Bigger brakes

[mr brightside]

I can't remember if i've ever asked this before and the forum seems to have been reduced in size so i'll never know!

Does anyone know a cheaper way of upgrading the front anchors on a 924s than paying nearly a grand for the Porsche Shop conversion, whom incidentally i prefer not to deal with.

Cheers.

 

[geoff Ives]

The brakes on the 924S is the same as the UK version of the 924 Turbo. I own both models of Porsche and must say the brakes are quite powerful and in fact more so than my 1974 911S.

 

[CarreraRSR]

The 924 Turbo and 924S calipers can also be found on the early 944's. Try new OEM discs. For some reason the OEM discs seem to be better than most pattern or aftermarket options. Some good pads. I'm using Mintex race pads which can squeal a bit at low speed braking. Refresh the fluid. Again I'm using a racing blue. All brake fluid needs changing at least once every two years. Stainless steel braided flexible hoses all round eg. Goodridge. The cost fitted was around £400. Now my car stops on a six pence.

 

[mr brightside]

It's brake overheating i'm having problems with and they can get really spongey sometimes, i've also boiled the fluid in the past and had to tootle back home with little operation from them. The disc diameter seems fine for the size of car but i could do with more pad surface area.

 

[CarreraRSR]

A racier pad material and racing brake fluid would go along way towards curing brake fade induced by sporty driving and overheating. I caned my car last night through some country lanes and have no problems whatsoever.

The next route is to source '86 944 turbo front hubs, struts and front/rear Brembos. Will also need the master cylinder. Looking at around £600+ in used parts plus fitting. Porscheshop BBK starts to look not so expensive.

EMC Motorsport who did my brake work suggested against the Brembos. For fast road and track days they suggested OEM discs, Mintex race pads and Racing Blue fluid change. They saved me some cash and the brakes are now spot on.

 

[924nutter]

ORIGINAL: mr brightside

It's brake overheating i'm having problems with and they can get really spongey sometimes, i've also boiled the fluid in the past and had to tootle back home with little operation from them. The disc diameter seems fine for the size of car but i could do with more pad surface area.

Just so that we are clear on this, PET lists these front brake calipers on the Carerra GT and early 928. I would venture to suggest that old discs would have much of the radial cooling ducts blocked by corrosion and a general build up of crud, which will ruin their fade resistance.

 

[sawood12]

I guess first of all the more cost effective option is to go for some higher boiling temp fluid like ATE Super Blue or even Castrol SRF. Also adding some brake ducting would help. Maybe take a look at the 968 cooling duct arrangemet - you may be able to fit that onto your car and the parts are not that expensive. Not sure if the calipers off a 944 S2/early turbo would work with your disks - would need some brackets fabricating, but that should be fairly easy if you have access to a machine shop or know someone who has.

If you have 17 or 18" rims and assuming that the 924 offset is the same as the early 944 offset then there is a chap in Norway that has fabricated a brackt kit for Medium Blacks (as fitted to later 944 turbo's), big blacks/reds (as fitted to 928GTS and 964 and 993TT's) and the more modern brakes off 996 turbos/GT3 mk1's. The disk for these callipers are tricky due to the offset but he's also developed a disk hub for floating disk rotors that work with the early offset 944's. Complete and utter overkill I know, but when it comes to brakes a bit of overkill is preferable to underkill, and they look very very nice. But very very expensive!!

 

[CarreraRSR]

Over kill brakes will be easier to lock up. With no abs you'll still end up in the scenery. The stock 924S/Turbo brakes should be adequate with fresh, higher boiling point fluid.

As I have said, new OEM Porsche discs, Mintex or similar fast road/track pads and Racing Blue fluid will give super braking. Used mine at Castle Coombe a few weeks ago with no braking issues except the rear end becoming light and loose braking into the tighter corners. Multiple laps and multiple sessions with no fade or boiling fluid.

 

[sawood12]

I guess in theory yes, but in practice it doesn't necessarily feel like that unless you just stamp on the brakes full force without attempting to prevent lock-up. With 4 pot brakes the characteristics are completely different as you are spreading the force over a larger pad area therefore you are not getting all the braking force concentrated over a small area (i.e. the pressure per square mm is less for the same input pressure) and the brakes are less grabby/snatchy and are actually easier to modulate and use and i'd argue actually safer. But of course there is not getting away from the fact that with larger brakes you have more braking power.

But brakes are only half the story - tyres are the other half. If your tyres are shot and a good few years old, or have a particularly hard compound then they will not be working for you very well meaning you need to spend more time on the brakes and you'll be putting more temperature in the brakes.