Grabby Surface Coated brakes - is there a fix?

[John Hall]

Hi - got these on my (new to me) 2022 Macan GTS. They're incredibly grabby. Not much happens then WHAM - i nearly go through the windscreen. Does anyone else have the same issue and is there a cure to make them more progressive?

 

[paulus]

I've got a late 2021 GTS & yes, the brakes are very fierce when you breath on the brake pedal -lol.
They certainly don't fit the Porsche expectation of braking finesse.
I wonder how much is related to the Audi origins of bits of the car ? Audi brakes are typically similar, because they assume their drivers are daft enough to believe it shows how powerful they are or because Audi drivers can't anticipate the need to slow down very well .
The surface coating looks so smooth, you'd initially think the brakes shouldn't be so grabby, but they've presumably upped the friction level of the pads too far to compensate for some bizarre reason.
The only "fix" would be different brand pads - but the risk is that they then end up being not responsive at all until your braced on the steering wheel & pushing like crazy.
I've got a 996 911 as well & the brake "feel" on that is unbelievably good - absolutely no comparison to the Macan which has the worst brake feel of any car I've ever owned.

 

[John Hall]

Glad it's not just me then.....a change of pads sounds like it might be the answer, assuming I can cope with the mileage required until the existing ones need replacing. Memo to self - don't assume pedal feel will be the same as for steels or ceramics, and make sure you have a proper test drive. There are times I think I've made an expensive mistake and should just trade for something else!

 

[Lancerlot]

I have a stock braking system on my 2001 Macan GTS and can't fault it (and I am a bit of a fuss-pot when it comes to stopping power!) I don't recall ever trying surface coated rotors, but have a great deal of experience with PCCB's.

I can say with some confidence, every type of high performance braking I've ever used benefitted from formal bedding in. This usually takes the form of light use for a few hundred miles, followed by a short session of really hard braking from high speed to get the brakes (literally) stinking hot, then light use once again to allow the system to regain normal temp. Do not apply the handbrake during this process.

Possibly worth a try anyway!

Regards,

Clive

 

[John Hall]

Bought mine used, so it's had 20,000 miles to bed in unfortunately. Light pedal is fine, but when you then want to add breaking progessively it's almost like there's a travel point you hit where the servo assist increases exponentially. It's really very odd.....should probably call my OPC and get their take on it I guess. "Oh they all do that Sir" wouldn't be very helpful however!

 

[Lancerlot]

It's the interface between differing friction surfaces that causes grabbing. Brakes very seldom reach optimum performance through normal road use. Personally, I would try the hard braking suggestion since this will provide a coating on both surfaces and (hopefully) render them more compatible. Porsche work hard to provide excellent brakes in most conditions, so it's worth trying before going off-script and swapping out different parts - but up to you, obviously.
Regards,

Clive

 

[pwebb]

I had a Cayenne on loan with these brakes and were impressed with them and certainly not as you describe.
Before going any further I would try Clive's advice. He's knowledgeable and likes his brakes - I know, I've followed him...

 

[phil24]

I love these brakes on my GTS. They can be fierce at the first stop of the day - which for me is the end of my drive at about 5mph. After that they're a dream with braking effect feeling proportional to pedal effort. And in light of their performance, very little dust.
Finally, paired with understated black calipers, they look great.