best rotor for 99 boxster?

Hi folks,

I am going to replace my 99 boxster's front+rear rotor for the first time in 11 years .Yes, I know, it has only 30K on it and I hardly driven it hard and the pads still have 30% life left on them. What kind of rotors/pads should I get for the car? brembo versus zimmermanm ? slotted versus none? pagid/textar/mintex? Thanks you very much for any suggestion.

Tony

I don't do my own work, but when I had the rotors replaced in my 99, I was disappointed in one aspect of them. The rotors and pads worked just fine, but I keep my car in very good condition, so a small area of rust looked a bit shabby. As best as I can describe it - it's the narrow exterior part of the rotor that connects the flat (working part) with the wheel. The place where I get my work done recommended the rotars as aftermakert, but from the original German manufacturer. Had I know that part would rust, I would have baid a bit extra for OEM. This may not bother you, and it's not a huge deal, but the rust was just a bit unsightly (on a car that should look sharp).

dunno but i'm from the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" school of thought. do you just have too much money that is burning a hole in your pocket? at the rate your putting miles on, it looks like you could get many more years out of your current ones.

--
MY 2000 S, Ocean Blue, Metropol Blue, Savanah Beige.
Bought June 2000 - Sold May 2010

Quote
frogster
dunno but i'm from the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" school of thought. do you just have too much money that is burning a hole in your pocket? at the rate your putting miles on, it looks like you could get many more years out of your current ones.

and it would take him 2 years to bed the new stuff in

You generally replace the rotors when their thickness is measured and it is no longer in spec (or if they are warped). Mine lasted 45k miles of urban driving...the most demanding type of driving for brake wear.

By all means change the pads and the brake fluid...especially the latter.

There are lots of pads and every one is a compromise. So without telling us what your priorities are (dust, noise, warm up, stopping power, fade, etc) it is hard to recommend something special. OEM seems to have served you well enough as you didn't post any specific complaints.

If you really must change the rotors, then a hat coated with zinc to prevent rust is preferred. The hat is the center section.
Slotted and/or drilled have advantages but only at very high temperatures caused by repeated hard use as on a road course race track or some steep twisty downhill where repeated use of the brakes is necessary. And there are disadvantages like increased pad wear.
Interesting article [reviews.ebay.com]
Why do anything beyond OEM for what you describe as your light and undemanding use?

I've been through lots of different pads from street to racing. If you're just driving the car on the street, my suggestion would be to keep the rotors through at least another set of pads. I would also recommend the OEM pads for the street. The brakes on these cars are superb for normal driving and even spirited street driving. The OEM pads are a great trade off of wear and low noise. If you haven't had the fluid flushed and refilled in the last 2 years, then you need to do that. If you really want to replace the rotors, then again I'd recommend OEM but they are unlikely to need it at 30k unless they're warped and pulse during braking.

If you're going to track the car then you can think about alternatives. The primary objective being heat dissipation for the track. But that's a whole different question with a different set of solutions.

Dave - 06 987 S coupe SG/NL; gone (but still my first love): 03 986 AS/GG/BK;

If your pads aren't worn out, your rotors probably aren't either. And for street driving, OEM pads/rotors are way more than you will ever need. Per what Mike Focke said, brake fluid is MUCH more important and should be changed at least once a year because it is hygroscopic. I recommend ATE Blue/Gold DOT 4 racing fluid. Costs very little and makes a huge difference.

For street driving, don't waste your money on performance pads. They make noise and lots of brake dust and unless you are driving the car very hard, you won't tell the difference.

As for rotors, if and when you do want to replace them, if you want to upgrade, order the base 987 rotors from Suncoast. The base 987 rotors fit the base 986 and unlike the 986 OE rotors are drilled, so they are lighter and have better cooling under heavy use. They also have an anodized hub that keeps them from rusting - but I'll tell you a secret - when you get them up to full track temps (650 degrees F+) the anodized coating vaporizes and they rust anyway.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/29/2010 02:38PM by Red_Lightnin!. (view changes)