Brake Fluid & Pads - Opinions

[andy watson]

Has anyone used or have any knowledge of Silicone brake fluid? Saw this in PP .... www.automec.co.uk
Never have to change it?

Also with the forthcoming track day ahead, what are you recommendations on brake pads?

 

[JamesO]

www.opieoils.co.uk/pdfs/tech-articles/Brake-Fluid-Explained.pdf


Google pooped this up, must check what fluid I put in when I bolted the car together. I don't have ABS but the article mentions issues with ABS systems.

 

[edh]

A decent dot 4 will be fine - one with high boiling point is good. Motul RBF for example

As for pads, I think the choice is quite limited with the sliding calipers, so you might need to do a bit of research to see what's available. Mintex 1144 / 55 or Ferodo 2500 possibly if they are available. I think EBC do pads in that pattern but I've never been a fan.

OE Porsche pads are pretty good, better than most standard pads

 

[andy watson]

Thanks James / Ed

Silicone not for Motorsport applications then thanks for that link

Always had OEM pads, so may as well stick with them then

 

[MarkK]

Just use standard pads,if they feel a bit hot just back off for a couple of corners,they will cool off and all will be ticktey boo,plenty of cooling down before coming back into the pits aswell,I am leaving mine on standards.

 

[Copperman05]

Andy,

Promax used ATE super blue DOT 4 fluid in mine, its a high temp fluid as ed suggests above. The DS2500 pads are great pads but pretty expensive, if your not going to use on track too much they maybe a bit unnecessary, if you are they can make all the difference. Good thing is they don't have too many drawbacks (cold bite, dust, disk wear, noise) for road use.


Edd

 

[Hilux]

Motul RBF is very good

ATE blue/gold is not made any more.

Standard (genuine) Textar pads are fine but I`ve boiled standard fluid with them. Hard pedal no brakes is pads going off (gaseous layer between disc and pads - grooves break this up). Soft pedal no brakes is fluid boiling.

Take a spare set, simples.

I used PF97 on my 944T (on a spare set of 16" D90`s) - superb, absolutely superb. From a constant pedal pressure they grip more the hotter they get and you actually have to ease off to stop the same but they are like an angle grinder and destroy wheels.

I now use DS2500 on the Golf without issues on the road apart from the first press from cold as it takes a half second to bite but from then on they are absolutely fine.

EBC have changed their compounds and the opinion generally is they are not the best.

 

[Hilux]

ORIGINAL: JamesO

www.opieoils.co.uk/pdfs/tech-articles/Brake-Fluid-Explained.pdf


Google pooped this up, must check what fluid I put in when I bolted the car together. I don't have ABS but the article mentions issues with ABS systems.

I had no issues and found that the crude ABS (it chatters at a much lower frequency than modern cars) enabled moderate trail braking late into a corner.

Edited to say just read the article and it refers to Dot 5 - dont bother - Motul RBF is dry boiling to 312 degrees and is Dot 4

 

[andy watson]

Edd, Paul

Thanks for the info, ECP have ATE Super R Blue Dot 4 listed so will see if they have the stock they say they do
I will have a look at those DS2500 see what deal can be had as quite expensive for my needs, probably stick with my OEM's should be good in once I get my refurbished callipers back [8D]


Edited to say I do not have ABS

 

[spyderman]

ORIGINAL: Hilux
ATE blue/gold is not made any more.

Don't know where you get that from - design911.com still stock it that's what I've recently put in my Boxster.

I used PF97 on my 944T (on a spare set of 16" D90`s) - superb, absolutely superb. From a constant pedal pressure they grip more the hotter they get and you actually have to ease off to stop the same but they are like an angle grinder and destroy wheels.

I've just fitted PF06 to my Boxster. Noticeably better on track than the standard Textars, supposedly kind to discs and low dust - but they do squeal when they feel like it. The Mintex would be a better choice for road and occasional track day use.

Chris.

 

[Hilux]

Don't know where you get that from - design911.com still stock it that's what I've recently put in my Boxster.

I thought they stopped making it as super blue and revised it slightly as ATE 200 (or something similar but in a blue tin) so if its marketed as Supr Blue its old stock I am led to believe. I may be wrong however its rated at about 280 ish dry and motul is 312 and the wet boiling point for Motul is higher too. I only know this as at the beginning of the year I went into great lengths regarding which fluid to use as I only have 256mm discs on the Golf wheras a lot of Golfers go to 280mm brakes.

So far it (and the brakes) have been superb apart from a pants staining moment when the rear bias valve needed letting off a bit more on a fast approach to a hairpin [8|]

 

[T911UK]

I bought a dozen ATE Racing Blue Fluid 2 weeks ago, I doubt its NLA, if it is we have 15 litres or so in stock!

 

[John Sims]

I have managed to boil everything I have tried .....and I've tried pretty much everything. The only thing that I haven't boiled is Castrol Gold. It probably contains gold considering the price of it but it worked for me.

 

[spyderman]

Sounds like you need to install some serious cooling ducts.

 

[Neil Haughey]

Mine was bubbling out of the reservoir last year (britcar weekend triple header in that mega heat). Alex Eacock was stood next to me at the time so I asked him about it and he didn't seem concerned, said it happens all the time with these cars under race conditions. In an S2/968 race car the Castrol stuff is probably the only one which won't boil over some times. Many of you would have seen the brake ducts we run on the S2's I don't think its possible to get any more cooling air to the disks and the Pagid race pads do an amazing job and just don't give up.

 

[John Sims]

ORIGINAL: spyderman

Sounds like you need to install some serious cooling ducts.

Or improve my technique. [] It's all down to a relatively heavy car (compared to a Westfield) and ABS.

 

[edh]

just go round the corners a bit faster[]

 

[andy watson]

ORIGINAL: spyderman

ORIGINAL: Hilux
ATE blue/gold is not made any more.

Don't know where you get that from - design911.com still stock it that's what I've recently put in my Boxster.

I used PF97 on my 944T (on a spare set of 16" D90`s) - superb, absolutely superb. From a constant pedal pressure they grip more the hotter they get and you actually have to ease off to stop the same but they are like an angle grinder and destroy wheels.

I've just fitted PF06 to my Boxster. Noticeably better on track than the standard Textars, supposedly kind to discs and low dust - but they do squeal when they feel like it. The Mintex would be a better choice for road and occasional track day use.

Chris.

Chris, have been reading up on reviews of Mintex pads, general consensus is that they give off an awful amount of dust so maybe not so good for road use?

 

[spyderman]

ORIGINAL: John Sims
Or improve my technique. [] It's all down to a relatively heavy car (compared to a Westfield) and ABS.

For comparison, in our series, for the Class A Boxsters the min weight is 1350kg and all our cars have ABS. We're allowed only minor modifications to the cooling (GT3 deflectors only) and other than Mintex pads, the brakes are as standard. The cross-drills get blocked immediately and lead to cracking so we've been looking at dimpled or slotted discs instead. I think the teams run either ATE Super Racing Blue or Castrol SRF fluid. Some 924 drivers can get their solid front discs glowing red.

A track day can be far more harsh on the brakes than club-level racing (no more than one 20 qual and two 20 minute races over the day), so even with improved techniques, overheating could remain an issue unless you can improve the cooling.

ORIGINAL: andy watson
Chris, have been reading up on reviews of Mintex pads, general consensus is that they give off an awful amount of dust so maybe not so good for road use?

TBH I've never used them on my road car, but my team take the wheels off and wash them between races!

Chris.

 

[andy watson]

Brought 1ltr of ATE super R blue from ECP today, reserve online and collect - £10.26