Porsche Brake Pads – Material Science and Buying Guide

Squealing brakes, a long pedal travel, or visible grooves on the disc – brake pad wear often appears earlier in Porsches than many drivers expect. Depending on the usage profile, from a 964 on country roads to a 992 GT3 on the Nordschleife, the correct pad choice also differs significantly. Choosing the wrong pad will result in either reduced service life or compromised braking performance.

Pad Materials and Their Applications

Porsche series pads are organically or low-metallic in composition and designed for road use at moderate temperatures. They offer good cold braking performance, are quiet, and cause minimal disc wear. Sport pads contain higher metal content and ceramic fibers, can withstand temperatures up to approximately 600 °C, and are suitable for track days and occasional race track use. Pure racing pads require operating temperatures of around 200 °C to achieve their friction coefficient level – making them unsuitable for road use, as they hardly grip cold discs. For most Porsche owners, a high-quality series pad or a moderately sporty road pad is the right choice: it delivers consistent braking values without the comfort loss of a track pad. A proven all-round pad for air-cooled models is the Pagid Street+ for 928/944/964/968/993 – street-legal, quiet, and with significantly more thermal reserve than series pads.

Model Differences from G-Model to 992

Air-cooled models (G-model, 964, 993) use comparatively small brake systems and are sensitive to overly aggressive pads – disc wear and judder are typical consequences. The 996 and 997 already feature significantly larger calipers depending on the equipment, especially in Turbo and GT variants. From the 991 onwards, six-piston fixed calipers are standard at the front, and the PCCB ceramic brake is optional and exclusively requires approved special pads – normal steel pads will destroy the ceramic disc. Details can be found in the separate article on PCCB brake pads. In the Transaxle series (924/944/968/928), the pad shape sometimes varies greatly depending on the model and year of manufacture; here, it is worth checking the part number.

Installation and Typical Sources of Error

When changing pads, always replace them in pairs per axle, clean guide pins and apply ceramic paste, and treat the back of the pads with anti-squeal paste. The disc thickness must be checked before installation – below the minimum dimension, even a new pad will not provide consistent braking performance. New pads require a bedding-in procedure: the first 200 km without hard braking, then several controlled braking maneuvers from 80 to 30 km/h for even transfer of friction material to the disc. Those who replace pads and discs at the same time save a second workshop visit; for the 964, for example, the Zimmermann front brake disc (perforated) is a good option – OEM / original equipment quality with longer service life for sporty driving.

The correct pad choice depends on the actual use, not the model name. For road use and occasional spirited driving, series or street sport pads are sufficient. A genuine racing pad is only worthwhile for regular track days – and then only with suitable brake fluid and steel braided lines.