more expensive to replace,
Big Red pads are more expensive to repmace,
Big Red rotors are heavier than stock more rotating mass to bring up to spoed...

If you really want red calipers, paint them, much cheaper!!!

Bill Verburg

Once again, not true! They can develop more torque, which if your tires can transmit it, will stop the car faster. When up grading brakes you need to upgrade the suspension and wheels and tires so that each element of the sytsem supports the others. It's just like adding headers to the engine, it does no measurable good unless the rest of the engine is upgraded to match.

4.5# per corner, well within the variation that is seen in tire weights which are even more expensive, energy wise, to accelerate.

If the components last longer is this really a negative? I don't know, but my gut feeling is, not.

Look I could care less what brakes any of you use, I just present the facts. If you need them you need them, sometimes just an extra % point or 2 improvement is just what the doctor ordered. If you have read my brake pages you would see that I have always advocated using the smallest, lighest package that does the job.

maurice97C2S

Please don't get pi$$ed off, Bill, your brake pages are invaluable !

Merry Christmas, cheers, Maurice

Bull

I could not agree more! I did not get the sense from the original question that any other change beyond the brakes is planned.