Rotors and pads

[stateofidleness]

Wanting to do new rotors and pads on the Box this weekend and was wondering if anyone has had any experience with aftermarket slotted (or drilled) rotors, and which pads they prefer.

Right now I'm leaning towards EBC Red Stuff as my buddy has them on his subie and they feel great.

Also, is the brake pad/rotor maintenance a driveway DIY or are there special Porsche tools required for it?

thanks guys!

(feel free to add any tips in for a pad replacement job)

[sasha055]

I got a slotted/drilled rotors from R1Concepts along with ceramic pads, they stop nice, pedal feel is great, no dust.... and they look AMAZING!

But then again, I don't track the car, it's my daily driver with 70% city/ 60% hwy

I don't know how well they'll perform on track.

They whole deal (4 rotors + 8 pads) was 300$ shipped to my door.

As far as installation.. it's a breeze, it took me 20-30 min a wheel.. and I had to rise/lower the car for each wheel.

Word of advise: IF you car went a long time without unscrewing calipher bolts.. be VERY carefull with front passenger calipher.. it's known for seized bolts. Don't force it.. it's aluminium


Thanks
Sasha

[kabel]

do you or do you plan to autocross or track your boxster

Brake pads/rotor replacement can be a DIY, not too difficult overall. It is a dirty job!

[stateofidleness]

yea, not sure when the last time they've been changed.
how big of an "uh oh" is that if it breaks or something? would spraying them with wd40 or pb blaster first minimize chances of making a mistake?

i'll check out r1 concepts! just the info i was looking for. how's the quality on the rotors?

[stateofidleness]

No track or autocross, but I do enjoy some "spirited" driving when the opportunity presents itself (think scenic winding roads through hill country)

which pads are most going with? I see a few on the R1 site, but not sure on if it's ok to mix and match brands/material etc.

there's these: Posi Quiet (Semi-Metallic)
http://www.r1concepts.com/porsche-boxster-2000-brakes.htm
which are Front and Rears

what's the best compound for our cars for 95% daily driving/5% fun?

[j.fro]

I had the Mintex "red box" pads and they were very good. The fronts lasted 70,000 miles of regular driving along with 4+ years of autocrossing. The dust was about like stock; they squealed just a bit if I was too easy on the brakes.

[WhipE350]

I have a 2000 'S' and used Balo zink coated rotors and Mintex pads. Couldn't beat the price. Balo rotors are German, top quality, and only $65 a peice, not sure but they may be OEM. Pads I got all 4 for like < $70.

The brakes feel perfect, but I wish I had spent the money and got Akebono pads in the front. I put them on my Benz and they are awesome...zero dust. The Mintex put off a ton of hot dust and seem to be damaging my rims a little.

Just my 2 cents. The Balo rotors are a great buy.

I got my car in Nov and it was generally well cared for and the rotors just dropped off, all calipers bolts were in perfect shape after 53k miles. If yours rotors have never been changed it is possible the existing pads (if original) have the stuck on backing pads that fit into the caliper pistons...I reused mine.

[stateofidleness]

I didn't seen any cross-drilled/slotted options on the Balos.

Another thing I just thought of.. whenever it's overcast (humid) or has rained, the stock rotors I have now get a layer of "rust" on them even after a short time of being wet. Is there a "coating" I should look for or a certain material I can look for that won't do this?

It's annoying to walk outside and see nasty rust-colored wheels every time it rains...

[stateofidleness]

..one more question, do I need to replace the brake pad wear sensors on all 4 wheels as well or are these a longer life item? (i'm at 65,000 miles)

[Spinnaker]

Originally Posted by sasha055

, it's my daily driver with 70% city/ 60% hwy

Wow, someone who drives 130% of the time!

"do I need to replace the brake pad wear sensors"
You only have to change them if you have worn the pads down to the point where the sensors have been activated and the warning light has come on.

[sasha055]

God damn Spinnaker.. you got me.. but then again.. here in Seattle it feels like you're driving 130% of the time

I might get a 10% off coupon from R1 Concepts, I'll post later in day when e-mail arrives.

Thanks
Sasha

[RandallNeighbour]

Originally Posted by stateofidleness

yea, not sure when the last time they've been changed.
how big of an "uh oh" is that if it breaks or something? would spraying them with wd40 or pb blaster first minimize chances of making a mistake?

