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Consolidated Macan Brembo upgrade thread (READ FIRST POST)

napadirt

Ready to race!
Location
SF Bay Area
Car(s)
MK7 2DR PP MT, Macan
I have Macan calipers and rotors, on my Macan. =)

Happy with the StopTech rotors and Redstuff pads I just installed on my GTI after 100k miles. Very aggressive initial bite, never wanting for power. I don't track my GTI.

However, I am disappointed with the brakes on my Macan. I have a 2018 Sport Edition. I am thinking about swapping out pads. I am still under warranty, so if anything goes wrong I know Porsche will blame me. The rear rotors and pads were just replaced, I bought it CPO with about 30k miles. Macan is awesome, no regrets. But I wish the brakes had more bite. The will stop the car, I locked up the brakes at 80mph on the freeway when someone cut me off, you just need to push the mushy pedal very hard. They bite harder when hot. Might work OK on the track.

Anyone think new pads is worth trying? Like the Redstuff? I might just wait for the next brake job. I can tell this car chews through brakes fast.
 

bobivy1234

Go Kart Champion
Location
Greensboro, NC USA
Car(s)
2016 VW Golf GTI
I have Macan calipers and rotors, on my Macan. =)

Happy with the StopTech rotors and Redstuff pads I just installed on my GTI after 100k miles. Very aggressive initial bite, never wanting for power. I don't track my GTI.

However, I am disappointed with the brakes on my Macan. I have a 2018 Sport Edition. I am thinking about swapping out pads. I am still under warranty, so if anything goes wrong I know Porsche will blame me. The rear rotors and pads were just replaced, I bought it CPO with about 30k miles. Macan is awesome, no regrets. But I wish the brakes had more bite. The will stop the car, I locked up the brakes at 80mph on the freeway when someone cut me off, you just need to push the mushy pedal very hard. They bite harder when hot. Might work OK on the track.

Anyone think new pads is worth trying? Like the Redstuff? I might just wait for the next brake job. I can tell this car chews through brakes fast.

If the pedal is mushy it probably just means they need to be bled. Locking up the brakes means that the pads are strong enough so you can either get stickier summer performance tires that can handle more braking traction to limit lockup or most likely your brake system just needs a good bleed to stiffen the pedal.

Do you know what pad is on there today? Also, I'd be surprised if changing out pads voided a warranty but don't know Porsche well enough.
 

tigeo

Autocross Champion
If the pedal is mushy it probably just means they need to be bled. Locking up the brakes means that the pads are strong enough so you can either get stickier summer performance tires that can handle more braking traction to limit lockup or most likely your brake system just needs a good bleed to stiffen the pedal.

Do you know what pad is on there today? Also, I'd be surprised if changing out pads voided a warranty but don't know Porsche well enough.
This - changing pads isn't going to help single stop distance...tires will though. Using a pad of your choice doens't void anything, just like using an oil filter from the auto parts store doesn't.
 

scrllock

Autocross Champion
Location
MI
I have Macan calipers and rotors, on my Macan. =)

Happy with the StopTech rotors and Redstuff pads I just installed on my GTI after 100k miles. Very aggressive initial bite, never wanting for power. I don't track my GTI.

However, I am disappointed with the brakes on my Macan. I have a 2018 Sport Edition. I am thinking about swapping out pads. I am still under warranty, so if anything goes wrong I know Porsche will blame me. The rear rotors and pads were just replaced, I bought it CPO with about 30k miles. Macan is awesome, no regrets. But I wish the brakes had more bite. The will stop the car, I locked up the brakes at 80mph on the freeway when someone cut me off, you just need to push the mushy pedal very hard. They bite harder when hot. Might work OK on the track.

Anyone think new pads is worth trying? Like the Redstuff? I might just wait for the next brake job. I can tell this car chews through brakes fast.
EBC is garbage.

Try iSweep or Ferodo.
 

napadirt

Ready to race!
Location
SF Bay Area
Car(s)
MK7 2DR PP MT, Macan
If the pedal is mushy it probably just means they need to be bled.

