I need some help as i have no idea where to start, as stated want to fit porsche calipers to the front of my fabia vrs and run a 312mm set up.

1) Do i need the calipers from the front of a boxster or the rear as i have been told i need the rear ones from a boxster s.

2) Where do you get caliper adapters from for them and cost?

3) How do you fit them as they are the wrong way round on a porsche?

Anyone done this as i need a complete guide

Many Thanks

Tom

Pretty sure this has popped up twice in the last week alone.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/189195-porsche-4-pots-and-vrs-rears-on-normal-octy/page__hl__Boxster

Boxster S 3.2 986 calipers bolt on with 312mm disks and tt carriers. THEY HAVE TO BE 986 BOXSTER S REAR calipers tho.

Have you searched? There was a post a week or so ago saying how the rears are no good, they give good initial bite, but when it comes to hard braking there's nothing there.

Matt

Down to disk and pad choice! They are great calipers (made by brembo)

Ah i checked, was is different caliper, but shows the point i was getting at.

As posted by jason:

found it taken from uk mk iv's

The braking feel of the 996 rears is very misleading.

they give you a very good initial bite, but when you press the pedal harder to stop faster then they have nothing left to give.

This problem will be masked even further if you have a higher spec disc and pad combination, as obviously that will give a better performance on its own.

Again, the basic problem is that the 996 rear pistons are too small. When you do the maths you find that the area of the pistons is actually smaller than the original caliper. Have a look at the Stoptech website for an explanation of braking.

I think people are being sucked in to this by the fact that the caliper has 4 pistons so must be better than the oe caliper.

However, as you'll find on the Stoptech website, when comparing the oe caliper and the 4 piston one you only calculate the area of 1 side of the 4 piston caliper.

From the ecstuning website the oe front caliper has a piston area of 2205 and the Boxster front caliper, which is the one ecs use in their kit, and Neuspeed to, is 2274, so bigger than oe, and thats why that caliper works.

But the 996/Boxster S rear caliper has significantly smaller pistons, so has less area and so less available braking force. IIRC the Boxster front caliper has 36 and 40mm pistons and the 996 rear has 28 and 30mm. So it is obvious that the 996 rear is the wrong caliper.

I'm not just saying this all from a bystanders point of view ie more internet ramblings. I'm one of the people has been through this exercise.

When I had the 996 rears on my car it was exactly as described, nice firm pedal, very little pedal travel, excellent initial bite but then nothing more when pressed further. On one occasion when testing these brakes after fitting, the rear brakes were almost on fire after a few hard stops from only 50-60mph. There was just so much more braking effort at the rear than the front. And that wasn't with any performance discs or pads.

I then went out and bought a brand new pair of Boxster front calipers. The difference was incredible. A little more pedal travel yes, but the harder you pressed the pedal then the faster you stopped, no matter how many times you tried it. Just exactly as it should be. It of course would have been even better had I got a set of performance pads and discs.

Thats my experience with the 996 rears, if you choose to heed the advice or not is up to you, if you choose to use the 996 rears, or not, is up to you.

All I can finally say is do some more reading to understand what it is you are doing, but not on forums, look at the experts websites, and do some maths before you decide.

Matt

Edited 6 February, 201115 yr by matt1chelski

You will also note from talking to the experts smaller pistons tend to give better feel as needing less fluid and more pistons give a better distribution of area of braking force. If your using just area then you will probally fit the front 986 caliper smaller too. What you have said is very missleading and I dont belive anyone should make a decision on what a single person I or you say, alot more research from many sources is needed. Try finding someone with 9986 calipers on there car, loads of boys use them and let you feel what they are like.

I'm not saying anything, nor have I spoken to any "experts" just passing on info from reading peoples opinions.

HTH

Matt

I can't edit my above post, but just read your reply again, the bit in the box it quoted. Not what I have said.

I'm not a techie in this area, however, I'm not sure how less area is better? Yeah it'll give a better feel as you and the quoted bit both say, but no actual better stopping power?

Matt

Theres many many more factors than area buddy. Quality also being a MAJOR advantage of 4 pot brembo over Bosch (are they?) single poters. Cooling round 4 pistons, distribution, force, feel etc.... Alot of opions come from disks and the pads tho, which are another huge vaible. Soo many to make a call on "What is best"

Ah ok, there's obviously a lot more to it lol. I fancy upgrading mine, but think I rather have the front brakes on the front lol

Matt