Impressions: CCB calipers + Girodisc rotors + Girodisc GP40/20 pads

[SYT_Shadow]

Posted here as well in the GTMore thread, but here it'll have more visibility.

We've been running GTS1 with the stock CCB calipers and Girodisc rotors. We've run two different pad setups: RSL29 and GP40/20. It's a good idea to share the performance with the rest of the M world, so here goes:

Rotors:
Walking around a paddock you see plenty of cars running Girodisc rotors. Pretty much any fast car that comes from the factory with CCBs swaps to the Girodisc setup.
This generally tells you that Girodisc is the real deal, but we weren't 100% sure until we tried them for ourselves. Well, they are definitely the real deal, they've taken 12 days so far and are probably at 50% wear.
The Girodisc themselves are huge (400mm front, 380mm rear) and very heavy, however, like we found with the 36mm thick BW-Alcon BBKs, the extra mass makes a big difference in longevity and keeping temps in check

Backing plates:
Out of an abundance of caution, we bought Ti backing plates for the calipers. On our F80 CS we torched the rear dust boots the one time we used the stock rear brakes and don't want this to happen to the CCB calipers. We got the front shims from ebay and the rears from Girodisc

Pads:
Overall, a downside to running the Girodiscs is PFC does not make a pad for it. We have been thoroughly spoiled by many PFC pads and were not looking forward to something different. In the end we tried two different pads.
Pad compound 1: RSL29
The shortest comment is they feel like someone has stolen your brake pads and replaced them for pieces of wood. There is little to no feedback from the brakes running this pad. They do last a long time, but otherwise there's no lost love for this pad and hopefully we will never run it again.
Pad compound 2: Girodisc GP40/20
We had never heard of these, but ran into them when getting the Ti shims. Given the good experience with the rotors, what about their pads?
We were pleasantly surprised with their good performance. Good pedal feel and threshold feedback which is really important. As a side bonus, they aren't loud on the street once bedded in and don't wear quickly.


We can finally dispel the myth that 'no BMW comes with good track brakes'. These are clearly very good, and have the same track mods that any other brand of cars has for serious track work (rotors and pads). The two 991.2 GT3 RS we were chasing in a recent weekend were using AP Racing on one and PFC (cup car brake conversion, $$$$$$) on the other. So it seems like not only BMWs get upgraded brakes...

That said, we have had our nickel plated BimmerWorld-Alcon BBKs on order since Jan and they should be arriving soon, so it is likely we will not test any other pads/setups on the stock calipers.
We look forward to running 18" wheel setups and the latest PFC pads


Let's look at some pics of this setup

The pads are shiny silver colored. Also take a look at the Ti shims. The front pads are absolutely massive




Installed

[SilleM3]

Great review. How's the initial bite, modulation on track, and noise on the street? Are the brakes daily drivable?

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by 18LVF80

Great review. How's the initial bite, modulation on track, and noise on the street? Are the brakes daily drivable?

I've always dailied my track pads, even if that means sounding like a garbage truck every time I spot.
The GP40/20 is pretty quiet on the street once bedded in. If I used this car year round, I'd use the track pads for summer/track season and swap to a street pad for the rest of the year

Modulation was significantly better than the rsl29


To put it another way, we have been spoiled for many years with top shelf BBKs, and using the OEM CCB setup + giro rotors, the system worked well and is more capable than needed for serious track work. We won't have video ready to be uploaded for a while, but we were consistently outbraking one of the fast Cup cars despite weighing +1000lb more

[alpinefd]

for those of you who doesn't street drive your cars, how do you bed in the brake pad at the track?

[markw10702]

Originally Posted by alpinefd

for those of you who doesn't street drive your cars, how do you bed in the brake pad at the track?

Usually you would use the first session to bed the pads. This is somewhat problematic as 1) it shortens your session, 2) if there are lots of cars in your run group you'll be a moving chicane.

I have been using Cobalt Friction pads. Great product and unlike some pads which require a complicated process the Cobalts bed really quickly. Usually by the time you get to the track they are ready to go.

[SYT_Shadow]

Some pads, like PFCs, are 'arrive and drive' and don't need any special procedure

If you do have to bed them, you can try to do it in the first two laps where people are usually warming their tires up

[sc_tr0jan_m3]

You don't need a full session to bed pads. It should take no more than 2 laps, if that…

[alpinefd]

Originally Posted by sc_tr0jan_m3

You don't need a full session to bed pads. It should take no more than 2 laps, if that…

I guess the issue with bedding in pads using the on track session is the possible brake fade and also how do you cool down the brakes after break in.

[FrankMstein]

Had you considered Pagid RSC1?

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by FrankMstein

Had you considered Pagid RSC1?

Very briefly.
If with the regular pads the CCBs lasted a few weekends, I don't see how RSC1 would provide a large enough improvement.

CCB rotor replacement cost is so high that they'd have to last 10x as much as iron rotors. Currently, CCB rotors and OEM pads last ~half of an iron rotor, so it's off by an order of magnitude