Do you know what pad is on there today? Also, I'd be surprised if changing out pads voided a warranty but don't know Porsche well enough.

I see the bleed ports on the calipers. Bleeding is relatively straightforward? I've never bleed automotive brakes but have bled many mountain bikes.

The brakes have also developed a throbbing at low brake pressure, like a rotor is warped. I can take it in for warranty service for that reason and request a full system bleed.

Tires are definitely an issue I will address once the OE Michelin Lattitude Tour HPs wear through. Tire are 265/45-20 and 295/40-20 so easily a $1500+ set. I would love to run Michelin Pilot Sport Allseason 4s but they don't make a 295/40-20. My plan is to go with Conti DWS06+. Need All Seasons for driving in the mountains/snow.

No idea what pads are on there. They must be Macan OE. Thanks
 
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napadirt

Ready to race!
Location
SF Bay Area
Car(s)
MK7 2DR PP MT, Macan
This - changing pads isn't going to help single stop distance...tires will though. Using a pad of your choice doens't void anything, just like using an oil filter from the auto parts store doesn't.

I get it. But...Porsche community is very cautious about mods from OE, even tires because the cost of repairs is so high. General car knowledge within the Macan "community" is surprisingly low. In their mind, the car is perfect stock because it's a Porsche. I think that's true, with the exception of the brakes on my car, but it may rectify with a bleed and pads.

EBC is garbage.

Try iSweep or Ferodo.

Yes, I've heard this. Why do you say that? For daily driving, I have no complaints with the Redstuff and I'm very picky about brakes. I bought them several years ago but never installed them because I was told they are "garbage". When it came time for a brake job I just threw them on because I had them in the garage. What pads do you recommend for the Macan, daily driving only?
 
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tigeo

Autocross Champion
I get it. But...Porsche community is very cautious about mods from OE, even tires because the cost of repairs is so high. General car knowledge within the Macan "community" is surprisingly low. In their mind, the car is perfect stock because it's a Porsche. I think that's true, with the exception of the brakes on my car, but it may rectify with a bleed and pads.



Yes, I've heard this. Why do you say that? For daily driving, I have no complaints with the Redstuff and I'm very picky about brakes. I bought them several years ago but never installed them because I was told they are "garbage". When it came time for a brake job I just threw them on because I had them in the garage. What pads do you recommend for the Macan, daily driving only?
EBC seems to get this comment any time it's brought up (they had some pads where the friction material was coming off the backing...a long time ago...and it's been fixed. I also feel like some of the issues are from folks using the pads beyond what they are intended), meanwhile I've never had an issue with reds on the street or yellows for light track use. I run yellows out back now and often recommend them for a more aggressive street pad.
 
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scrllock

Autocross Champion
Location
MI
I get it. But...Porsche community is very cautious about mods from OE, even tires because the cost of repairs is so high. General car knowledge within the Macan "community" is surprisingly low. In their mind, the car is perfect stock because it's a Porsche. I think that's true, with the exception of the brakes on my car, but it may rectify with a bleed and pads.



Yes, I've heard this. Why do you say that? For daily driving, I have no complaints with the Redstuff and I'm very picky about brakes. I bought them several years ago but never installed them because I was told they are "garbage". When it came time for a brake job I just threw them on because I had them in the garage. What pads do you recommend for the Macan, daily driving only?
Why do I say they're trash? Because they are. Yellows or reds, there's enough failures out there I'd never trust something so critical. Enough people have them work (and will say "it worked for me!") that somehow they still get sold. But knowing more than a couple people personally who've had failures? That's far worse than any other brand.

Nothing against Macan owners but the riciest Porsche guy I know has a Macan S. Has tow hooks and gold-anodized catch cans (not connected). Told me his car could beat an M2 around any track. :rolleyes:

IMO, iSweep IS1500 for pure daily driving. Maybe brembo ceramics (P54039N ?) if you prefer non-metallic. Ferodo DS2500 are quite good but dusty and can be squeaky cold--not worthwhile unless you're doing some fairly spirited driving for a Macan.
 

napadirt

Ready to race!
Location
SF Bay Area
Car(s)
MK7 2DR PP MT, Macan
Interesting. Wasn't expecting the issue to be failing pads. That's scary. I did a quick internet search--looks like this was an issue 10 years ago. I'd be shocked if this hasn't long since been corrected.

