nshanny

Hi there,

I ordered a set of front rotors from Sunset Porsche that arrived yesterday. I also have a set of Pagid Oranges that I will be putting on when changing the rotors. This is my first "big" project and I certainly will be looking at p-car and other sites for information/instruction.

Curious if anyone has their own suggestions/tips/experiences.

Thanks
Nick Shanny

helmet155

Porsche recommends replacing the caliper bolts after they have been removed.

cgfen

paint the rotor "hats" prior to installation.
they'll look better than slowly rusting iron.
be careful taking your break-wear sensors off, if you break one, you'll have to buy another or get warning lights.
may as well do a break fluid flush while you're in there.

cheers

Craig

flatsixforme

I thought you only had to paint the zimmerman brand rotor hats as the genuine porsche one's came painted...I THINK this is how you tell if you have a genuine porsche rotor or OEM zimmerman.

If you don't want to worry about the brake pad sensors you can just clip them at the base of the brake pad and solder the two wires together completing the circuit so no light will come on. Obviously, you will now have to rely on your own inspection of brake wear.

Brake flush for sure...I'll be doing one of those tomorrow on a C4S

Other tips...
- use some penetrating oil on the screws that hold the rotors on as they can get rusty if your car has been exposed to the elements...might be a good idea to have an impact wrench (manual mallet actuated one is fine) just to be safe. You should replace these with new screws ideally with the new rotors.
- since you will be flushing the system...crack the bleeder nipples after attaching a plastic hose to release pressure making it easier to push old pads back to clear the rotor.

Good luck

Robin 993DX

Buy yourself an impact screw driver from Sears. The screws sometimes can get rusted on the rotor and a standard screw driver will likely strip them.

Depending if you want to transfer the dome shaped anti squeal shim over or not, you may need to have some disc brake quiet glue to glue the shims onto the new pads.

MarkD

Adam (and all),

I ran into an interesting factor when ordering rotors for someone recently. Apparently they have been doing this for a year of so.

Zimmerman has heard our cries regarding corrosion. Check out the link below.
And at considerably less $$ I think it is worth reconsidering these. I know I will be on my cars.

http://www.otto-zimmermann.de/index.php5?Itemid=136

Dudley

When I replaced my rotors, I ordered all the plastic clips and holders for the sensors from Sunset. You are bound to break one or two the first time they come off. Real cheap too.

bart1

Before anyone thinks Zimmerman are a lot cheaper, check OEM prices from Sunset (made by Zimmerman, btw).

That Philips head screw that holds them on - put anti-seize on it when you reinstall.

kjr914

Nick,
If you are tracking the car, maybe those Pagid Oranges are necessary, but if you like nice & quiet, no-squeal.....the consensus seems to be that the OEM pads & anti-squeal spiders (on the back of the pads) are THE way to go. Robin mentioned transferring the spiders over, but I just got new ones...don't remember how much, but it wasn't that expensive (Maybe it was that after the 4 new rotors for the C4S, the rest of the stuff seemed cheap...). And I put on new bolts as suggested...for the couple of dollars, worth the piece of mind. I did reuse the sensors.

I went with OEM everything and have had NO squeal issues since.

Yes we will!
<----That one!
<----Is that a hint that I need to remember to bring beer???

flatsixforme

You bring the beer...I'll supply you with some of the best baby back ribs you've had in a while...smoked them last weekend for 6 hours with my homeade rub and they are as a good rib should be...fall off the bone tender

Okay, enough de-railing this thread...back to your regularly scheduled programming....

Flying Finn

Also, they're not only rusting (or used to?), they wear out faster than OEM's, especially if you're tracking.
My advice: buy OEM.

+1 on Robin's impact screw driver, I have the kind that you hit with a hammer.

bart1

Tecnically, Zimmerman are Original Equipment Manufacture. The Poesche branded ones are a little different.

DaveM993

I had been told that there are two types of Zimmermans, the OEM and the aftermarket version that are cheaper (in the same size). The ones I recently bought from my local dealer came in a red lettered Porsche box, but were the OEM Zimmerman's.

Ed Burdell

I heard that oem rotor holes were cast, aftermarket Zimmerman's were drilled...or do I have that bakcwards?

nshanny

Hi there,

Thanks to everyone who responded. I will be ordering the extra parts just to be safe. No reason to screw around with brakes.

Thanks again
Nick