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Common Reasons Behind Underperforming Porsche Boxster Brake Pads

If your vehicle's braking power has suddenly become less efficient, check the brake pads for signs of wear and tear. The brake pads are the most consumable part of your braking system, so constant replacement may cause some change in braking quality. Driving 70,000 miles is already a mark for you to check if your brake pads are worn, and if you drive challenging roads and assault bad weather conditions, this number will definitely be lower. Here are some of the problems you should check in order to confirm if your Porsche Boxster brake pads are compromising your car's braking power:

Dusting

If you have been noticing that your tires accumulate a lot of dust even if you are not driving on dusty roads, the culprit is probably the dust produced by your brake pads. Some brake pads produce more dust than others, so it is better to try out different brands in order to get the one with the least dust production. Too much dust can lead to other braking problems, such as brake noise and decreased pad-rotor friction. Thus, the best way to solve this problem is to experiment on using various brake pad types that will complement your braking habits.

Overheating

You will know if you are using low-quality brake pads if they start to become soft after exposure to too much heat. Brake pads are crafted to withstand friction-created heat, but some brake pads are not really tough against extremely high level of heat. One way to solve the problem is by flushing the brake fluid out and refilling the piston with fresh fluid. Unchanged fluid becomes hot faster after a few stops, so you need to replace the old fluid in order to release pressure and help the pads stay at a tolerable heat level longer. Lubricating the rotor, piston, and caliper will also ease resistance and decrease pressure-induced heat.

Brake noise

Brake noise can only be caused by the lack of pad material on the brake pads. When the pad runs out, the metal backing plate takes a full contact with the rotor and creates a squeaking noise. This metal-to-metal friction should be an immediate reason for brake pad replacement, because delaying it will just be more expensive in the long run since the rotor will need to be fixed as well due to metal damage.

Brake vibration

Rotor run-out or axis misalignment causes brake vibration, which is also called shimmy or judder. Using a run-out gauge, check if the run-out of your rotor is not more than 0.004 inches or 0.1 mm. If you get a higher number in the gauge, it means that a thin spot has been worn on the rotor's surface; this thin spot causes the rotor to nudge on the pad every time the brake is not applied and the car is being driven. The only quick fix to this problem is machining the rotor to make the wear even.