[s-cars] Porsche Big Reds or Big Blacks

[Linus Toy]

> -----Original Message-----
> 
> The stock brakes SUCK, they are not to be trusted for any 
> kind of high speed driving. How these made it into a German 
> car I will never know, unless they sent us the crap they didn't like.

This is actually pretty simple...the original size spec for these brakes dates
from the mid-80s, when the typ 44 cars weighed in at about 3300# max, and had
maybe 200hp.  At the time, the 15" wheel size was very common, 16" much less
so, or much more $.  For these lighter, slower cars, these brakes worked fine.


As the speeds increased and cars got heavier, brakes improved...The UFO brakes
of the V8 and 200q20v carried over in Europe even though dropped in the
US...the "conventional" G60 setup being easier to maintain and costing less, at
the expense of braking power.  The 15" tire factor was still at work
though--the UFOs were specifically designed for use under a 15" wheel.  

Remember though, that for a street driven car, these brakes worked fine...once.
It is only under repeated braking that you run into issues with heat capacity
(high) and rejection (poor).  As someone pointed out recently, you CAN lock up
the brakes on these cars with stock brakes--if you can't, something is amiss
with your braking system.

One thing people often overlook w/ stock brakes:  choice of brake pads.  Funny
thing is, so many people have a "better mousetrap" (favorite "high performance"
pad) and miss the forest for the trees.  Nobody can stand the factory OEM pads
primarily due to their dirty black dust as well as being pricey.  But the fact
of the matter is, those pads are much more effective than most people give them
credit for.  They are durable.  They have good bite and braking torque.  And
with everything else on the system working, they will brake with enough power
to trigger ABS.  When I say factory OEM pads, I'm referring specifically to the
pads you source from the dealer, or EXACT same pads from parts channels--i.e.
on the 91 200q with G60, the Ferodo 3411AF pad (in a Girling box if sourced
thru parts channels).  Sure, you might find some other "OEM-equivalent" pad
with the same dimensions, supposedly a similar pad material...you might get
lucky and get something good, but you also might just get the latest $20 weekly
special.  And it will likely last for only part of a track day while the
factory pads will easily last 3 or 4 days on track.  For the first-time
driver-ed student, the dealer-sourced OEM pads are a great pad.  

Of course, all this goes out the window for cars repeatedly on track...then
bring on the 993tt or 996 caliper over a properly ventilated big rotor :)
  _____  
Linus Toy
Mercer Island, WA 
linust at mindspring.com

'91 200q20v...with:
 - 993tt "Big Red" calipers over A8L rotors :) (to stop)
 - AVSi tires (16" to clear above brakes)
 - H&R V8 springs, Bilstein HD dampers (to turn)
 - IA stage III+ (to go)
Oh..it's for sale:  www.mindspring.com/~micarnut
  _____