brake pads

[robertmark]

Are the brake pads the same for a 69 and 88 911? I just pulled the front pads, and find that they are tapered on the ends of the pad. Why is this? I've never seen this before. It's not worn that way, it was clearly manufactured that way. Any suggestions on a nice quiet pad for street use? My current pads could wake the dead.

[HarryD]

Calipers are different, hence the pads are different.

The tapers on the leading edge of a pad (or brake shoe) is to prevent squealing.

For Pads, go stock with the factory pads, Texar or Jurid.

[robertmark]

Thanks Harry, quick follow up question. I understand if your calipers are aluminum, they are S calipers. My front calipers are aluminum and my rears are steel. This is on my one owner 911e. Why are they different? Did the previous owner do this? Or, did Porsche?

[HarryD]

Originally Posted by robertmark

Thanks Harry, quick follow up question. I understand if your calipers are aluminum, they are S calipers. My front calipers are aluminum and my rears are steel. This is on my one owner 911e. Why are they different? Did the previous owner do this? Or, did Porsche?

Dunno why they are different. Perhaps someone who knows more about this will chime in.

[Trackrash]

The aluminum front calipers are the "S" caliper which was a factory option on the E models.

Interestingly the front pads from an 88 will fit, but the correct pad for the S caliper is thicker than what came on the '88. In addition '88 pads may have the wear sensor which some of the Carreras had.

[Bill Verburg]

If the '69 has aluminum S calipers that the pad area and shape and mounting is the same as for a later A, the S is thicker but not so much so as to preclude using one from a A. The pads since the '80s have brake pad thickness monitors embedded in them a electric connections on back, these of course aren't used for a '69

It's unclear what you mean by taper, some guys will chamfer the leading edge in the hopes of reducing squeal

another type of taper is taper wear, where the whole pad is worn on a taper, very thin material left on the leading edge and most if not all the pad material left at the trailing edge. This is caused by improper orientation of the caliper pistons, each piston has a notch on the leading side, there is a tool that orients the notch 20° from horizontal

also used in back

[robertmark]

Thanks guys!! I dug out a new set of hawk pads I had tucked away for years for my then 88 911. They did in fact fit the 69e front and rear.

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by robertmark

Thanks guys!! I dug out a new set of hawk pads I had tucked away for years for my then 88 911. They did in fact fit the 69e front and rear.

Then the '69 has M/M calipers