[jamabdi]

Well, similarly to the op, I also went the route of retrofitting CCB's to my car. I found someone in San Diego who was selling his set for $8,500 + steel brakes. I negotiated him down to $4,700 + my steel brakes. After accounting for flight tickets, overweight baggage fees, and covering both our labor costs, I'm all in for around $7,000. I've just landed back and I'm planning to have them installed this Monday, along with some Millway monoballs—because why not while everything is apart anyway?


On a side note, I definitely underestimated just how heavy the full brake set on these cars are, the steel set has gotta be pushing north of 100 lbs. Wasn't fun lugging all of that across the airport.

[Limegrntaln]

Originally Posted by jamabdi

Well, similarly to the op, I also went the route of retrofitting CCB's to my car. I found someone in San Diego who was selling his set for $8,500 + steel brakes. I negotiated him down to $4,700 + my steel brakes. After accounting for flight tickets, overweight baggage fees, and covering both our labor costs, I'm all in for around $7,000. I've just landed back and I'm planning to have them installed this Monday, along with some Millway monoballs—because why not while everything is apart anyway?


On a side note, I definitely underestimated just how heavy the full brake set on these cars are, the steel set has gotta be pushing north of 100 lbs. Wasn't fun lugging around a couple suitcases full of brakes across the airport.

Thats some dedication for a set of brakes.

[jamabdi]

Originally Posted by Limegrntaln

Thats some dedication for a set of brakes.

It was the only good deal on a set of carbon ceramics I could find in about a year so I had to pounce on it once he agreed to my price. I also saw it as an opportunity to escape the winter and spend some time with family in San Diego lol.

[Tightt]

Originally Posted by Skyscraper

I’m curious if you’re going to have the same results as I’ve had.
I ordered the CCBs because the CCBs on my 997 are amazing.
These are good, but I’ve been frustrated with the squeal and groan when coming to a stop in town. They are quiet cold and hot. But stoplight to stoplight the last 40’ are miserable. The pad compound is too hard for the street. IMO.
BMW TSB about this basically says they are performance brakes. Deal with it. No fix.

I did find out researching that BMW uses the same caliper & pads as the Nissan GTR. The GTR forums are full of brake noise complaints. Through that I found a company RB Performance that has an alternate street compound pad that the GTR guys are happy with.
I actually got an email confirmation today that their pads do fit our brakes. I’m going to order a set and see how they are.

They are, thus far (3 weeks of use), completely silent.

[azonis2021]

I had the carbon ceramics on my F80 and loved them. Unfortunately, since I occasionally track my car (I do roughly 3-4 track days a year), I ultimately decided against optioning them for my G80.

I did my fair share of research looking into alternative pads to help the CCBs last longer under track conditions. However, there's just no getting around the problem that the OE CCBs oxidize and lose mass at a much higher rate when tracked.

If I had the option I would have definitely considered the Surface Transforms CCBs. Their disks are constructed using a proprietary method where they layer up sheets of carbon material, as opposed to the chopped-up carbon method that Brembo uses. Their rotors run cooler, provide more stopping force, exhibit much less brake wear, and most importantly, they're much more resistant to oxidation and loss of mass. They can also be refurbished/resurfaced 4-5 times, unlike the OE Brembo offering that pretty much becomes a paperweight once they reach their minimum weight or wear through their wear marks. I've read on Porsche forums about guys getting 20+ thousand track miles out of them before needing a new set, which is especially impressive compared to the OE Brembo lifespan.

It's really a shame they don't offer their rotors for BMW. It seems they've figured the BMW market isn't worth the investment to recoup their R&D and make a profit. If they were priced around $8-9k for replacement rotors, I definitely would have opted for them over the OE BMW Brembo option.

[chris3g]

Originally Posted by jamabdi

On a side note, I definitely underestimated just how heavy the full brake set on these cars are, the steel set has gotta be pushing north of 100 lbs. Wasn't fun lugging all of that across the airport.

i've also done the retrofit myself and i weighed all the parts. Steel front rotors are 28.2lb each, rear are 18.4 each. 93.2lbs just for the rotors. The CCBs are 16/10.9lb each, total 53.8lbs.

[BackOnBlack]

Originally Posted by azonis2021

I did my fair share of research looking into alternative pads to help the CCBs last longer under track conditions. However, there's just no getting around the problem that the OE CCBs oxidize and lose mass at a much higher rate when tracked.

...

I've read on Porsche forums about guys getting 20+ thousand track miles out of them before needing a new set, which is especially impressive compared to the OE Brembo lifespan.

To my best knowledge, the oxidation occurs when the rotor temps consistently go over 1200 degF, for Brembos. The F80 did not have sufficient brake cooling and oxidation occurred for some tracked cars. If there is sufficient cooling of the rotors, oxidation does not happen. The Pcars has good-enough cooling from the factory with vanes for the fronts and rears, so they don't suffer oxidation, much. The G80 also has, I think, sufficient cooling, and even more can be added with ducts rather easily.

Then again, for tracking, I am coming to conclusion that iron rotors are turning out to be better as there are more options for pads, rotors replacements and even caliper replacements. Although I am a big fan of CCBs and wished my car came with them.

[azonis2021]

Originally Posted by BackOnBlack

To my best knowledge, the oxidation occurs when the rotor temps consistently go over 1200 degF, for Brembos. The F80 did not have sufficient brake cooling and oxidation occurred for some tracked cars. If there is sufficient cooling of the rotors, oxidation does not happen. The Pcars has good-enough cooling from the factory with vanes for the fronts and rears, so they don't suffer oxidation, much. The G80 also has, I think, sufficient cooling, and even more can be added with ducts rather easily.

Someone on here mentioned going through multiple sets of pads on their CCBs in less than 20,000 miles, just from doing canyon runs. That seems pretty crazy, but I guess if one's hammering their brakes while going downhill on a canyon road for miles it isn't that surprising. Those brakes probably reached temperatures similar to what they would have at a track.

Originally Posted by BackOnBlack

Then again, for tracking, I am coming to conclusion that iron rotors are turning out to be better as there are more options for pads, rotors replacements and even caliper replacements. Although I am a big fan of CCBs and wished my car came with them.

This is why I'm sort of disappointed that Surface Transforms doesn't offer their carbon ceramic rotors for BMWs. Using their brakes is like having your cake and eating it too. You get all the benefits of CCBs on the track but without the accelerated wear, and on the street, you enjoy all the advantages of CCBs, i.e., no brake dust and basically infinite rotor lifespan. For someone like me who only does 4 or so track days a year, it's would've been the perfect solution.