Pads and discs, cost? - Page 3 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

Hi Had my 08 BoxsterS serviced at an OPC so far. Needs new pads and discs all around. OPC has quoted me about 900 each end. Independent Porsche place about 500 each end. Any advice? The mechanic I use for my runaround says he can fit Brembo discs and pads all in for 600 front and back. Anybody got a good deal from an OPC? Will probably keep the car for 18 months more. Cheers

If OPC say they need replacing, they almost certainly don't. £450-500 is what I've always paid at Porsche specialists.

Believe me they need replacing. I have seen the with the car on a ramp during MOT, and not at the OPC who havent yet seen the car.

Really easy to do yourself. Parts here: http://www.design911.co.uk/fu/pt66_911_-cma81-cmo8... £199 each end for discs, pads, sensors and shims.

Just dont have the time to DIY. Could buy the parts and get my mechanic to do them for me. He services his own 911.

Jasmine Porshalink service menu suggests £365 & £345 frt and rr fitted. Plus vat. Edited by FarQue on Tuesday 4th August 18:52

Use your local mechanic at £600 all in if you can't do it yourself. The calipers are Brembo and really easy to work on especially if he's fitting Brembo discs and pads. OPC prices for this are ridiculous.

Ian_UK1 said: Really easy to do yourself. Parts here: http://www.design911.co.uk/fu/pt66_911_-cma81-cmo8... £199 each end for discs, pads, sensors and shims. What about OEM parts though? My car still has Porsche warranty..........the service wear indicator is coming on at the moment. Car is going in for it's 40k service next week so asked OPC to get me quote but if it needs disks and pads all round that'll be £1800 if what has been posted here is correct. I naturally want to keep the keep within OEM spec for the warranty renewal next year........any other options other than direct from OPC? Don't want them to say next year that they can't warranty my car as my disks and pads aren't compliant!! Thoughts?

A couple of hours of your time will save you a s tload. It's not a hard job. Looking at less than £300 to DIY all the discs and pads on a Cayman, slightly more on the S as the front discs are more expensive. Another interesting thing is a lot is made about only using Textar pads and Sebro discs as they're OEM... Well All my discs and pads that came on the car were stamped Made In Italy (Brembo I suspect)... Then there's the comedy of Pagid and Textar, both brands being owned by TMD Friction along with Mintex... My Pagid pads, that came in Pagid boxes, were badged Textar. FWIW I used Pagid pads and discs and the braking performance is every bit as good as it was on OEM. If not slightly better. All from ECP. If the wear indicator is coming on you'll need new sensors and they're about £10 a corner. Best to swap pads before you hit those or it's gonna cost you another £40. There's a surprising amount of meat left in them when you hit them, which is a bit of a pain. Also there's some 'damping plates' that are used on the front callipers. If you can unstick them from the front pads you can probably clean up and re-used them, Otherwise they're £8 each and you'll need 4. Edited by juansolo on Tuesday 4th August 22:25

It seems that this is where the OPC really makes money from the warranty. Any average mechanic can do this job.

mollytherocker said: It seems that this is where the OPC really makes money from the warranty. Any average mechanic can do this job. Of course. Catch 22. Go with the OPC, pay a huge amount for pads and disks. And then even more to renew the warranty. All predominantly to keep the car stock/OEM/Porsche history/warranty for when I sell up in a year or so. Or use aftermarket and probably superior stuff and accept that I won't be extending the warranty and face seeling a car out of warranty in a private sale with none OEM parts.............. Hmmmmmmmmmmm

Does anyone know what Porsche charge for a set of pads and discs if you just buy them from them without fitting?

PaulD86 said: Does anyone know what Porsche charge for a set of pads and discs if you just buy them from them without fitting? You can buy OEM from ECP also. So for example mine as a 987C 2,7: Vehicle Manufacturer Front discs: £136.80 each Rear discs (don't have VM marked ones so we'll go with Sebro): £68.40 each Front pads: £94.66 Rear pads (no VM again, so we'll go with Textar): £76.80 Total: £585.86 Pagids Front discs: £55.80 each Rear discs: £61.20 each Front pads: £49.80 Rear pads: £67.20 Total: £351 Sundries you might need: Brake sensors (if you've hit them, you'll need to swap them): £10.32 each. Damping plates (again if you need them): £7.96 each, VM fitting kit (replaces all the parts around the caliper. Again, you should be able to clean up and re-use what's on there). £47.94 each. Now, if the OPC replaces all the sundries every brake change, you'd be looking at an additional £264.96 Which is fairly outrageous if none of those parts are actually worn. That said, it'd go some way to justifying the £1000 an OPC will try and stiff you to swap the lot. Actually, a couple of hours labour for £117.18 from an OPC wouldn't be bad! But as I say, there's a big *if* behind replacing a load of stuff that shouldn't need replacing. Also, always just keep an eye on ECP, occasionally they'll have 10-15% off on top of their usual DFS style endless 'sale' (which is how I got them for under £300). I tend to buy parts when they have this running and just store them until I need them. Interesting that the rear pads and discs are more expensive than the fronts... Not the case with the S, but the rears on the 2.7/2.9 are shared with the S and the fronts aren't... Parts are more expensive for the S for no good reason it seems. Edited by juansolo on Wednesday 5th August 08:47

Sarnie said: What about OEM parts though? My car still has Porsche warranty..........the service wear indicator is coming on at the moment. Car is going in for it's 40k service next week so asked OPC to get me quote but if it needs disks and pads all round that'll be £1800 if what has been posted here is correct. I naturally want to keep the keep within OEM spec for the warranty renewal next year........any other options other than direct from OPC? Don't want them to say next year that they can't warranty my car as my disks and pads aren't compliant!! Thoughts? I've used aftermarket brake parts (the inevitable Sebro/Textar combination) on all my Porsches and the main dealers have never even noticed. They are identical to Porsche parts - even in their finish - other than a couple of part number stamps you can't see without taking the brakes apart. I even traded-in my Gen-1 997S (complete with aftermarket brakes and aftermarket, anthracite refinish on the Lobster Fork wheels) against the Gen-2 I have now. My old Gen-1 was on the OPC forecourt a week later as a Porsche Approved car.

anonymous said: [redacted] I agree that there is money to be saved here if a given owner is capable or inclined. However, I'm sure there are owners who lack the skills to carry out what many folk would consider 'easy'. They may also lack the tools or even a safe working area.

Ian_UK1 said: Sarnie said: What about OEM parts though? My car still has Porsche warranty..........the service wear indicator is coming on at the moment. Car is going in for it's 40k service next week so asked OPC to get me quote but if it needs disks and pads all round that'll be £1800 if what has been posted here is correct. I naturally want to keep the keep within OEM spec for the warranty renewal next year........any other options other than direct from OPC? Don't want them to say next year that they can't warranty my car as my disks and pads aren't compliant!! Thoughts? I've used aftermarket brake parts (the inevitable Sebro/Textar combination) on all my Porsches and the main dealers have never even noticed. They are identical to Porsche parts - even in their finish - other than a couple of part number stamps you can't see without taking the brakes apart. I even traded-in my Gen-1 997S (complete with aftermarket brakes and aftermarket, anthracite refinish on the Lobster Fork wheels) against the Gen-2 I have now. My old Gen-1 was on the OPC forecourt a week later as a Porsche Approved car. More or less the same as my experience trading a 987 C for a 981, just wanted to add that the Pagid pads I fitted were exactly the same as the ones I removed, and as I'd owned the car from new they were what had been factory fitted. I could not see any identifying marks on either the original discs or the Pagid ones I fitted. I would just fit the aftermarket ones again, well before any visit to the OPC, which I only use for servicing, to keep the book stamped.

pete.g said: More or less the same as my experience trading a 987 C for a 981, just wanted to add that the Pagid pads I fitted were exactly the same as the ones I removed, and as I'd owned the car from new they were what had been factory fitted. I could not see any identifying marks on either the original discs or the Pagid ones I fitted. I would just fit the aftermarket ones again, well before any visit to the OPC, which I only use for servicing, to keep the book stamped. The Pagids I bought were actually stamped Textar

Thanks for the tips. The best the OPC would do is £1550 for both ends. Too much for my 08 car. I will buy the Textar or Pagid parts and get my mechanic to do them for 600 all in.

Sarnie said: Ian_UK1 said: Really easy to do yourself. Parts here: http://www.design911.co.uk/fu/pt66_911_-cma81-cmo8... £199 each end for discs, pads, sensors and shims. What about OEM parts though? My car still has Porsche warranty..........the service wear indicator is coming on at the moment. Car is going in for it's 40k service next week so asked OPC to get me quote but if it needs disks and pads all round that'll be £1800 if what has been posted here is correct. I naturally want to keep the keep within OEM spec for the warranty renewal next year........any other options other than direct from OPC? Don't want them to say next year that they can't warranty my car as my disks and pads aren't compliant!! Thoughts? So, to bring this back up, my car is in for it's four year service and the brake pad wear sensor came on recently.....just had an email quoting me; "Front Discs and Pads £920.14" £920 seems steep just for the front pads and discs!?!?!?

Sarnie said: So, to bring this back up, my car is in for it's four year service and the brake pad wear sensor came on recently.....just had an email quoting me; "Front Discs and Pads £920.14" £920 seems steep just for the front pads and discs!?!?!? As all the posts above, yes it's very steep.

Sarnie said: So, to bring this back up, my car is in for it's four year service and the brake pad wear sensor came on recently.....just had an email quoting me; "Front Discs and Pads £920.14" £920 seems steep just for the front pads and discs!?!?!? At around £200 for the parts its ludicrous.

anonymous said: [redacted] Indeed!!

Ok, so it's extortionate. But my car is in warranty and want to renew it next March; what are my options? Can you get OEM parts elsewhere or am I resigned to paying the OPC price to keep the car 100% OEM?

anonymous said: [redacted] Thanks. So where do people buy "correct/oem stuff"?

Sarnie said: Thanks. So where do people buy "correct/oem stuff"? Here is as good as anywhere: http://www.eurocarparts.com/brake-disc

Trev450 said: Sarnie said: Thanks. So where do people buy "correct/oem stuff"? Here is as good as anywhere: http://www.eurocarparts.com/brake-disc So are these Textar discs OEM as it states? http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Porsche_Cayman_3...

is this for your R Sarnie? Why the heck would discs need replacing for a 3-4yr old (orinally £60K+..ie well engineered) car? Pads are a consumable but discs should last 5yrs + (if not more) unless they had been spanked around a track or left out in all weathers. Dealers telling you your discs need replacing is the most common con trick amongst all of the big players and that price quoted by the OPC to change them is a farce. I would much rather use a respected Porsche specialist like Jaz etc who have a reputation to protect and will do the best job at a third of the cost, using the correct parts.

The back of the discs are prone to rusting and consequently an MOT failure. I can pretty much expect my car to fail on rusted discs (either front or rear) just about every other year, and I'm only covering about 5K miles a year. The car is kept outside which I'm sure contributes though.

