Aftermarket discs & pads
Discussion
Need new discs and pads. Normally I’d go OEM via OPC for warranty reasons, but my car’s age means I can’t extend the warranty once it expires, so OEM isn’t a priority.
What’s the best brand that matches OEM quality? I think the genuine parts are Textar - the non-Porsche Textar sets are around £260 cheaper. Are they really as good?
What’s the best brand that matches OEM quality? I think the genuine parts are Textar - the non-Porsche Textar sets are around £260 cheaper. Are they really as good?
Last time I changed the brakes on my Cayman I bought OEM Texar discs for about a third of what porsche wanted. They have the Porsche part number on them... I bought the rear pads from Porsche as, after my OPC gave some discount, they were basically the same price as the non-Porsche branded items. The front pads were from Euro Car Parts and the same manufacturer as the Porsche ones. Braking performance has been the same as the original items. IIRC I did pads and discs all round for under £600 including the new caliper bolts from Porsche as they are meant to be single use items.
SkinnyPete said:
From memory I think the previous genuine discs I've bought had a Sebro label, and the pads had Textar on the back.
I suppose there is always the risk that the material/compound is different to OEM, but I guess we'll never really know.
The Sebro discs and Textar pads are an excellent OE combination, they don't don't squeal and they work from cold, albeit they do produce a lot of black dust.I suppose there is always the risk that the material/compound is different to OEM, but I guess we'll never really know.
I've had 'Porsche', Sebro and Brembo discs with Textar pads, and all combos work equally AFAICT.
I chose Brembo discs this time, as they have a better finish on the hats/edges, and by that I mean a proper anti-corrosive.
If interested, choose the 'coated' range.
Sebro at top, Brembo below.
I chose Brembo discs this time, as they have a better finish on the hats/edges, and by that I mean a proper anti-corrosive.
If interested, choose the 'coated' range.
Sebro at top, Brembo below.
Orangecurry said:
I've had 'Porsche', Sebro and Brembo discs with Textar pads, and all combos work equally AFAICT.
I chose Brembo discs this time, as they have a better finish on the hats/edges, and by that I mean a proper anti-corrosive.
If interested, choose the 'coated' range.
Sebro at top, Brembo below.
I chose Brembo discs this time, as they have a better finish on the hats/edges, and by that I mean a proper anti-corrosive.
If interested, choose the 'coated' range.
Sebro at top, Brembo below.
That's great, thanks for sharing - the Sebro's are already in the post however!
Orangecurry said:
I've had 'Porsche', Sebro and Brembo discs with Textar pads, and all combos work equally AFAICT.
I chose Brembo discs this time, as they have a better finish on the hats/edges, and by that I mean a proper anti-corrosive.
If interested, choose the 'coated' range.
Sebro at top, Brembo below.
I did exactly this for the same reasons. The Brembos have been absolutely fine and have resisted corrosion very well.I chose Brembo discs this time, as they have a better finish on the hats/edges, and by that I mean a proper anti-corrosive.
If interested, choose the 'coated' range.
Sebro at top, Brembo below.
Its worth remembering that all pads that are sold have to meet ECE R90, which simplistically means that they cannot deviate frictionally +/- 15% from the OE equipment. In reality it means you wont notice the difference on the road between pad manufacturers.
What you may notice is that other characteristics are different, i.e, dusting, noise, wear etc.
Ive had several different pads manufacturers on my 987 over the years and the only time I was disappointed was when I fitted some Ferodo DS2500 for a trackday and ran them on the road afterwards, they simply didn't get hot enough during normal driving and became noisy and disintegrated over a winter!
I fitted Brembo discs and pads all round about 3 years ago now and they are wearing well and most importantly the discs aren't rusting on the bell housing due to the coating!
What you may notice is that other characteristics are different, i.e, dusting, noise, wear etc.
Ive had several different pads manufacturers on my 987 over the years and the only time I was disappointed was when I fitted some Ferodo DS2500 for a trackday and ran them on the road afterwards, they simply didn't get hot enough during normal driving and became noisy and disintegrated over a winter!
I fitted Brembo discs and pads all round about 3 years ago now and they are wearing well and most importantly the discs aren't rusting on the bell housing due to the coating!
Orangecurry said:
I've had 'Porsche', Sebro and Brembo discs with Textar pads, and all combos work equally AFAICT.
I chose Brembo discs this time, as they have a better finish on the hats/edges, and by that I mean a proper anti-corrosive.
If interested, choose the 'coated' range.
Sebro at top, Brembo below.
Did you get the front Brembo discs which are a left and a right, or the ones they sell as suitable for either axle?I chose Brembo discs this time, as they have a better finish on the hats/edges, and by that I mean a proper anti-corrosive.
If interested, choose the 'coated' range.
Sebro at top, Brembo below.
SkinnyPete said:
That's great, thanks for sharing - the Sebro's are already in the post however!
Apologies for being too slow.You could always return them? What annoys me about the Sebros is that they quite obviously just spray the whole disc with a very thin layer of grey paint, and then sand the paint off the friction surfaces. Hats go rusty very quickly.