I'll take a look at the pads you suggested for my Macan. Need Porsche to look through the brakes. IDK if the mushy brake pedal is normal. I like my brake pedal/levers like I like my trigger, firm with a light touch. The XM3 brakes are incredible (as is the S58), too bad the ride quality is atrocious.

Hate to say it but the average Macan owner is a double douche. They bash the base because it has an EA888. Three out of four V6 Macan's I drove either had a blown engine or horrific oil leaks. No thanks. Even the Turbos aren't that fast compared to the X3M. You buy the Macan because of the amazing ride quality, practically, and driving dynamics. It's the ultimate road trip cruiser. Miles just disappear in bliss.
 

MeltedSolid

Autocross Newbie
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
Car(s)
'15 Golf, e36 328i
I have yet to meet someone who tracks their car and swears by EBC, the most I've seen is people using them on the rears because they're cheap. It seems like they tend to disintegrate under heavy use, I've seen the aftermath of a medium weight higher horsepower car using yellows as a track pad. You could say that's out of the intended use for yellows, but they do say "Yellow grade WILL work fine under shorter duration track, trackday (lapping) use on lighter cars or drifting", so it's not far out of it, and the comparable stuff I've used from other companies has fared better. Maybe they'd be fine for only street use though. I've never used them before, so this is second hand experience, and maybe they've gotten better, but imo there are plenty of other options out there.
 

tigeo

Autocross Champion
I have yet to meet someone who tracks their car and swears by EBC, the most I've seen is people using them on the rears because they're cheap. It seems like they tend to disintegrate under heavy use, I've seen the aftermath of a medium weight higher horsepower car using yellows as a track pad. You could say that's out of the intended use for yellows, but they do say "Yellow grade WILL work fine under shorter duration track, trackday (lapping) use on lighter cars or drifting", so it's not far out of it, and the comparable stuff I've used from other companies has fared better. Maybe they'd be fine for only street use though. I've never used them before, so this is second hand experience, and maybe they've gotten better, but imo there are plenty of other options out there.
Because Yellowstuff isn't a track pad....it's an aggressive street pad that can handle *some* light track use. You can't blame pads not working b/c people aren't using them in the correct conditions. I run them in the rear (correct, cheap) and did up front for my first HPDE on UHP all seasons...my novice driving and those tires equaled not having issues with them. On the street they are fantastic higher-heat stoppers for spirtied driving in the mountains etc. I really liked them on the street and run "hybrid" pads similar to this (or DS2500s) in my APR BBK now b/c I'll eat a tiny bit of cold stopping bite for pads that work when they get hot. Also, everyone brakes differently - I've heard of folks cooking higher-heat pads on the ToTD and TBH....threshold braking handles some of that issue vs. riding your brakes. Just my experience and 2 cents. Also, EBC makes a Bluestuff as their intended track pad.
 

GTIfan99

Autocross Champion
Location
FL
If the pedal is mushy it probably just means they need to be bled. Locking up the brakes means that the pads are strong enough so you can either get stickier summer performance tires that can handle more braking traction to limit lockup or most likely your brake system just needs a good bleed to stiffen the pedal.

Do you know what pad is on there today? Also, I'd be surprised if changing out pads voided a warranty but don't know Porsche well enough.
I've previously owned 2 and at least Brumos didn't care what pads I used.
 

