Ceramic brakes!

[volkdent]

While it's true that these don't work well for track applications on the cars they come on, on a light car like the bug I suspect there won't be issues with too much thermal breakdown. A lot of guys do take them off after suffering issues due to track usage, maybe that IS why they were available, but they should be overkill for the bug.

What pads are you going to end up using? Are there specific ceramic pads that need to be used?

Jason

[Wally]

Originally Posted by volkdent

While it's true that these don't work well for track applications on the cars they come on, on a light car like the bug I suspect there won't be issues with too much thermal breakdown.

Exactly! Not everybody sees the whole picture or so it seems.

A lot of guys do take them off after suffering issues due to track usage, maybe that IS why they were available,

True again; their loss, my opportunity as I saw it

but they should be overkill for the bug.

How can less unsprung weight be ever 'overkill'?
As stated earlier, I just used the (smaller) rear ones on the front, so the brake action in that respect is not likely to be overkill either...

What pads are you going to end up using? Are there specific ceramic pads that need to be used?

Jason

No, as far as I could trace down, there are certain Pagid types that they come with as stock, but those are used on steel disks too. A softer than stock pad for the PCCB type 1 is usually recommended to enhance disk life for the type1 PCCB disks. There is a special tad bit softer race Pagid pad for this as well, but they are very expensive too. That leaves your very spot-on remark about the (huge) difference in weight, so I'll try another OEM (but very affordable) stock pad for these to see how it goes. I can always buy the expensive pads later if these don't work well for whatever reason. At least the disks are now good for another 300.000 km

[volkdent]

"{How can less unsprung weight be ever 'overkill'?
As stated earlier, I just used the (smaller) rear ones on the front, so the brake action in that respect is not likely to be overkill either...}"

Ooops, I mean too much brake, not too light. I think the light is AWESOME, especially on a light car like ours, the weight reduction alone is reason to do the conversion you are doing. It's more brake than you'll ever use, but less weight is ALWAYS good thing. What I thought was overkill for both reasons was that guy that was putting Cayenne brakes on his chassis, those suckers are heavy AND too much brake!

I do have to say though, the thickness of the rotors should be close to minimum spec that Porsche quotes, if they are too thin they actually could shatter. I saw footage of a Corvette C6R explosion of the rotor, it wasn't pretty...

Jason