Driving Impressions: 996 Brake Upgrade

[Cris]

Originally Posted by Pat

Wow, I'm surprised you were able to get fade with the HP+ pads. While not full-on race pads, they are very agressive. Are you on R-comps? I don't have much experience with Boxsters, but am surprised with such nice OEM brakes, great pads and fluid, and a lightweight car you'd be able to realize such fade.
Show's what I know, I guess....

Don't forget, driving style has a lot to do with brakes performance as well. The longer one stays on the brakes, the more heat they generate. That ultimately results in brake fade and/or fluid boil. Doing well in threshold braking helps minimize wear on the brakes system. Try talking to other drivers about their brake pad consumption - how many days of track driving can they get out of a set of pads. I still have a set of race pads (SBS brand I got from TireRack, tho they don't sell them anymore) in storage with probably 40% life on them after ~ 8 days (IIRC) of 4 sessions @ Watkins Glen - a fairly fast track.

This is my experience with Boxster (base) brakes is on my '98 Audi A4 Quattro (~3200lbs) with the K04 turbo (~235HP). I've never experience brake fade, and very rarely do I have ABS kick in.

2 laps @ the Glen in the A4

[insite]

Originally Posted by Cris

Don't forget, driving style has a lot to do with brakes performance as well. The longer one stays on the brakes, the more heat they generate.

very true. the stock brakes were fine for me until the re-did my most frequent track; it now has three 100mph straights in a row w/ threshold braking to about 60mph at the end of each; they get REALLY hot after a few laps.