Trev450 said: The back of the discs are prone to rusting and consequently an MOT failure. I can pretty much expect my car to fail on rusted discs (either front or rear) just about every other year, and I'm only covering about 5K miles a year. The car is kept outside which I'm sure contributes though. This, I only do 2.5-3k mls a year & mine are changed every 2-3yrs as a result of rusting on inner face.

eh? is it a design fault on the cayman then? Pretty sure all Porsche discs are made from the same (assumed quality) steel! I changed my discs on my 911 4-5 yrs ago, they've done about 40k miles, umpteen track days and euro tours and never failed an MOT in that time, nor be commented that they should be replaced or an advisory. Always used trusted people for servicing etc. and car even inspected by the PCGB technical adviser. Wonder how quickly that diagnosis would change if I went to an OPC? What sort of rust are we talking? Must only be surface discolouration rather than pitted steel? Think you guys are being taken for a ride, I hear the same thing trotted out from people taking their cars to VW, BMW, Volvo etc, all the main dealers. Plus the price to do them is just a fleecing-exercise as its an easy big-ticket item.

MJ911 said: eh? is it a design fault on the cayman then? Pretty sure all Porsche discs are made from the same (assumed quality) steel! I changed my discs on my 911 4-5 yrs ago, they've done about 40k miles, umpteen track days and euro tours and never failed an MOT in that time, nor be commented that they should be replaced or an advisory. Always used trusted people for servicing etc. and car even inspected by the PCGB technical adviser. Wonder how quickly that diagnosis would change if I went to an OPC? What sort of rust are we talking? Must only be surface discolouration rather than pitted steel? Think you guys are being taken for a ride, I hear the same thing trotted out from people taking their cars to VW, BMW, Volvo etc, all the main dealers. Plus the price to do them is just a fleecing-exercise as its an easy big-ticket item. This is not an OPC in my case but a trusted indy. We are talking about serious scoring and pitting of the rear of the disc face and the resultant premature wearing of the pads. Apparently it is to do with the back plates and the relatively enclosed nature of the rear of the disc which when parked up wet, does not dry out quickly and results in rust. This is of course accelerated during winter when the roads are salted.

MJ911 said: eh? is it a design fault on the cayman then? Pretty sure all Porsche discs are made from the same (assumed quality) steel! I changed my discs on my 911 4-5 yrs ago, they've done about 40k miles, umpteen track days and euro tours and never failed an MOT in that time, nor be commented that they should be replaced or an advisory. Always used trusted people for servicing etc. and car even inspected by the PCGB technical adviser. Wonder how quickly that diagnosis would change if I went to an OPC? What sort of rust are we talking? Must only be surface discolouration rather than pitted steel? Think you guys are being taken for a ride, I hear the same thing trotted out from people taking their cars to VW, BMW, Volvo etc, all the main dealers. Plus the price to do them is just a fleecing-exercise as its an easy big-ticket item. Mine is a 996 not a Cayman & again, respected Indies not OPC. Last time I took up the invite to be shown the discs while the car was on the ramps so I know I'm not being taken for a ride. The fact that yours do get used a lot would suggest why they have lasted so much longer

interesting to know, thanks guys. Trev you had best start using your car more ;-)

from what Trevor is saying it sounds like 'light use and low miles' is whats causing his problems! Regular good use seems to keep them in better condition based on my own experience. Car is garaged as well though which also helps I expect. Every 2yrs sounds ridiculous to me for disc replacement, but each to their own.

MJ911 said: interesting to know, thanks guys. Trev you had best start using your car more ;-) It hasn't made any difference in the past tbh. I used it as my daily (60 mile round trip) for about three years and still suffered premature rusting to the discs. AFAIK the problem starts when the car is parked up after use in bad weather.

Just found this thread I started about a year ago when I had the fronts done last. http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

My disks are starting to develop a lip, can anyone suggest a reasonably priced micrometer I could purchase to keep an eye on them? A quick look on Amazon shows plenty of micrometers that deal with a maximum of 25mm, but according to what I've read, the front disks on my 996 have an operating range of 28 - 26.6mm

IknowJoseph said: My disks are starting to develop a lip, can anyone suggest a reasonably priced micrometer I could purchase to keep an eye on them? A quick look on Amazon shows plenty of micrometers that deal with a maximum of 25mm, but according to what I've read, the front disks on my 996 have an operating range of 28 - 26.6mm Given the tolerance you have to work with it would be easier and cheaper the use a set of OD calipers.

Rust on the inside faces of the discs can be very severe. The pic is of my Cayman discs which had done about 20k miles. Despite the fact I religiously dry the discs off every time I wash the car, I've come to the conclusion that the problem is down to not getting enough heat into the discs to properly dry off the water directed at the rear faces by the cooling ducts on wet journeys. I'm now trying to make sure I get more heat into them, especially just before I park up in my garage at the end of the journey. Time will tell if this works!

Get the discs skimmed (if enough surface material left to work with) and some original Porsche pads and wear sensors from the deal?

Schermerhorn said: Get the discs skimmed (if enough surface material left to work with) and some original Porsche pads and wear sensors from the deal? Given the cost of replacement discs it doesn't really represent much if any of a saving.

maybe I am old fashioned but I find the fact that discs on such a high end car rust or lip so badly after 2yrs or 20k miles p*ss poor Quite shocked to hear in fact.

Had an email earlier from EuroCar Parts sale re: online weekend sale (including brakes) with an extra 5% code (EXTRA5). Did a quick check and seems and complete front 'kit' for most 9x6 & 9x7 models (pads, discs, fitting kit with new sensors) comes in at under £170 inc VAT ...

CampingGaz said: Had an email earlier from EuroCar Parts sale re: online weekend sale (including brakes) with an extra 5% code (EXTRA5). Did a quick check and seems and complete front 'kit' for most 9x6 & 9x7 models (pads, discs, fitting kit with new sensors) comes in at under £170 inc VAT ... www.carparts4less.co.uk is the same company and generally cheaper. Use code CP15LESS to get a further £15 off orders which are over £100. I've just ordered new discs and pads for my Cayman. (Not rusty, but the cracks from the holes are starting to get a bit much!)

Never knew they were the same ! Comparable order with CP15LESS comes in a £189inc Vat for a 9x7 specific model. Didn't check all possibilities. Guess it's the Sale & extra 5% thats makes the difference Edited by CampingGaz on Friday 21st August 18:42

CampingGaz said: Never knew they were the same ! Comparable order with CP15LESS comes in a £189inc Vat for a 9x7 specific model. Didn't check all possibilities. Guess it's the Sale & extra 5% thats makes the difference Edited by CampingGaz on Friday 21st August 18:42 Has the sale started yet? Perhaps I've messed up. My order from carparts4less was £169 delivered. That was for two front Sebro discs and a set of front Textar pads. When I did the same on eurocarparts it was £222.

It has... but the ECP price of £170 includes 4 new damping plates and 2 new sensors, so cheaper? They seem to run these 'sales' every couple of weekends, so as someone mentioned above worth waiting for unless it's critical

CampingGaz said: It has... but the ECP price of £170 includes 4 new damping plates and 2 new sensors, so considerably cheaper. They seem to run these 'sales' every couple of weekends, so as someone mentioned above worth waiting for unless its critical I must be doing something wrong, I can't get anywhere near that price on ECP.

Trev450 said: Sarnie said: So, to bring this back up, my car is in for it's four year service and the brake pad wear sensor came on recently.....just had an email quoting me; "Front Discs and Pads £920.14" £920 seems steep just for the front pads and discs!?!?!? At around £200 for the parts its ludicrous. I still need to get this sorted! Trev, you mention £200 for the parts but I can't get OEM discs and pads for £200! I found these; http://www.design911.co.uk/fu/pt66_202_-cma81-cmo1... "Brake disc Original Porsche Left (£150.46) Brake disc Original Porsche Right (£150.46)" I called them up to ask about these and they said that with the OEM pads, sensors and VAT added the total was circa £620.......they said these items are bought from a Porsche Dealer and resold by them. So if thats the cost of OEM stuff, it's circa £300 for the OPC to fit them?? I know there are cheaper options out there but I want to keep the car 100% OEM and next March I will be renewing my warranty and can't be arsed with them rejecting it because I've put aftermarket items on the car...........starting to think the £920 OPC isn't so bad now...........or am I missing something???