GTIfan99

Autocross Champion
Location
FL
Because Yellowstuff isn't a track pad....it's an aggressive street pad that can handle *some* light track use. You can't blame pads not working b/c people aren't using them in the correct conditions. I run them in the rear (correct, cheap) and did up front for my first HPDE on UHP all seasons...my novice driving and those tires equaled not having issues with them. On the street they are fantastic higher-heat stoppers for spirtied driving in the mountains etc. I really liked them on the street and run "hybrid" pads similar to this (or DS2500s) in my APR BBK now b/c I'll eat a tiny bit of cold stopping bite for pads that work when they get hot. Also, everyone brakes differently - I've heard of folks cooking higher-heat pads on the ToTD and TBH....threshold braking handles some of that issue vs. riding your brakes. Just my experience and 2 cents. Also, EBC makes a Bluestuff as their intended track pad.
This can't be stressed enough and tigeo hit the nail on the head. Use, tires and how compressed your braking zone is are the major factors that impact if x or z brake compound will work for you.

And don't forget fluid, a good bleed, and at minimum some deflectors (which don't do dick with your stock dust shields in the way).

I took my 3 day old 19 GTI to Daytona completely stock, except I swapped over the 26mm RSB off my 18 GTI. Lapped all day with no issues.

Those AS tires were so squirrelly in the rear going into braking zones, but had a blast. Car didn't set any speed records, but had zero issues. It's all about the tires, how had the track or mountain pass is on brakes, how compressed the brake zone is, and I'll add one more. You're vmax. There's a huge difference between brake fore a corner at 125mph vs 150 mph. The additional amount of heat generated can't be ignored.
 
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geokilla

Go Kart Champion
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Car(s)
2018 VW GTI DSG
Because Yellowstuff isn't a track pad....it's an aggressive street pad that can handle *some* light track use. You can't blame pads not working b/c people aren't using them in the correct conditions. I run them in the rear (correct, cheap) and did up front for my first HPDE on UHP all seasons...my novice driving and those tires equaled not having issues with them. On the street they are fantastic higher-heat stoppers for spirtied driving in the mountains etc. I really liked them on the street and run "hybrid" pads similar to this (or DS2500s) in my APR BBK now b/c I'll eat a tiny bit of cold stopping bite for pads that work when they get hot. Also, everyone brakes differently - I've heard of folks cooking higher-heat pads on the ToTD and TBH....threshold braking handles some of that issue vs. riding your brakes. Just my experience and 2 cents. Also, EBC makes a Bluestuff as their intended track pad.

I've tracked my GTI on EBC YellowStuff and Falken FK510 (my street setup as per sig) 3 years ago at DDT and in short, it's exactly as you said: YellowStuff are an aggressive street pad that can handle some track use. I don't recall having any brake fade but at the back of my head, I didn't want to go super hard on the brakes either because I know it's not a track pad. The Falken FK510 would give up first either way so it didn't matter too much what pads I had at the time as long as they were not the OE pads.

For daily, city, stop and go driving, the YellowStuff are great. They bite pretty well even in -30C windchill weather. I would appreciate less brake dust but I don't think I'll use the RedStuff because I don't want to change the rear pads in the summer time. Mixing RedStuff at the front with YellowStuff in the rear doesn't seem like a good idea.

The whole "EBC is crap" is blown way out of proportion.
 

GTIfan99

Autocross Champion
Location
FL
I've tracked my GTI on EBC YellowStuff and Falken FK510 (my street setup as per sig) 3 years ago at DDT and in short, it's exactly as you said: YellowStuff are an aggressive street pad that can handle some track use. I don't recall having any brake fade but at the back of my head, I didn't want to go super hard on the brakes either because I know it's not a track pad. The Falken FK510 would give up first either way so it didn't matter too much what pads I had at the time as long as they were not the OE pads.

For daily, city, stop and go driving, the YellowStuff are great. They bite pretty well even in -30C windchill weather. I would appreciate less brake dust but I don't think I'll use the RedStuff because I don't want to change the rear pads in the summer time. Mixing RedStuff at the front with YellowStuff in the rear doesn't seem like a good idea.

The whole "EBC is crap" is blown way out of proportion.
EBC put out some crap products in the late 90's and early 2000's. Their compounds have undergone some nice improvements, but it's hard to shake a bad reputation once it's out there.

I remember a set of EBC green pads just destroying a new set of rotors on my dailied WRX.
 
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