GT4 Short brake pedal after new brake install

[Oz83]

Good morning!

Last weekend I finally got round to installing new discs and pads all round on my GT4. The old brakes were completely on their last legs. Grooves in the discs and the front pads were almost down to the wear sensor with a fair bit of pad taper. I recently had the fluid changed at Porsche, so it was at the max level. During the install I syringed fluid out of the reservoir after doing each corner. It's now sitting just below max.

After driving the car, the brakes are solid but the brake pedal is really short. So much so, that it makes heel toe difficult because it is so much higher than the throttle. The pedal travel was much longer before.

Is the new pedal travel something I need to get used to? I didn't think the pedal travel would change much after a brake install, unless there was more piston travel before due to the pad taper.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[A1VDY]

Now there's no pad taper the pistons can push squarely on the new pads giving less pedal travel..

[james.a.c.911]

What pads did you install?

I just put some EBC Blue Stuff - they have a layer on them to 'clean the dics' during the first few miles. Pedal was really high after install and after a few hundred miles it's now back to a lower level (making heel and toe easier again).

I would expect things to normalise once you've done some miles, bed them in and warmed them up a few times.

[NBTBRV8]

Is your brake booster still working?

[Oz83]

A1VDY said:

Now there's no pad taper the pistons can push squarely on the new pads giving less pedal travel..

That was my initial thought. I just didn't think it would make so much differece.

[Oz83]

james.a.c.911 said:

What pads did you install?

I just put some EBC Blue Stuff - they have a layer on them to 'clean the dics' during the first few miles. Pedal was really high after install and after a few hundred miles it's now back to a lower level (making heel and toe easier again).

I would expect things to normalise once you've done some miles, bed them in and warmed them up a few times.

I installed PFC pads and discs. I did a bedding in procedure and they feel great.

[Oz83]

NBTBRV8 said:

Is your brake booster still working?

Hmmm, that's not something I've considered. How would I know? How can I test it?

The pedal pressure is roughly the same as before the brake swap, although you do have to press the brakes quite hard. I just put this down to the car. It certainly stops well enough.

I drove an Elise maybe 15 years ago and I remember the brakes feeling similar, so maybe you're on to something.

[TDT]

Oz83 said:

james.a.c.911 said:

What pads did you install?

I just put some EBC Blue Stuff - they have a layer on them to 'clean the dics' during the first few miles. Pedal was really high after install and after a few hundred miles it's now back to a lower level (making heel and toe easier again).

I would expect things to normalise once you've done some miles, bed them in and warmed them up a few times.

I installed PFC pads and discs. I did a bedding in procedure and they feel great.

Nice.

I’m also getting PFC rotors, but with MR (Pagid) Pads.

[james.a.c.911]

Oz83 said:

I installed PFC pads and discs. I did a bedding in procedure and they feel great.

Any brake squeel so far?
I've been resisting going down that route for fear of terrible noise.

[Oz83]

james.a.c.911 said:

Any brake squeel so far?
I've been resisting going down that route for fear of terrible noise.

So far there is some slight squeel from the front left but it's not very loud. Like a single pitched squeel, not like a freight train or anything like that :-)
You can't hear it over the engine and other noises when driving, only around town when coming to a stop.