kennyboy

moved from a 993 to a 2001 996 3.4 2 weeks ago.....

everything's great apart from the brakes!

I immediately noticed they were much less powerful than my 993, needed a much firmer stamp and even then having far less stopping capability.

at first I though it was the disks/pads needing a good scrub after the car being on the forecourt for a while..

but over the last 2 weeks they seem to have got more and more 'spongy' to the point where now I'm braking for twice as long before a corner than in the 993.

the car has a full service history and is in excellent condition.

any advice/comments?

ZBlue996Kam

I am more impress with the my ex old 79 911 SC brakes than my 2000 996.

1999Porsche911

I would bleed the brakes. Sound like you might have some air in the lines.

Zed.

Youve got a problem. My '04 996 with regular brakes is comparable to my 993 C4S with big reds.

RJFabCab

The brakes on my fat, overweight cab are outstanding. Do an inspection to rule out any major issues, then rebleed with fresh fluid as others have mentioned.

Cheers

bet

I had a similar complaint when I switched from my 993 to the 996. However, replacement of the brake fluid really improved things.

BrianPA

Agreed you need to change your fluid or something else is certainly wrong. The Boxster S/996 brakes are outstanding.

Ed Newman

LOL, the Boxster S / 996 brakes are no better than pathetic. The car weighs 3000+ lbs and has much smaller brakes than the 993 brakes which weighs alot less. The 996 C2 was the only left in the series at the end that had the small brakes. Even with cup car air ducts, Castrol SRF fluid and Pagid cerimac backed RS19/RS14 with bleeding every day, I can overheat the brakes in less than 2 laps at the Glen. The cup car weighs 500 lbs less and has MUCH bigger brakes... what this car needs

BrianPA

A boxster S weighs about 2800-2900 lbs. How much bigger are 993 brakes than 996 brakes? They don't look any bigger.

1999Porsche911

I have no problems with the stock brakes on my 99 c2. Original pads with 40,000 miles of hard driving. However, I use the gearing more for braking than the brakes. I plan on replacing them...if they ever wear out, with stock pads and rotors.

ZBlue996Kam

The 996 brakes are fine for street use and as Ed Newman said they are not the best for track use.

JimB

ED,
Being an east coast guy I was hoping to run into you at the VIR club race. It would have been fun to compare our X51s on the back straight.

As for 996 brakes, I agree with Ed that they are a weak point on the track but compared to 99.9% of all street cars including the 993 (I own one) they are excellent. If your 993 brakes were better then you have a problem with your 996.
Jim

Bob Rouleau

Speaking as a former Boxster S owner, I found the big reds on the Boxster to be absolutely the equal of the big reds on my '96 C4S 993. I have no 996 experience outside my GT3 running RS-19 Pagids. It has "adequate" stopping power

fahren affair

bob, the "big reds" on the boxster S, are merely 996 brakes w/ painted calipers.

i've tracked my 996 for many miles w/ stints lasting 20-laps or more. i've always thought the standard 996 brakes were more than up to the task--in the same conditions, vettes and vipers would quit early to cool their binders. guys with quasi, full-race supensions and super soft r-dots or slicks will no doubt carry lots more speed and tax your brakes far more than the majority ever will.

Ed Newman

Adequate braking is relative to power. The Boxster S makes 250 HP and unless modified handles pretty well. My 996 with X51 and GT3 bypass pipes makes 350-360 hp. Combine this with a coilover suspension and oversize hoosiers and the car runs much faster than the Boxster S at larger tracks. This inherently puts that much more pressure on the brakes to perform. I have driver the 993 C4S and find the brakes much better than the 996.