Brake Heat
 

Does anyone else have a problem during DE's of the front brakes/wheels getting hot enough to melt the adhesive on the weights used for balancing and them coming off or moving several inches? I have even tried duct tape over the weights and it gets melted as well. I am running a 1999 996 Cab stock wheels/brakes/pads, ATE Blue fluid, and Hoosiers 225/45/17 front 275/40/17 rear. Our track (Hallett Motor Circuit) is known to be very hard on brakes/tires 11-turns 1.8 miles.

Are you ducting any type of cooling air into the rotors? As you described it, that would be my next action, to cool things down.

996's have a small plastic air scoop on the lower suspension to re-direct air into the brake. you might want to check to be sure you still have yours. If you do, and you are still having trouble, more ducting is the answer. Most race shops have heat resistant ducting, and often a simple addition of a duct which catches air and bends it 90 degrees so it is blowing on the brake area is enough. I have done this on a 911 (torsion bar suspension) with wire ties and it works great. I have not looked into doing it on my 996, so I can't give you advice there, be sure to spend a fair amount of time looking at the car with weight on the wheels so you can see where there is room for a hose. A cheap starting point might be to go to a hardware store and buy sewer hose for a trailer and use it to fit. It is the right diameter and only $10 for 25', unlike the good stuff at about $50. You might even use the sewer hose for one event, but check it often since it is plastic and may melt if it touches anything hot. Plus you can always use the sewer hose for a fresh air duct in the window on a hot track day....wait a minute did't you have a Cab...never mind

As Jim stated the 996 has a form of factory ducting, (a channel under the front end with deflectors routing the air to the rotors). These are all in place and appear fine. One thing I haven't done is use the aluminum backed tape, this might work. Although this all may be a moot point because after 1-2 runs the tires have moved on the rims as a result of the braking forces (if you mark the rim and tire at one point and check it later the marks no longer line up) so you are out of balance anyway.

[ 04-06-2001: Message edited by: Scott J. ]