Porsche 993: Brake Pad Reviews

This article applies to the Porsche 993 (1993-1998).

Picking the right brake pads is a tough decision with so many different brands to choose from, but there is a brake pad for every need. For daily commuting, you probably want pads with less noise or those that create less dust. If you plan on doing some track driving, you'll want pads with high stopping power and better fade resistance.

Performance Brake Pads

Hawk HPS

Price – $128

Braking Power – High

Noise Level – Average

Dust Level – Low

Fade Resistance – Average

Warranty – Lifetime

Hawk HPS delivers solid stopping power with few trade-offs. Although not as quiet as Porsche's stock pads, they are still quieter than most other performance brake pads and produce very little brake dust. The fade resistance is fairly good, but it is made primarily for street use with maybe a little light-track driving. It uses a ferro-carbon mixture which makes it cleaner, but not as heat-resistant. If you're serious about racing, then these are probably not for you. It is recommended for the daily commuter looking for more out of their brakes. Recommended if you're looking for heavy-duty street brake pads.

Axxis Ultimate

Price – $69

Braking Power – High

Noise Level – High

Dust Level – High

Fade Resistance – Average

Warranty – Lifetime

Great performance at an even greater price, these ceramic brake pads offer an excellent bargain. But this does come with a few trade offs as well. They are very noisy, but once they are broken in the noise will gradually die down. They also create a lot of dust, meaning they won't last quite as long as more expensive brake pads. While their low fade-resistance prevents them from being great in an endurance competition, they are still good for a few weekend autocross events and even a beginners DE event. This makes Axxis Ultimate the best bargain so long as you are willing to overlook the flaws. Recommended if you're looking for light-duty tack pads.

EBC Yellow Stuff

Price – $149

Braking Power – Very High

Noise Level – Average

Dust Level – Average

Fade Resistance – Very High

Warranty – Lifetime

Serious competition for an affordable price. EBC's Yellow Stuff is one of the highest awarded brake pads in the UK. Its aramid fiber compound provides one of the highest levels of fade resistance found in a set of brake pads. It also offers stock-levels of noise and dust. If you're looking for brake pads for racing that really improve upon Porsche's stock pads, then these are for you. There are a few negatives. The EBC's take longer to bed-in than most other brakes, meaning your going to have to spend a few hours with it before you take it on the track. Owners have also reported a bad odor coming from the brake compound. Aside from those issues, this is a great brake pad for the intermediate racing enthusiast. Recommended if you're looking for affordable quality track brake pads.

Pagid Racing Orange

Price – $248

Braking Power – Very High

Noise Level – High

Dust Level – Average

Fade Resistance – High

Warranty – Lifetime

Many Porsche racing club drivers will recommend Pagid Orange. It has the best stopping power you can get, and it's made to take some serious punishment. If your racing style involves lots of hard braking, then these pads are for you. There aren't many negatives to point out except that the noise and dust levels are slightly higher than stock. These are pure racing brake pads and they're meant to be driven hot. They work poorly when cold, so they are not great for off track. At the same price, you can get genuine Porsche brake pads which would be better for off track driving. Recommended if you're looking for heavy duty track pads exclusively.

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