Brake job? Anything special/difficult about this?
 

Is there anything special or difficult about a brake job on a 2001 Boxster that would preclude this being done by a local brake "specialist" like a Speedy or Midas?

The local dealer is a bit of a drive, needs an appointment and doesn't give courtesy cars. And is likely quite expensive.

A quick look through the wheel spokes shows a bit of pad left and so it's not a rush thing. But I've noticed that the sound of the braking is a bit "rough" as you approach a stop. Maybe it needs new brakes?

If it were me, I would NOT go to a place like Midas, who employs minimum wage guys with very little training on ANY braking system.

At least find a good independent who knows their way around a fine auto like the Porsche.

Look at it this way, even if the Midas guy simply torques the wheels wrong, you could end up with expensive issues.

Worst case, your car does not stop.

Good luck.

:cheers:

Dangerous recommendation probably, but if you are at all technically inclined, you can easily do a brake job yourself. Your first time will probably take you an hour or two per axle, MAX. Once you factor in the drive to the dealer, the wait, the logistical issues of getting rides from other people, you'll probably SAVE time by doing it yourself. Not to mention the $98/hr that my dealer charges. And the satistication of getting your hands covered in grease. :dance:

But yea-- don't go to Midas. Some 17 year old kid is taught to churn out a brake job every hour. And the only thing he's thinking about is the fact that if he finishes your car fast enough, he can go take a cigarette break before starting his next car.

I just did the brakes on my 1997. My mechanic said that the best way to do it is:

1. Replace all four sets simultaneously. They'll wear better than just doing the front or rear that need it the most.

2. Order your pads through an online place like Vertex. I used Textar, upon my mechanic's recommendation, but there are other great pads to use as well (as hotly debated here as oil types!!!) Just remember to get good German ones.

3. This might cause an arguement here, but my mechanic said that replacing wear sensors are not worth it. Regular inspection is just as good and far cheaper.

4. Rotors are not turned on Boxsters, only replaced, and will usually last about three sets of pads, maybe four, according to my mechanic. He said it depends a lot on what type of pads are used on the car and how much hard and high speed braking you do.

5. The brake job is not hard to do at all... it's a couple of bolts per wheel and slipping in the new ones, then bleeding the brake lines. I've seen DIY instructions online. I see no reason that a reputable repair shop could not do this for you as long as you supplied your own brake pads (I agree with the other poster here... no Midas. Find an independent shop that works on Mercedes and Audis and you'll be just fine. They'll be able to work on your brakes no problem).

6. One last thing my mechanic said should be done is to replace the brake fluid with the best synthetic brake fluid on the market as it really helps stopping performance. I cannot remember the brand he put in mine but he sure was right. (This won't be cheap, but buying good fluid and bringing it to whomever does your brakes and requesting a brake fluid change can't hurt one little bit and is worth another 75 bucks for your own safety.)

Hope this helps!

Agreed on the brake sensor. Only needs replacement if you wear your brakes to the level where the wear sensor is activated. Regular inspection should prevent this.

And with the rotors -- you are correct -- DO NOT turn the rotors on a European car. They should be replaced when you can feel warpage in your braking, or when a visual inspection shows them to be significantly worn/warped, or every couple brake jobs, whichever comes first.

What's the best synthetic brake fluid?

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=2810

We do not replace the wear sensors unless the light is on. We reuse them. Or, if you are like me, they have been removed from the pads.

For the pads Porsche uses Textar in the rear. Textar is owned by another company and that comany has bought up several other friction material companies. Galfer is used on the rear. So brand X and brand Y pads may be owned by the same company and marketed under different names. For a street car I look at the friction ratings. The oem front and rear are rated FF. We have put in FE and I just bought a set of Mintex that are EE. We put in a set of Hawk rated at GG but they make some noise. If you are going to keep the wear sensors then make sure non oem pads have the holes.

You can turn the rotors but the specs are just 2 mm so there is not much there to remain in spec. On a street car with street pads you should go through 2-3 sets of pads before it is time to replace the rotors. We measure the rotors to see if they are within specs.

Most of our local owners use Ate. But at our work on cars days people show up with different brands and I put them in as long as it is Dot 4. They are all still alive....