nkhalidi

My original PCCB front pads are toast, so I thought I'd order a set of motorsport pads. After much travail with my local dealer, Porsche Motorsport, and Farnbacher, I called the Racer's Group. Austin at TRG knew exactly what I was talking about, had a bunch of sets on the shelf, and set them out yesterday.

Here are part numbers for reference. These apparently fit my car, a 10/05 production Carrera S with PCCBs, but I don't know if they'll fit 997 GT3 PCCBs.

front: 99635194092 - $324
rear: 99735293092 - $276

I'm going to use these pads 80/20 track/street, so I'm not sure how rotor wear is going to be affected. Rotors look fine for now, but if something catastrophic happens, I'm going to convert to steels. I'm looking forward to even shorter stopping distances.

MJSpeed

Why not just go with RS-19/29's?

Bob Rouleau

MJ - the RS 19's and or 29's seem to work well on the first Gen PCCB. I have been told that they should NOT be used on the Gen 2 ceramics on the 997. I have no idea why, perhaps someone on the list can tell us.

Best,

Bob

BobbyC

The P-50 pads (green) are quite abrasive on the rotors and will shorten their life. If you're not doing club racing enduros the street pads (black) are quite adequate for even the upper run grp DE participants. Just make sure you have Castrol SRF as brake fluid.

And I wouldn't use the P-50 on the street, especially when cold.

frayed

This is the quandry with pccbs!

Even with good fluid, stock pccbs will fade under hard use. Switching to a better track pad would be the normal solution for steel brakes, but doing so with pccbs ups the risk of rotor wear, and accordingly a $10,000 repair bill!

ARGHH!

Bill_C4S

Oh i like watching your decision process on this...

nkhalidi

Not kidding at all: if my PCCB rotors wear out and warranty won't cover a new set, I'm switching to steels. There's no way I'm going to pay $20k for new ceramic rotors.

But that said, the odds of the rotors wearing out while I still have the car (2 years max) are pretty low.

BobbyC

Why do you say stock PCCBs will fade under hard use?

While the definition of "hard use" varies by driver and conditions I, albeit with limited driving ability, have never exprienced fade with stock pads. The worst it ever got was a slight white ash forming around the edges of the pads after a few hard sessions at Watkins Glen, which is perhaps one of the hardest braking tracks in the NE. And some techs would consider the "white ash" as a sign that the pads had then been properly bed-in as opposed to being toast. Key is quality brake fluid.

If others have experienced brake fade on stock PCCB pads/SRF combo...please enlighten us. I'd like to learn.

frayed

The original poster has gotten fade with stock pads

nkhalidi

Stock PCCB pads + GS610 fluid = fade after 4 hot laps at Sebring. Ambient temp 70 degrees. Braking distances became longer, the ABS intervention threshold was lower. What more do you want to know? Common symptoms of pad fade.

I will say, however, that the brakes came back after taking it easy for a lap. It was like 4 laps at 8/10, 1 lap at 3/10, then 4 laps at 8/10.

BobbyC

Interesting. I guess we have differing experiences. Do you invoke ABS a lot?

leif997

In a post on the racing section; you asked for info on "how to drive a 911"...its has been my experience w/ students of varying levels that excessive attempts at threshold braking often leads to premature brake wear and early fade. I think that your stock brakes should give you many more days of wear and less fade than you are currently experiencing if you are evaluated by a competent instuctor.

I have gone through a season and a half with the same pads and rotors in my GT2R club race car. I actively seek to lessen my braking where possible and try to conserve momentum as much as possible. It sounds like you are seriously scrubbing off way too much speed and as this ties into your other Racing section post, you would be better served to have someone help diagnose your braking issues. The speed you are seeking is tied to conservation of momentum. After 7 - 8 years on the track as you have described; it is assumed that you have a great working knowledge of "the line" at your home track. Adjusting your brake habits will take much time and practice to get out of your current comfort zone. Please follow up wilth an older model 911 or 914 club race car driver for in depth instruction in this and I will bet you a beer (or 3) that you start to shave serious seconds off of your current lap times and save $$ on consumables as well

MJSpeed

^+1

I completely agree. Most people I've seen/instructed brake way too much...with cars having so much bhp/torque, momentum driving is becoming a lost art...

frayed

Assuming for the moment that it's nk's driving technique that is respondible for the majority of the fade he's experienced, this would mean that PCCBs are no more tolerant of hamfisted driving than steels.

leif997

it is primarily the pad that is the victim of said hamfistedness techniques. a pad will get over heated when abused. think 12 hours of sebring and the 24 hour races. sure, they will change the occasional pad or rotor but this is after extreme abuse at insane levels and yet the cars can continue to roll on if needed. the level of output that the casual de driver appllies given good braking habits should result in increased longevity of the pads and rotors