SC brake upgrade advice

[Steve88]

Hi guys just wondering if anyone has any advice on an upgrade for my SC brakes.

Cost effective options and if you know where to get stuff or a rough price guide please list that too. 

Ive got 7's and 8's  (x16 ) so they would have to fit this wheel configuration also as my rims are brand new. 

Thanks in advance 

[SC 3.2]

Hi Steve,I fitted Boxster front calipers with 3.2 rotors,a staightforward conversion and you need the adaptors to mount the calipers.I do not think it is entirely necessary as the stock brakes are quite up to the task even for amateur track work

Bought all the gear from Stan at Performance 9.

[ruby82sc]

+ 1 for standard SC brakes, mine are more than adaquate on the track and allow me to outbrake and corner alot of cars with upgrades don't they SC 3.2

[SC 3.2]

Ruby,you got your tail spanked that day on McGinn Road,when you can pass me on the straight I will eat humble pie.  

[Hughesy]

Ruby. I'll start baking that pie for you. ?

You can serve to SC cold. 

[tazzieman]

+ 1 for standard SC brakes, mine are more than adaquate on the track and allow me to outbrake and corner alot of cars with upgrades 

Agree. The most cost effective answer is be happy with what the factory provided! You can add some ducting and more focussed pads.

[Steve88]

Pads look like the upgrade winner !! Thanks guys 

[ruby82sc]

Ruby,you got your tail spanked that day on McGinn Road,when you can pass me on the straight I will eat humble pie.  

BLAH BLAH BLAH....... that may be the case SC but I plan on fitting West Coast mirrors the next time we are on the track together so I can see you...........If you aren't familiar with those mirrors just google "truck rear vision mirrors"

Ruby. I'll start baking that pie for you. ?

You can serve to SC cold. 

Thanks for the offer Hughsey, I'm not sure of SC's preffered flavour is but that wouldn't matter, I'm sure he would struggle chewing and swallowing any type

[SimonN]

Pads are certainly the first stop but be careful who you listen to. there are loads of myths as to what pads are good. For instance, for many years, the word was that Pagid "orange" was the best pad, particularly for 964/993's. After a lot of research, I discovered why that was and it was nothing to do with performance. They were used as the regulation pad in a number of race classes (including early Cup).

Most of the manufacturers publish figures of pad performance. What most miss when looking for a road/track pad is that the most important thing is cold performance, because on the road, that is what most of us are experiencing. The pad might be great when warm, but some are positively scary when cold. You also need to consider how abrasive you want to go, or, to be precise, how often you want to replace disks. Having said that, disks aren't too expensive, so I tend to go with what I want, which for oth my RS and now 3.2, is Pagid RS15 "Grey". The only downside is modulation isn't as good as a street/standard pad, meaning you need a bit more finesse in your braking. 

The other thing to remember with performance pads is that you need to be careful of your braking style. You need to brake short and hard rather than long and gentle, otherwise you risk glazing the pad. Once you are used to it, there is no issue, but you don't want people close up your rear when you use the brakes to their max potential!

I might be making it sound like its not worth the hassle, but for me, it improves the driving experience a lot. And it is a big bang for your buck.

[MR901]

I have used both standard SC brakes & upgraded boxster brakes on my 1981 SC for tarmac rally. The standard brakes fade badly towards the end of a full day of racing and on longer stages....the boxster brakes will still fade a bit but are significantly better in every way & worth every cent in my opinion. The SC brakes are perfectly fine for road use & the occasional track day but if you want an upgrade the boxster brakes are the go. FYI, I generally run 15x7/8's Fuchs but have also used 16x7/8's Fuchs with no issues. Hope that helps....

Cheers,

Matt

[Mike-S]

Same as Simon, having tested many different pads over the years on track days in the UK in my everyday road cars, I've always found Pagids to be the best. Blues or greys are probably optimal, unless you're only using the car on track.