Brembo apply some kind of coating on all exposted surfaces, including inside the vents/vanes.
Orangecurry said:
I've had 'Porsche', Sebro and Brembo discs with Textar pads, and all combos work equally AFAICT.
I chose Brembo discs this time, as they have a better finish on the hats/edges, and by that I mean a proper anti-corrosive.
If interested, choose the 'coated' range.
Sebro at top, Brembo below.
The Brembos's look like a better castingI chose Brembo discs this time, as they have a better finish on the hats/edges, and by that I mean a proper anti-corrosive.
If interested, choose the 'coated' range.
Sebro at top, Brembo below.
When people talk about aftermarket Porsche brake parts, three names come up again and again: Brembo, Sebro, and Textar. What’s interesting is that these aren’t really “budget” alternatives at all — they’re often the same companies supplying the original equipment.
Brembo discs are probably the most recognisable. The company manufactures braking systems for many high-performance cars and motorsport teams, and Porsche has long used Brembo calipers and components on models like the Porsche 911 and Porsche Cayman. Aftermarket Brembo discs are typically very close to OEM specification — high carbon cast iron, good heat stability, and designed to resist warping under repeated heavy braking.
Sebro discs are less well known outside Porsche circles but are actually a major OEM supplier to Porsche. Many genuine Porsche-boxed brake discs are believed to be Sebro parts underneath the logo. They’re known for very consistent metallurgy and machining tolerances, which is why a lot of Porsche specialists recommend them as a near-identical replacement for factory discs but without the Porsche box price.
Then there are Textar pads, produced by TMD Friction. Textar is another OEM supplier to Porsche, and their pads are often what you’ll find fitted from the factory. They tend to prioritise low noise, predictable bite, and relatively low disc wear, which is why they’re popular for road-focused cars even if track drivers sometimes switch to more aggressive compounds.
A common setup Porsche specialists suggest is:
• Sebro or Brembo discs
• Textar pads
• Fresh brake fluid
It’s effectively OEM braking performance without paying the Porsche tax. The interesting thing is that in many cases the actual engineering hasn’t changed — just the box it arrives in.
Brembo discs are probably the most recognisable. The company manufactures braking systems for many high-performance cars and motorsport teams, and Porsche has long used Brembo calipers and components on models like the Porsche 911 and Porsche Cayman. Aftermarket Brembo discs are typically very close to OEM specification — high carbon cast iron, good heat stability, and designed to resist warping under repeated heavy braking.
Sebro discs are less well known outside Porsche circles but are actually a major OEM supplier to Porsche. Many genuine Porsche-boxed brake discs are believed to be Sebro parts underneath the logo. They’re known for very consistent metallurgy and machining tolerances, which is why a lot of Porsche specialists recommend them as a near-identical replacement for factory discs but without the Porsche box price.
Then there are Textar pads, produced by TMD Friction. Textar is another OEM supplier to Porsche, and their pads are often what you’ll find fitted from the factory. They tend to prioritise low noise, predictable bite, and relatively low disc wear, which is why they’re popular for road-focused cars even if track drivers sometimes switch to more aggressive compounds.
A common setup Porsche specialists suggest is:
• Sebro or Brembo discs
• Textar pads
• Fresh brake fluid
It’s effectively OEM braking performance without paying the Porsche tax. The interesting thing is that in many cases the actual engineering hasn’t changed — just the box it arrives in.
SkinnyPete said:
Need new discs and pads. Normally I d go OEM via OPC for warranty reasons <snip>
You don't need to go OEM via OPC for warranty reasons. It's a legal obligation to honour a warranty with non-OEM parts if they can be shown to be of similar quality, and fitted by a proficient person. Obviously different if aftermarket parts have caused a failure by dint of non-original features or function. However if you're having good quality replacement parts fitted by someone that knows what they are doing you should have nothing to worry about.I feel Porsche sail pretty close to the wind to keep cars in the dealer network vs. consumer law, and in particular the current version specific to car servicing (MVBEO (2023)). I think they've mainly rowed back on their insistence on N-rated tyres to preserve warranty. Other consumable parts are similarly treated. Anything that unreasonably confines customers to the official dealer network, and to parts that are overpriced and required to be fitted exclusively, is quite simply not legal. The regulations were specifically written to prevent customers getting trapped in an overpriced monopoly.
I have been fortunate enough so far to have my cars OPC serviced, and fitted with genuine Porsche parts, but I see that as a luxury I choose to afford. I don't have to, and they don't always get to change brake pads, discs and fluid for me. I'm just as happy to use an independent specialist that's more local.
I also have a few non-standard suspension parts fitted to one of my cars that's still within warranty. In the unlikely event that ever becomes a warranty issue, I'll start by explaining the dealer's responsibilities under UK law. They'll probably see sense if I explain it properly.
LiamH66 said:
It's a legal obligation to honour a warranty with non-OEM parts if they can be shown to be of similar quality, and fitted by a proficient person.
Worth noting that's absolutely not the case for the extended 'warranty' which is really an insurance product and not a manufacturer warranty.Gassing Station | Boxster/Cayman | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff