C2 Brakes Question

Every time I drive my '99 after driving my Tacoma, the brakes feel less than adequate. If I understand correctly, the 996 has an indicator light that tells you when the pads need to be changed. It's hard for me to tell if the feel is normal or if I need to bleed them etc. Any recommendations?

When was the last time that your brake fluid was changed? It should be changed every two years for normal driving conditions, and more frequently for track use.

Your Porsche brakes should feel and stop very well unless there is moisture in your brake fluid as mentioned by Dennis, or worn pads and rotors. Check to see if your brake wear indicators are even functional. Many Rennlisters deactivate them.

My brakes feel a little wooden and lack bite for street driving, and that’s with rebuilt calipers, fresh Porsche pads and fluid. Especially after getting out of our other cars. Yet on track when you work them a little harder they work great. I’ve gotten used to it now, just a trait of the car.

Thanks all. I have owned the car since January 2013 and have not done any brake work. I will check the records to see when the last time they were done.

No way the Tacoma brakes better than a 996! I suggest you do a visual inspection on the brake pads and rotors. Some owners just tie up the brake pad wear sensors so don't rely on the warning until you inspect all of them.

The choice of brake pads makes a big difference too. Track pads or even sport pads require heat to operate properly. When they are cold, they do not perform well. When they are warmed up, they perform very well.

Your Tacoma has a suspension designed to make it comfortable when it's unladen AND to make it controllable when you have a quarter-ton of cow crap in the bed. When you hit the brakes, the nose of your Tacoma dives down, probably by a good 4-6 inches. This makes it seem like your Tacoma has bitchin' brakes, but in fact what it has is the ride of a Mercury Grand Marquis. Spend a little time practicing threshold braking in a parking lot somewhere, and you will no longer wonder if your 911's brakes are worse than your truck's. If you simulate a panic stop (in a safe place) in your 911, does ABS engage? If so, your brakes are delivering more stopping power than your tires are able to handle, and things are probably working as designed. If not, your brakes are not functioning correctly and you need to get them looked at.

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This is true. This is also why upgraded carbon-ceramic brakes are a stupid choice for 90+% of the people who buy them. *grumble*

Funny, every time i get in the 4runner after i drive the 996 I practly blow through the stop sign on the corner!! Have you considered SS brake lines?

^ heh. Same happens when I drive our Murano.

I'll have to agree with the folks who suggested checking the brake fluid. I purchased my 996 in March of this year and as a fact, the previous owner drove it very seldom. The brakes were extremely underwhelming where I was certain my 1979 Alfa Romeo Spider's brakes were far superior. I knew something wasn't right. Flushed brake fluid and voila! Problem solved. (Side note - My 1993 Toyota MR2 Turbo brakes are still, by far, the best brakes. Stock too!)

I used to have a 1979 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce! Fun little car!

Ok will be flushing brake fluid and checking all pads and rotors here shortly. Thanks for the input. Even my wife's 2007 Audi A4 feels much better on braking so something is off. Will report back when I figure it out.

Audi's generally have brake that bite hard on initial braking, i'd be suprised in road driving you will get better initial bite on a 996 with std brakes

You should have some of the best brakes in the world! I should have most of what you need CLICK HERE to do your brakes, if not contact me. Use RENNLIST at checkout to get 10% off. -Jason