Racing Brake pads for a Cayman?

[WillyDaP]

Over the years , partly because we had a Motorsports Division at Woodhouse Chrysler , Dodge, Jeep, Ram for Vipers/SRT machines, I was able to test and try a boatload of brake pads. Like every Industry I have seen many companies go, while others expanded or offered many new advances. Over the years I have developed a very good relationship with Danny Puskar at G-Loc and have used his product on quite a few vehicles. I plan on chatting with him this week, and I know he has pad that fit the Cayman GTS , but I also would love to hear from members about what they have found with these pads or others, because I have played with enough different machines over the decades to be aware that some products actually work a bit better on one car than another ( especially since we can see such disparities in weight). I do know Tim in Tennessee ( blue line ) really likes Ferodo DS3.12s and I respect that alot because I know he is quite fast and old ( er, experienced ).
I would love to hear from many of you as I have alway been a huge proponent of staggered pads, but then I have driven mainly front engine, RWD machines and with a mid engine 718 do drivers usually run the same pad all the way around? I like G-Locs ( always pre-bedded ) as they are friendly to rotors, but over the past year I was able to test an insane new pad from EBC ( SR-21 and SR-11s sintered pads ) , which I have not found to be available at present. This is a company in the past that mainly sold pads promoting low dust and for really serious trackrats they were not the entree of choice. I would be interested if anyone has tried their new RP series pads as well as many other companies.
I will probably destroy the OEM pads first, so I have time , but now is the time to gather actual examples from folks who have been out exercising their Porsches.
I do know a set of Girodiscs are in the future plans because one of my main disappointments was that Porsche goes the poser route with drilled rotors ---- major fail!
Please feel free to give me your views , analysis , because having tried tons of pads ( I did not list all the companies ) is somewhat meaningless because nothing was done with a mid engine car . You guys are the ones with the laps on track or autocrossing, so your thoughts are important.

Thanks so much, since before I go with my old standby ( G-Locs ) info from those in the know ( you ) is always a good way to make a solid decision.

[J-Dub]

Bill,
I have used CarboTech and then Gloc on my R32 and have nothing bad to say about them, they were great.

On my Cayman I went with the Ferodo DS3.12s as they highly regarded for this platform as one of the shining examples of a great product. I put them on 6 track days back and have not removed them. They are not noisy or excessively dusty on the street. I don't have any experience with other pads for this platform so I can't offer a subjective review.

I am also considering the Girodisc as replacement rotors once these OEM rotors are used up, my current stock rotors are developing the cracks between the holes.

Jeremy

[WillyDaP]

Thanks J-Dub, and appreciate your thoughts. Do you find the Ferodos with a ton of initial bite or are they strong but a bit more linear? It seems they are reasonable on rotors , and I will also keep mine on all the time ( no change for street ) so that note was valuable.

I can vouch for Girodisc over other quality rotors as they are all US made, usually on the lower end of pricing ( in a high priced market ) and wear every bit as well as Brembo, Stoptech, etc. They built a new Plant in Bellingham, Wa. years back, moving from California and they have expanded because of strong consumer happiness!!! When I was working the Dealership I was at also had a Motorsports Division --- Girodisc gave us the absolutely best service of any brake rotor company!!

[J-Dub]

Been trying to think about how to answer the brake feel question. I would say they are in the strong but linear category. The brake feel is natural and consistent weather cold, street or being aggressively driven. I get a smile on my face when I use the brakes, never a nervous face. Since I have not tried that many pads on this platform I don't know if it is the coefficient of friction of the pad or the bore of the master to the caliper piston ratio that is the dominant driver of the brake feel in this car.

I can say that on my R32 the ceramic pads I have it now have a poor initial bite and they take more pedal pressure than any of the Carbotech, GLoc or Porterfield pads I have used in the past. The upside is the Ceramics dust is nearly non-existent.

I have tried the EBC red stuff years ago on a GTI but it has been so long ago that I don't have much left to use for a comparison. It does seem like brake pads are like tires and they do continue to evolve and improve.

[WillyDaP]

Thanks, it seems alot of folks are using them and I imagine you are using the Ferodo DS3 front and rear? The EBC pads of years back were never good track pads , they now have an RP1 and RPX that are for autocross and racing and they have some sintered race pads ( SR11 and SR21 ) that will stop you yesterday. The Sintered pads are only on a few cars but I would imagine, after using them on a heavy 21 Mach 1, that they would be best for a full out race car -- they are incredible but the bite is instantaneous. I have heard some say the Cayman is a bit over boosted and sensitive to pads , but it seems almost everyone is using Ferodos with good success. I will try a set of G-Locs right after I eat up the stock pads, since I know Danny Puskar well and I know he will also be able to give me a solid initial suggestion. Plus they are easy on rotors and that has always been important with the cost of two piece ones.

My focus here is to get some views from Trackrats on Carpokes, as I have often gotten great advice listening to those who actually track their car, since many have tried various pads and though they like a couple they may have found a strong favorite. I am a very late braker and I don't mind extremely strong initial bite , but I also am aware on some cars that can cause ice mode issues. Not sure if that is the case with the Cayman?

[Caymanorcarrera]

Darn.........I think I went to the wrong thread on my brake supply update of today............EBC, Ferodo, .............Rennline, Sebro, Giro..........lots of coices, but I agree with Willy - with the cost of parts these days and me bailing out of wrenching myself............I want these new front brakes to last!

[blueline]

Darn.........I think I went to the wrong thread on my brake supply update of today............EBC, Ferodo, .............Rennline, Sebro, Giro..........lots of coices, but I agree with Willy - with the cost of parts these days and me bailing out of wrenching myself............I want these new front brakes to last!

Lol. It's easy to get cross-wired on threads and topics and where stuff is. Searches help but that can get overly busy in a hurry.

Might or might not help, but I started a catch-all topic for brakes in the Racing forum, mostly as a spot to aggregate links to various threads and posts about brakes that often pop up in seemingly unrelated spots. Hoping that others will add to it over time. It might help if you are looking to find a specific thread or post.

https://www.carpokes.com/viewtopic.php?t=3638

[WillyDaP]

...........and CaymanCarrera, as you have already discovered we are a helpful bunch, so we also encourage folks to ask if they can't find something, since Carpoke Camaraderie is at a very high level and we understand the passion! Many will jump in with their experiences and since we all have varying needs that can be super helpful in your own analysis.