IRguy

I did search this time and I know plenty of threads on this topic.
Still here are some issues I could not figure out myself.
I am tracking the RS on PCCB this year mainly to avoid domestic disturbances, which would be somewhat unavoidable if a new brake kit would show up right now. The plan is to get the stoptech STR kit for all corners next year.

Here is the PCCB issue: After 2 track days the discs are shiny, and smooth, however they lost their fine distintive surface pattern. Is that OK??
I have some rubbing of the pads on the discs, meaning if I lift up the front and rotate the wheels by hand you can hear and feel that the pads are in contact with the discs, which would be fine to me, but it was not like that when I first removed the wheels and changed brake fluid. I heard this rubbing like noise after the second track day when the brakes are not applied.
The pads are near half gone after just two trackdays??? I know this depends heavily on the track but it still seems excessive. I am using the OEM PCCB pads.
Thanks

PNUT

get the p50 motorsport pads. i use them on the street also with little loss of stopping power (more like standard street pads on iron discs). when i took off my p40 stock pads, i had over half life left with 20,000 miles on my .2 gt3.

Carrera GT

The initial change in rotor surface is normal.
Some drag between the pad and rotor is normal. At speed, the pads will "knock back" from the rotors. If you're rolling the car and hearing noise, that's not normal. If you're lifting a wheel off the ground and spinning it to hear noise, that's normal. As far as my experience goes.

Whoa! The P50 pad is no longer offered by Porsche or approved for PCCB. On track, that pad will provide better initial bite and pedal feel (modulation) but it will also abrade the rotor. The only pad selection is the factory stock pad -- it will deteriorate quickly (perhaps five days when driven aggressively) on the track and it will abrade the rotor, but much more slowly. Correct bedding (pad material transfer to the rotor surface) will improve wear and reduce low speed, low pressure "freight train" squealing.

Izzone

Stop Tech STR is real nice, I had it on my old car when I took PCCB off

Carrera GT

I should add that driven carefully (linear braking, trailing to the apex, with very light pedal pressure) will create even pad wear. Excessive pedal pressure "into the ABS" or "crushing" the brakes into the apex will cause caliper "deflection" (uneven wear between inside and outside pads and exaggerate or exacerbate leading edge beveling or "wedging" of the front pads.) In other words, be careful to monitor the leading edge of the front pads (the "bottom" side of the caliper as it is on the car) and then "swap" (reverse the pads in the calipers to move the thick end of the wedge to the leading edge position.) Be careful to monitor the pads for excess heat soak, which seems to cause the pad material to disintegrate (perhaps because the bonding agents or glues in the pad material have been destroyed.)

IRguy

My pad wear is even, no wedging as fas as I can tell. Will check the sound again, but it was clearly audible at low speed.

P.J.S.

sell the pccbs while they are still good and get the str kit

Izzone style

just a thought

IRguy

That is my plan, but I thought I could use them for a season. Maybe not. What a ....

docdan

I agree with several points mentioned here. Keep in mind that I had the Porsche Steels with PFC 01 pads on my previous car, and the PCCB's and now the Stoptech STR's on my current GT3.

First of all, do NOT use the P50's unless you want to risk damaging your rotors. Using the P50's with PCCBs and replacing at 50% used to be the going recommendation. Recent service bulletins now refute that recommendation. I personally was following that recommendation. Aside from the fact that P50's cost about $800, there are some really nasty mounting posts in the pad that appear at about 50% thickness that look like they could really gouge the ceramic coating. So, I was replacing them frequently at quite a cost.

Then I got wise and bought the Stoptech STR kit at the same time as Izzone. I took off my PCCB's before they could get damaged and now I plan on selling all 4 PCCB rotors and calipers.

The Stoptech STR's are superior in every way to the Porsche Steels and the PCCB's. I'm using the Endless ME20 pads with the STR kit. The STR's have better pedal feel, more stopping power, and absolutely no fade. The pads last a long time with very little beveling and are very easy to change. Replacement rotors (slotted not drilled) are very affordable. I absolutely love these brakes and pads and only wish I had switched to them sooner!

On a side note, I really bedded them in according to factory specs on an empty race track (CMP) where I could get up to speed and then brake the proper number of times. This step is crucial as it transfers a layer of the pad material to the rotors. The rotors actuallly change color a little bit and turn bluish-gray. The stopping power and feel at this point is unbelievable. To make this whole post even more unbelievable, is, I have found that there is minimal brake dust with street driving and so far (3 months)......NO brake squealing!!


Dan

mkozink

Do the Stoptech STR rotors weigh less than the PCCBs?

Carrera GT

Don't get in the way of a sweeping generalization.

carrering

i'm at 12,000 miles so far on my PCCB equipped car. used only for track or driving to/from it. rotors are 0.01mm thinner than new. pads have worn evenly up front and slight bevel in rear. never use TC/SC except in rain. i think the pad wear is faster than when on steels, but not by much. i thought i wore through half-way point on my first set of pads after 2 trips to the ring and actually took them out to replace with P50's. when i found out the P50's were damaged during shipment so i put the original oem's back in and they lasted another 6 trips to the ring before the wear indicator went off. after each trip i measured rotors, inspected for damage and checked width of top/bottom of all pads on the car.

yes, the rotors will look different after the first trip to the track, but i think this is normal. so long as there is no graining on the rotor surface and you aren't below the minimum thickness of the rotor. mine are smooth and just inspected during my first annual service at a porsche zentrum here.

i think your issue with pads rubbing slightly is probably normal for any disk brakes. i don't think this affects them or wears them down faster than normal. if you are worried, inspect the rotors, measure thickness, and take them to porsche center.

for me, i am going to use these rotors up and at that point i'll decide to swap to steels or go with pccb's again. I think if they outlast 2 sets of oem steels, then they are worth it. any longer and its a bonus. Any less, and i'll just go to steels. I hate cracked pinhole rotors after one track day. i don't miss that at all. The car is 150K, i'll deal with 16k rotor replacement. hell there are enough people scared of their pccb's here i could just get a set cheap anyways.

docdan

Okay, you got me on the sweeping generalization. PCCB's are indeed lighter. But, to give one more advantage to the Stoptech STR,..... they claim to have the stiffest calipers available on the market.

997gt3north

My own calcs show a set of Ceramic rotors, even with P50s all the time, lasts about 7 sets of Irons - running no TC/SC and with retrofitted rear cooling ducts. This is of course racetrack / braking style dependent. And, I found that you can pick up a set of almost new ceramic rotors from sellers for around 4-5k for all 4. This then makes the cost comparison between Iron and Ceramic not crazy at all. That said, if you have a 996gt3 or 997mk1 with 350mm front and rear Irons and you are replacing them with $100 ATE Cayenne rotors then under no math do Ceramics make sense - not even remotely. For real trackrats, this is 'the' solution so that you can keep up with your R6 budget.

Given what I said above, assuming ceramic lightly used re-sale supply remains, I much, much prefer running P50s all the time - but park the car in the winter - and remove the R6s.

Carrera GT

You can't be talking about 380/350 PCCBs for $5K used.