Sign up for ECP newsletters, they regularly have 30-35% sales at the weekends.

Sarnie said: Trev450 said: Sarnie said: So, to bring this back up, my car is in for it's four year service and the brake pad wear sensor came on recently.....just had an email quoting me; "Front Discs and Pads £920.14" £920 seems steep just for the front pads and discs!?!?!? At around £200 for the parts its ludicrous. I still need to get this sorted! Trev, you mention £200 for the parts but I can't get OEM discs and pads for £200! I found these; http://www.design911.co.uk/fu/pt66_202_-cma81-cmo1... "Brake disc Original Porsche Left (£150.46) Brake disc Original Porsche Right (£150.46)" I called them up to ask about these and they said that with the OEM pads, sensors and VAT added the total was circa £620.......they said these items are bought from a Porsche Dealer and resold by them. So if thats the cost of OEM stuff, it's circa £300 for the OPC to fit them?? I know there are cheaper options out there but I want to keep the car 100% OEM and next March I will be renewing my warranty and can't be arsed with them rejecting it because I've put aftermarket items on the car...........starting to think the £920 OPC isn't so bad now...........or am I missing something??? Liam - you could fit these and it's highly unlikely that anyone could tell them from geniune unless they were removed. http://type911shop.co.uk/epages/de867ca1-377e-432e... Alternatively, genuine ones here @ £135: http://type911shop.co.uk/epages/de867ca1-377e-432e... Or Textar/Sebro full front kit: http://type911shop.co.uk/epages/de867ca1-377e-432e... Edited by Trev450 on Tuesday 29th September 16:43

I Must 've doing something wrong then as my current 996 turbo discs are approx 5 years old and still good and my previous c2 were at least 4 Yeats old (on the car when I bought and sold it) they get cleaned every couple of weeks or so and I never dry the discs out, kept on drive and I commute to work for roughly 10000 miles a year. Maybe brake harder to keep them clean?

chriscoates81 said: I Must 've doing something wrong then as my current 996 turbo discs are approx 5 years old and still good and my previous c2 were at least 4 Yeats old (on the car when I bought and sold it) they get cleaned every couple of weeks or so and I never dry the discs out, kept on drive and I commute to work for roughly 10000 miles a year. Maybe brake harder to keep them clean? You are saying that your discs last 50k? Interesting.

mollytherocker said: You are saying that your discs last 50k? Interesting. I suppose technically ive done ~20,000 on them and previous owner did maybe 10 on them (ive only had the turbo 2 years) but it was more about they dont all rust away in 2 years. I'm convinced it lack of use that kills them. The C2 i must of done about 40,000 on and were still fine.

Sarnie said: I still need to get this sorted! Trev, you mention £200 for the parts but I can't get OEM discs and pads for £200! I found these; http://www.design911.co.uk/fu/pt66_202_-cma81-cmo1... "Brake disc Original Porsche Left (£150.46) Brake disc Original Porsche Right (£150.46)" I called them up to ask about these and they said that with the OEM pads, sensors and VAT added the total was circa £620.......they said these items are bought from a Porsche Dealer and resold by them. So if thats the cost of OEM stuff, it's circa £300 for the OPC to fit them?? I know there are cheaper options out there but I want to keep the car 100% OEM and next March I will be renewing my warranty and can't be arsed with them rejecting it because I've put aftermarket items on the car...........starting to think the £920 OPC isn't so bad now...........or am I missing something??? You are missing something... the first 3 pages of this thread ffs

hughcam said: You are missing something... the first 3 pages of this thread ffs Nope I've read the whole thread! Thanks for your help though!

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