Tyres, brakes and an ebay special

[Guest]

http://by135fd.bay135.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/getmsg?msg=728B30F4-817D-4DAC-84E4-FF7FB21F6946&start=0&len=33931&imgsafe=n&curmbox=00000000%2d0000%2d0000%2d0000%2d000000000001&a=93626d03f761619cfc77ea9e9ab6e1e18afa20347eaad898036e0ee74facbd46

Any use?[&:] Do strut braces have any benefits on Boxsters, as I know they are fairly rigid. If so, then upper or lower, or both, and front or rear, or both.

And what tyres do folks recommend (I have searched, but to no avail), and I find the brakes aren't too good. Yes, all the discs need replacing, so are the GSF ones worth having, as I don't want to pay Porsche Main Stealer prices for something that I can get the same elsewhere for cheaper? And do any of you guys upgrade the pads, as I normally use Ferodo DS2500 on my other cars?

Sorry for the million questions, but after having spent a few days noseying about the internet and here, I find information to be scarce....[&:][]

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mark_Bennett]

Lee,

I don't know if it's just me, but for some reason the link you gave just loads up this same message in another window... (???)

No real experience of strut-braces, but I think the front first if you were to do it.

Why change the pads? Unless you are spending more time on track than road, then the stock are pretty fantastic. They are pretty good on track too!

....I just spotted you say the brakes are not too good. They should be amazing. Maybe the new discs (do replace the pads at the same time) will fix that. When was the brake fluid changed?

 

[Guest]

No clue on the fluid, but its not "squishy", so IMO its not air in it. In fact, the fluid should have been done last year - I'll check the service book. The pads are less than half used, and I'd be sorely tempted to go for DS2500 again - I love them and they work WELL, but take a wee bit of warming. The brakes are a touch "grabby", but when stomped on, they don't bite any harder....[&:] The discs are defo close to changeing, and if I keep the car (bought to sell, to be honest), then I'll do them and the pads in all probability. I'm not keen to go for Porsche OEM stuff, as for me the prices are absolutely ridiculous, when I can likely get better for less - I mean, lets face it, Porsche don't make their own brakes - someone else does, and its just a matter of finding who. And I am used to 4 pots, but on a different car which gets tracked, also single pots, again on a different car, but a lighter one that too gets tracked. Considering the size of the calipers on the Boxster, I am a little disappointed with the brakes, and they have very little feel too.... Praps its just me?[&o]

Sorry about the link - its for a strut brace.[]

And thanks very much for your help, Mark - its appreciated. Is everyone else as lost as me for info on these, or is it "don't talk to the new guy" syndrome?[][]

 

[channella]

AFAIK the brakes are made by Brembo. I have ATE Blue fluid, and a set of Pagid RS4-4 waiting to go on, or is that in, the front. I went round the houses a bit on discs and ended up with the standard (Brembo made) versions. There are some after market brakes that fit - TarOx G88, Black Diamond, EBC etc., and some stuff you could import from the US if you wanted, but would they be any better in the end? What I came to understand is that it is all about heat management. Yes, when you get to carbon discs weight is an issue (reduced rotating mass, easier to slow etc.), but grooves act as a grater and reduce contact area as do holes, although the latter reduces weight, but that means reducing mass and somewhere for the heat to go, before the breeze through the disc and wheel carries it away.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Andrew. I was looking at the discs from either Brakes International or German Swedish and French. Likely that they're all made at the same foundry, hence is my issue with costs....... I'm not new to this upgrading malarky, so have a fair idea of where to go and what the differences are. I wouldn't touch drilled discs as they are very prone to cracking around the holes, however, I would do dimpled so's to release teh gasses. Grooved usually help de-glaze the pads too. I'd consider Carbon compound discs, if only to save the unsprung mass, however cost is very important to me (or should I say, value for money) and couldn't justify the big jump.

I'm really after solid vented discs, and cheap, as if I get really good pads, ie very abrasive, they'll eat the discs. And as the pads would be the more expensive part, I'm happy for them to last!!!! I MAY investigate EBC blanks, as I've used them on other cars to good effect. I am also going to investigate either Ferodo DS2500 or EBC Redstuff. The DS2500 are very dusty, but the redstuff aren't, and as EBC have developed the Redstuff into a Ferro-Carbon mix pad, they are pretty effective (on road) and also pretty dust free. I know a few folk who use them on track too, with no major dramas, except for apparently they don't quite have teh full retardation of the DS2500. Swings / roundabouts...

Ishall try to get hold of prices, and then let folks know what I've come up with. Thanks very much for the info, and any reason why the Pagids? TIA.
Leeeeeeeeeeeeee

EDIT:- Can anyone tell me teh offset to feed to the disc suppliers / manufacturers so's I get the right ones? Anyone interested in a Group buy if I get prices? Thanks again.

 

[channella]

The reason for the Pagids: Nobody I spoke to at the indi's (GTOne and JZM) or aquaintances who have done similar things, recomended anything else in preference. The reason for the "orange"; getting some temperature head room without being too silly - the car doesn't have the hp to get to too high a speed before the next bend on the track. Orange may be a step too far, but I was interested in trying something different, and I've no reason to believe they won't work across a range of conditions and motoring.

 

[Guest]

Tyres are sorted - Continental Sport Contact2. £125 a corner, fitted, inc VAT at a local (cheap) tyre centre.

As for brakes.... I'm going to try the ones from BrakesInternational. And alignmnet / bushes is being taken care of FOC, as I got lucky with a manufacturer who wanted a Boxster as a demo / r and d car for bushes. And obvioulsy they'll align it too. [8D] []

I'll let you k now how I get on for feel and grip when its all done. The brakes I may order tomorrow, just got to see if EBC do anything too.

 

[Mark_Bennett]

You might want to try other tyres than the contis if you are after "feel".

I had contis for a while and back to back with Pirellis I found the Pirellis have much more feel - the contis gave me no confidence at all.

 

[Guest]

Oh knickers. Too late now!!! They're on. I also wanted something to try to compensate for my lack of skill, so the high silica Contis won it. However, I may bang a few more psi in them so stiffen them up a bit to give a bit more feel.

Mebbe 2 or 3 is all.

Aaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnd - I dropped REAL lucky with the bushes etc - they're going on next week![]

 

[Mark_Bennett]

In that case, ignore my previous post []
Anyway, you might love them - John Bond does.

 

[Guest]

Who's John Bond, then? [&:]

I DID tell you I was new to this Porsche lark....[>:]

 

[Elliot Davies]

ORIGINAL: Mark Bennett
had contis for a while and back to back with Pirellis I found the Pirellis have much more feel - the contis gave me no confidence at all.

Ditto Mark, ive had contis and prefer pirellis, much more feel and less slides