TexPorsche

Doing some brake work on my 997.1. Removed the rear pads and on 2 of the pads the "brass" insert came off of the dampner. Are these needed? I know a lot of people don't use them when tracking. Function wise, not sure if they make a difference or not.

My car is used for street use.

user 72902

They are typically replaced since they have a self-adhesive back and not reused. Many different opinions. I say they were put there for a reason, take 10 seconds to swap out, and are inexpensive.

Rikky001

Yes, different opinions. Some people are surprised that their brakes makes noise after they did not replace the dampers and post here why it suddenly makes noise JKW911 nailed it.

frankyluis23

When I replaced my brake pads with TRW Ceramic Pads I did not install them with Dampers or shims. The pads that I purchased already came with a teflon backing on the pads. I have not had an issue with this setup. I did a lot of research on this very topic and determined that the reason people are not using the damper/shims for track use is because it makes changing out the pads at the track a bit harder and most thicker race pads won't fit into the caliper with the shims installed. It is my belief that Porsche incorporated the use of the damper/shims in order to reduce brake squeal. However with the improved design of new pads and compound and especially with the design incorporation of the harmonic counterweights seen in this picture, I would say that damper/shims are no longer necessary. ****IMO