You probably won't have a problem removing the caliper bolts, so don't spray them anticipating a problem. I won't tell you anything about my front caliper bolt nightmare if you don't ask... suffice it to say it's a good idea to replace your rotors before the bolts heat-weld into the wheel carrier!

You do need to purchase new caliper bolts from a dealer though. They are designed to be torqued down once and only once. Not everyone knows this and some may even disagree with me, but it's the right thing to do.

BTW, I've used Mintex and Textar pads and while they're dusty, they have excellent stopping power for city use and that should be most important to you over dust accumulation. Additionally, I purchased Zimmerman cross drilled rotors with cadmium plated hats... whatever you buy, make sure you tape them off and spray the hats with high temp paint or get plated ones. They rust and look awful if you don't.

I also replaced my factory brake lines with braided stainless and they really go a long way to a firmer pedal. Mine are no-name brand from eBay, btw.

Be sure to buy a Motive power bleeder since your brake fluid should be changed once a year regardless of use. This makes it so easy and you can do this job much faster and by yourself.

One last thing.... buy two cans of really good brake fluid. Super blue or Gold is what I use, alternating each year between the colors so I can see the old leave and the new come through.

Brake bleeding should be done first from the furthest wheel from the reservoir and you work your way closer and closer.

This is a fun weekend project if you have everything you need (materials and tools) and it's really satisfying when you drive the car the first time and it stops much better (if you bought those stainless steel lines and flushed all the old fluid out of the system).

[Bob O]

I agree completely with Randall. Also remember that the first few stops after changing the rotors, pads and fluid your stopping power will be GREATLY reduced for the first few stops. Don't go tearing out of the driveway and expect it to stop where you want it to!!!! Gently apply the pedal a few times, which will start the bedding in process and get rid of any "stuff" on the pads or rotors, then go someplace isolated and seat the pads to the rotors. From a site I can't find or remember the address of anymore, this involves two or three relatively hard stops at several increasing speeds...ie 2 from 35 mph, 2 from 45 mph, up to about 80 or so. Don't come to a complete stop. Just slow down moderately hard to 5 or 10 mph, drive around a few minutes to cool things off and start over. (Some sites recommend just moderate driving for 400-500 miles. But this is the procedure I've used for years and never had any problems with my brakes.) After the pads and rotors are mated you should be good to go.

Bob

[stateofidleness]

Wow good information!

I'm planning on going with the R1 Concepts cross-drilled/slotted Eline rotors and most likely the posi-quiet pads they have as well. How much are these caliper bolts (wouldn't happen to have the torque spec would ya?) and will I need a special "Porsche" tool to remove/install the new ones?

Thanks all! (Sasha a coupon would be sweet!)

[RandallNeighbour]

Part numbers for caliper bolts vary from MY to MY so call your dealer. They can also tell you the torque specs. The bolts have an allen wrench type fitting. Best to find the size and buy a socket for it that fits your torque wrench.

[thstone]

I am running Cquence drilled rotors and EBC Redstuff pads on my '99 Box.

The break-in period was about 300 miles (some squealing and brake dust) but after that they are now perfectly quiet and brake performance is outstanding on the street. Dust is 25% of factory pads so my wheels are MUCH cleaner.

I did the pads/rotors myself. Just follow any good online set of instructions like those at the Pelican Parts site and its definitely a DIY in the driveway with regular garage tools. Don't make this job any harder than it need be.

I am doing my first DE with this setup this weekend and will report back early next week how they perform at the track.

So far, VERY happy with this setup and its perfect for the street. Also, the drilled rotors look very sporty.

[ekam]

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour

Part numbers for caliper bolts vary from MY to MY so call your dealer.

I'm pretty sure the caliper bolts are the same for all boxsters. They did mention Cayenne gets longer caliper bolts.

[sasha055]

Here's the coupon:

Thank you for your response and welcome back to R1 Concepts!

10% Coupon Code: 656instant10
Website: www.r1concepts.com
Starting date: now
Expiration date: March 22, 2011


BTW slotted rotors make noise when hard stopping.. you can hear the slots cutting into the pad

Sasha

[WhipE350]

60 pounds torque for 'S' calipers. I got a Motive power bleeder too, works really great. I used blue since green was already in car. I did the 70 to 5 mph several times break in too after the zinc was worn off, it worked very well. Again the Akebono's work just as good as TMD brand that came on Benz...just minus the dust.