[ruby82sc]

I'm no expert but what you need to remember is that braking creates heat, shiploads of it (doesnt matter what set up} which leads to brake fade when you least expect it or there is a wall in front of you. When "aggresively" braking  you should brake hard rather than being gentle.............fluffing about creates more heat and doesn't do anything for lap times........

[SimonN]

It's important to remember what brake fade actually is, and not to confuse it with other brake issues that come about when going from a street situation to track/race. Technically, brake fade is actually caused by the pad being heated past it's intended operating temperature leading to a release of gasses which then get between the disk and the pad material. Many think that brake fade is also when the pedal increases in travel or goes to the floor, but that is something different, namely brake fluid vapour lock, caused by "boiling" of the fluid in the system. What usually boils is the water vapour trapped in the brake fluid and this is why you need to change your fluid regularly (but this is another subject altogether!)

Fade is usually due to one or more of a number of factors. First, the pad needs to be working in its designed temperature range. I used to use special temperature sensitive paint on the outside of the disks to see what temperature they were getting to. In short, it doesn't matter what calipers you have if your pads get hotter than their designed temperature. Next, there is the use of getting adequate cooling to the disks, calipers and pads. You can then look at the disks themselves, where your options include ventilated and/or slotted. The primary purpose of the slots are to degas the pads. Beware of cross drilled ventilated disks, which can be very dangerous. I am not the biggest fan of drilled disks because of their life expectancy due to cracking around the holes.

The final problem that can be cured by set up is the overall size of the disks and calipers. An under braked car will always have problems. 

Finally, a common factor we used to see with the UK trackday scene was people who would get fade with almost any set up. Brake badly on the track and you put more heat into the system than any pad can handle. Braking too long and then too suddenly can very quickly overheat a setup.

Back to the OP. I would start by getting decent pads. With the SC, as it has the narrower disks, I would probably try to add something to divert airflow for trackdays. Being sensible on the day itself also makes a difference. You want to decide on a reasonable number of laps per outing for the components you are running. Careful management can save all components including tyres and brakes from the worst problems. Only when you have done all of this and you are still having brake issues should you consider bigger calipers etc.

[DHE11]

I ran a SC with std rotors and discs for years on a track car and had no issues with wear or fade everywhere from Wakefield to SMP, Phillip Island and Bathurst.

Having said that I ran race pads and bled (thus changed) the super blue fluid regularly because it does get hot. The best thing was running cooling to the centre of the discs (Stan at P9 can usually supply the ducts which are easy to fit) and this with some 2 1/2" ducting was best bang for buck mod i ever did. I also have made the centre block off plates to force the air out through the rotor vanes.

I now use Pagid yellows and i find them fine for street and good performance and wear but each to their own, many use Mu in IROC (Boxster callipers) or Pagid blacks or Ferrodo race pads in historics (Carrera/SC callipers) and they go harder than you are ever likely to on the street or a track day.

I have since gone to dual master cylinder and boxster front with the slightly thicker carrera discs for more thermal mass and collected lots of brake parts and trailed lots of pads such as Pagids or Ferrodo race pads for SC/Carrera so if you want to discuss before you decide to spend big on brakes PM me.

(unless your at the limit with a big HP motor or are doing it for looks, I agree with Tazzie, on a relatively light car the SC factory brakes are very good...)

[MrRPJ]

Hi Steve,I fitted Boxster front calipers with 3.2 rotors,a staightforward conversion and you need the adaptors to mount the calipers.I do not think it is entirely necessary as the stock brakes are quite up to the task even for amateur track work

Bought all the gear from Stan at Performance 9.

Any chance of grabbing measurements of you for the adapters so i can make some im in bris.

[clutch-monkey]

i have 3.2 rotors and boxster S calipers, excellent for street and up to task for track (i would like a little more braking imo, but my engine isn't stock either). they fit under stock 16"s, hell, i reckon you can get 15"s over them