996 brakes
Author
Discussion

NotsoSmart

Original Poster:

7 posts

237 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2007
quotequote all
I am a proud new owner of a 1999 C4 996 cab. Lovely it is too.

I am unused to its drive etc, and compared to my old Merc and my wifes Impreza, I find the brakes quite spongy and un-responsive. They obviously work but they require quite a lot of pressure. The pads were new prior to purchase and I have done about 1000 miles.

The hand brake pads are new as well and this needs a lot of pressure to hold the car on a hill.

Any comments would be welcome.
Cheers

n1ckm

187 posts

258 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2007
quotequote all
That's a Porsche for you - you'll get used to them !!

fidgits

17,202 posts

259 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2007
quotequote all
best brakes on a road car the 911's...

the difference is, they aren't over-servo'd like most generic boxes on the road, and so require a lot of pressure to get them to work, you will also find a lot of feel in them...

Find a nice empty country road, get some speed up, and use them in anger...


Then slap yourself with a wet fish for doubting them...

NotsoSmart

Original Poster:

7 posts

237 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2007
quotequote all
Thank you to both responses !

I live and learn, but relatively gentle driving around with the 'young' family isnt the best time to try them out. I am used to the 'over servod' ones you refer too where a slight tap in the wet brings on the ABS .!!!

n1ckm

187 posts

258 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2007
quotequote all
I know exactly how you feel - my previous car was an M3 and the first time I drove the 996 I thought someone had crept up when I wasn't looking and taken the pads out !! But as fidgets says, they're actually very good but take a bit of getting used to.....

fidgits

17,202 posts

259 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2007
quotequote all
NotsoSmart said:
Thank you to both responses !

I live and learn, but relatively gentle driving around with the 'young' family isnt the best time to try them out. I am used to the 'over servod' ones you refer too where a slight tap in the wet brings on the ABS .!!!


tut tut.

You should get out on your own on your fave driving road one quiet night, and give it a blast, a 996 will re-write your understanding of fast cars... they are just incredible! The acceleration, handling, braking, feedback, all that, just blows your mind, squirting from corner to corner...

Then you'll know why you bought it!

slippydiff

16,417 posts

253 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2007
quotequote all
fidgits said:
NotsoSmart said:
Thank you to both responses !

I live and learn, but relatively gentle driving around with the 'young' family isnt the best time to try them out. I am used to the 'over servod' ones you refer too where a slight tap in the wet brings on the ABS .!!!


tut tut.

You should get out on your own on your fave driving road one quiet night, and give it a blast, a 996 will re-write your understanding of fast cars... they are just incredible! The acceleration, handling, braking, feedback, all that, just blows your mind, squirting from corner to corner...

Then you'll know why you bought it!


Large pad area and big discs mean it can take some time to bed the new pads onto the exising discs properly.

My GT3 brakes were only "OK" when I'd fitted new front pads and discs and bled them, however 3 or 4 thousand miles later when they'd "matured" they were superb.

I'm currently going through the same "OK ness" with the big Alcon disc conversion at the moment (everyone raves about them, but as far as I'm concerned (and with only a thousand or so miles on them) they are only "OK"

Be patient and they'll come good (and as has been said, you'll appreciate just how good they really are)

NotsoSmart

Original Poster:

7 posts

237 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2007
quotequote all
thanks, you sound as if you know what you are doing. I will try and email you tomorrow to see if you can help me adjust my handbrake too.simonevans@webfs.net

arwebs

2,965 posts

280 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2007
quotequote all
It might be worth getting the brakes bled and making sure that all the bleed nipples and connections are tight. If you've got air in the system this will account for the spongyness.

BliarOut

72,863 posts

269 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2007
quotequote all
996 cab brakes work... Oh my god they certainly do

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=48&t=321914

bluesatin

3,115 posts

302 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2007
quotequote all
Just fitted Pagid blue to 996tt and very impresive increase in bite and pedal feel compared to the old pads.

shoestring7

6,194 posts

276 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2007
quotequote all
arwebs said:
It might be worth getting the brakes bled and making sure that all the bleed nipples and connections are tight. If you've got air in the system this will account for the spongyness.


Agreed, if the problem is a spongy pedal it may also be because the fluid is tired.

SS7

Merritt

1,669 posts

268 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2007
quotequote all
slippydiff said:
I'm currently going through the same "OK ness" with the big Alcon disc conversion at the moment (everyone raves about them, but as far as I'm concerned (and with only a thousand or so miles on them) they are only "OK"



Slippy - are they the 'quiet' versions and if so are they still quiet?? Just wondering as I currently have the Brembos on my 3 and they sound like a traction engine when they are cold!

Steve

richardb.jones

326 posts

255 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2007
quotequote all
NotsoSmart said:
thanks, you sound as if you know what you are doing. I will try and email you tomorrow to see if you can help me adjust my handbrake too.simonevans@webfs.net


Adjusting the handbrake is a bit of a'mare tbh - you have to adjust a nut inside the drum but you have to do it though a small hole in the drum/disc bell = headache. I did mine when I replaced the rear discs (so had the calipar off anyway) and adjusted it very acurately. You need to have it so it's 'just' rubbing on the shoes when spinning the drum - put the two retaining screws back in to ensure it's all 'square'. After a few spins it should stop rubbing - do the other side and then I'd suggest a few pulls on the handbrake at slow speeds to bed those shoes onto the drum properly - don't do it too much or you'll glaze the shoes.

With two clicks on the handbrake I now get that positive 'lock' feeling on the back wheels, I can also lock (handbrake) the rears with a pull on the handbrake - only did it once to test that I could ... evil


Edited by richardb.jones on Tuesday 2nd January 23:32

slippydiff

16,417 posts

253 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2007
quotequote all
Merritt said:
slippydiff said:
I'm currently going through the same "OK ness" with the big Alcon disc conversion at the moment (everyone raves about them, but as far as I'm concerned (and with only a thousand or so miles on them) they are only "OK"



Slippy - are they the 'quiet' versions and if so are they still quiet?? Just wondering as I currently have the Brembos on my 3 and they sound like a traction engine when they are cold!

Steve


Steve, I believe they're the "Mk2" versions and thus quiet. I don't get any rattles from them hot or cold but the grooved faces make them noisy when slowing from ahem cough "higher speeds" but thats got nothing to do with the mounting system I guess.

NotsoSmart

Original Poster:

7 posts

237 months

Wednesday 3rd January 2007
quotequote all
Thanks again to everyone, you've been more than helpful.

Neilpeel59

279 posts

249 months

Wednesday 3rd January 2007
quotequote all
bluesatin said:
Just fitted Pagid blue to 996tt and very impresive increase in bite and pedal feel compared to the old pads.


Absolutely agree with this. Pagid blue's are the one's to go with.