Ceramic brakes!
 

Just bought these cheap:
http://www.keversite.nl/fotoalbum/fotos/60241.jpg

but for a reason: the disks are quite rough at places and actually should be machined, if it weren't that that is deemed impossible...or is it?
Anyone feels its possible to machine ceramic disks?

Thanks,
Walter

:eek:

Lets put it this way, we use ceramic tools to machine hardened tool steel....

You are going to have to search to find a way to machine those, i don't know much about the grade of ceramics but they can be HARD!

it may have to be ground, similar to resurfacing a flywheel.

talk to your local machine shops,

Alex

First bug with ceramic brakes? Go for it.. lol

Very hardcore!!! Should be cool, keep us posted.

Jason

PORSCHE says no, it is not possible nor allowed to machine them, once worn or damaged they need to be replaced no if or but.
They have a life expectancy of 300000km on road vehicles and are usually not used on race cars as they chip easily when not careful during wheel changes. All GT3 cup cars in NZ have the steel discs fitted.
If you use a diamond grinding tool similar to the flywheel grinding as mentioned earlier it may work but chances are that they will shatter.
Just checked, new ones for the front are around NZ$11000+ GST and for the rear around NZ$9000 + GST, these prices are retail. Pads for the front are NZ$ 1500. Alternatively you can use steel discs on the front with the 6 piston calipers but for the rear you need the calipers too as the ceramic ones are different ;)

Ouch!!! $$$

... Just run them perhaps and see if they pull or are dodgy?

"If you have a $5 head buy a $5 helmet"

Don't risk running worn out breaks fro the "cool" factor. I'd rather run old iron discs and live to get ripped into for it, then run worn out ceramics and have people talk about how cool my car looked at my funeral....

Alex

Hey Alex,
The remark about the cool factor is really below the belt! :angry:
The whole point of this for me is to save upsprung weight. The difference in disk color nobody will notice anyways.
My current disk weighs 8,2 kilo
These are 3 kilo each lighter...That is HUGE!

Sorry Wally, I didn't mean it as an attack at you.

I can totally understand why you'd want to use them, i mean they do have many advantages over steel discs heat dissapation, weight etc (other then the cool factor!;) )

All I'm saying is if they can't be used safely, don't use them at all. Tread unknown waters with caution.

Best of luck!

Alex

Now, I can only agree to that! :)

awesome, we're definitely on the same page. keep us posted on your progress!

best of luck!

Alex

Can you have them x-rayed for cracks?

A little wear on them should not necessitate trashing them.

If it is just cosmetic then I see no problem in using them. Could a Porsche dealer/shop verify thier condition?

Trust me I am not trying to kill anybody using worn out parts. Ceramics are just a different animal.

To x-ray them is maybe a little too far fetched IMO and as you may be able to see on the upper disk, the surface is just too rough for pads too either reach that lower area or the if the pads would touch that are, the pads would be eaten in no time. Just my observation. Picture can't show everything.

For those concerned: the porches these come from weigh a very lot more than my bug does and braking resistance will never match the turbo porsches extreme speeds and loads imho. Most every part on a porsche is over-engineered as well.
Therefore I feel quit confidant that a small layer can be safely removed if done by a ceramic specialist and I found one locally!

Hopefully next week I can bring them in for inspection.
Much to my surprise the calipers and disks also nearly bolted on onto my front (944T Cup) hubs. I need 1 or 2mm shims at most :D

I know quite a lot about the ceramic brakes, we have a Carrera GT which uses PCCB ceramic brakes as standard, we replaced these with Steel disks as when you use them a lot on track days they dont last long. and at £3,500 a corner to replace its not exactly economic. The pictures shown of those discs. They are shot. UNusable and NOT machineable. What looks like where some paint has peeled off, that is actually the carbon ceramic coating that is the braking friction surface. Once this starts to come off, you have to just toss them away! Sorry to put a downer on you, I would love to see a bug with PCCB brakes on. Try looking at AP Racing Carbon Brakes. These are cheaper than the Porsche carbon ceramics and just as good. We use them on a RSR Race car and when u stand on them your heart just wants to come out of your chest! Good luck with finiding some new discs

Ian

Only problem using this disks is that they need heat to work. With our lightweight bugs this seems to be impossible. The really suck for road use and are ony good on the track. They are build at SGL Carbon in Germany close by Augsburg. Ask them if you can machine them. If you want lighter stuff use lighter calipers like 911s or Kerscher.