Boxster Brakes on your 1.8T Beetle: DIY

[NYBugman]

So, I FINALLY got to install my Boxster brake kit that I pieced together over the course of a couple of months. I took some pics and wanted to write a little DIY to share my information with anyone out there who may be interested in doing the same thing to their car.

DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible for any problems that you may encounter should you do undertake this project yourself. Always work safely by using jack stands and a good sturdy jack (NOT the widowmaker!).

What you're going to need:



- 2 Brembo/Porsche Boxster brake calipers (1 left & 1 right). These are available from the dealership, online retailers like Pelicanparts.com, auto dismantlers, or eBay

- 2 Pure Motorsport Boxster brake caliper carriers & the supplied bolts (PureMS.com)

- 2 Audi TT/20thAE GTI/Jetta GLI front rotors (Tire Rack)

- 2 Banjo bolts for Boxster calipers (ECS)

- Brake pads of your choice (Hawk HPS from Tire Rack)

- Brake fluid of your choice

What you MAY need:

- New Porsche/Brembo pad retaining clips (Pelicanparts.com)

- OEM VW caliper carrier to spindle bolts (ECS)

- New bleed screws

Tools & Supplies:

- Loctite or other type of thread locker (other than a moderator)

- 18mm socket on 1/2" drive ratchet

- 11mm open-end wrench for bleed screws

- 13mm open-end wrench for banjo bolts

- Wire brush (manual or on a grinder)

- Brake cleaner

- Phillips screwdriver

- Flat screwdriver

- snips/wire cutters

- something to catch fluid in

- mallet/hammer

- patience

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I will assume you, the reader, knows how to safely put their car up in the air and remove the wheel(s).

1) Take the flat screwdriver and pop the brake pad wear sensor apart. You'll need it later

2) Detach the brake line from the caliper. Hang the line out of the way.



3) Remove the caliper from the spindle, carrier and all. You will not re-use the carrier in this project.

4) Remove the old rotor set screw with a large Phillips screwdriver. The rotor should come off, but you may need to help it along with the mallet. BE CAREFUL! The rotor is heavy and may fall.

5) Take the wire brush and brake cleaner and clean the hubs of any rust and corrosion. Here's a before shot:



6) Take your Pure Motorsport carrier and install it on the spindle. Torque to spec as per the Bentley manual.







7) Install your new rotor on the hub using the set screw.

8) Install your caliper onto the new carrier with the supplied allen-head bolts. I am not sure of the torque spec for these, but don't go too tight, as they are screwing into aluminum threads. Too tight and you'll strip the threads!



9) Insert your new pads into the caliper and lock them into place with the retaining clip and pin. You may need to grease the pin and tap it into place. The clip must be pushed down for the pin to hold pressure on it, which in turn holds pressure on the pads



10) Install your brake line onto the caliper. You MUST use the ECS banjo bolts, as Porsche uses a different pitch thread than VW. However, your stock or stock-length stainless VW lines will work for this project. I needed to use an extra copper washer (one of the old ones) to properly position the line and the banjo bolt. 2 on the caliper side and one on the bolt head side.

11) Take your old brake pad wear sensor connector from the old pad and cut it off. Connect the wires and tape/shrink-wrap them shut. This will keep any brake warning lights away, as the Boxster pads do not have provisions for the brake pad wear sensor. Install it and secure it out of the way with a zip-tie.



12) Double-check anything and everything. Check for leaks around the bleeders, crossover tubes and the banjo bolt.

13) You're done! Remember to bleed the brakes when you have completed your project. Bleed the outside bleeder first, then the inside. Remember to bed in the brakes with about six 60mph to 5mph runs.






Wheel caveat!

This kit is essentially the same as the ECS Tuning Stg.2 v.1 kit. Use their template to check if your wheels will clear the calipers. You may need a spacer, or you simply may not be able to use your current wheels. Wheels that I KNOW will work are:

BBS CH (18x8.5 et30)

Audi TT 5 and 6-spoke wheels (I use a TT 6-spoke as a spare tire)

Long Beaches w. an 8mm spacer (my winter setup)

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And there you have it. Tomorrow I will post about how the car stops with the new brakes.

On the difficulty meter, I would rate this one at the same level as a brake job + brake bleed.

I noticed that the 4-piston calipers are lighter than the cast-iron OEM calipers. However, any weight savings are negated due to the heavier 12.3" rotor.

Finally, I put this kit together for probably $400 LESS than the ECS Stg.2 v.1 kit. I got the calipers for a fair price off of eBay, so that saved a lot of money. I also saved money by using a plain rotor and not a slotted or drilled rotor. I also had SS lines on the car already, and plenty of ATE blue fluid (my car is an automatic, so I don't have to worry about the blue dye hurting clutch seals. Use ATE gold if your car is a manual), so those didn't have to be purchased along with the rest of the parts.

I hope this helps some people out in the future. It took me quite some time to compile the info, so this should make it easy for others.

:thumbup:

[noR]

The discussion for this how-to is located here:
Boxster Brakes on your 1.8T Beetle: DIY