Mini7
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Charlotte, NC
- Car(s)
- 2017 GTi Sport PP
I upgraded to Prosystem rotors and Endless ME22 pads. Haven't cooked my brakes yet and that's with 80TW semi slicks.
-Castrol SRF
-Yperion titanium shims
-SS lines
-RS3 ducts with trimmed brake shields
-Endless ME22 (had MX72 before as well)
My temp paint showed I went past 800C on my stock rotors whereas with the new rotors I hit 600C-ish. Directionally vaned and ventilation is very important, since the stock rotors have too much mass but not enough of an air gap for this type of punishment. It's great for longevity but not for cooling.
Folks I do my best to provide unbiased feedback for track day use. Most definitely not my intention to mislead in any way shape or form. I use the stopwatch to judge the merits of mods. Reliability and safety are important factors to consider as well.
Not all vented rotors are created equal. Width, curved vanes, the metallurgy make-up of the rotors and the ability of the rotors to absorb heat. Rotors are the limiting factor not the calipers regarding brake performance. That was the point I was trying to make about the earlier post about the Porsche caliper.
I’m running a 330x32 4-Piston BBK. I do not consider a sliding caliper a BBK, even if it is running a 340x30mm rotor. The only reason why I am running a 330mm setup is because I have chosen to run 17” wheels to run 255 wide rubber. Tires will be your biggest performance variable to reduce lap time. I tend to focus on suspension and setup before adding power. I would prefer to run a 350 BBK setup for better heat management and longevity. A 6-piston caliper will only gain you longer pad life because of the larger pad area.
I digress, long story short, my 330x32 BBK runs cooler than my 340x30 PP with Pagid RSL 29’s ever did (i run RS3 air deflectors and had Ti heat shields on my PP) No fade, no boiling fluid or vapor lock issues like I had with my PP with Castro’s SRF. Verified by the temp strips I ran on the PP calipers. I dropped 2-secs off my laptime by compressing my brake zones.
PP brakes are marginally adequate at best for track work. An experienced driver will eventually outrun the capability of PP brakes. 25-30 minute track sessions would mean backing up a couple of brake markers because the rotors have become heat soaked and brake fade sets in. I ran PP brakes for two years on track. Depending on the track you can run hard for 5-6 laps and then need to back off in the brake zones. I’m on stock power.
Based on my application, PowerBrake recommended their 350x34 6-piston setup. Unfortunately it would not fit a 17” wheel so I chose there smaller BBK setup. Again its not about the number of pistons. Stoptech has a 355x32 4-piston setup Essex Parts has a 355x32 6-piston kit. For long term track work this is the way to go. More so if you have graduated to solo driving. The larger rotor has the capacity to absorb the heat. Wider rotor widths allows for better heat dissipation and cooling.
Don’t get me wrong, PP brakes work. You will need track pads and good brake fluid. RS3 air deflectors, Titanium heat shields. Brake fluid needs to be bled regularly. That has been my experience.