Boxster monoblocks and ABS, Installing Boxster monoblocks and ABS Options

[Dinobx]

Hey all,

I was reading another thread on brake upgrades. Some of you have talked about using the Boxster (not S) monoblocks on the 914, once you've changed to 911 struts and rotors.

The agreement seems to be that this would be great for the track but a bit too much brake power for the street. Some have indicated lockup of the tires can occur quite easily. I can certainly see this being a problem (I would think there would also be that scary "just touch the brakes and they grab way too much" feeling).

If that's the case, is there some way of fixing the lock up problem by also adding ABS to the equation?

[Dinobx]

Hey Clay, Hmmm, very interesting.

The problem with any 914 brake upgrade is not the front brakes. They are a bolt on all the way up to 996TT calipers (Provided you bolt on 911 front struts first).
The only restriction I have here is that I love the look of the fuchs. So my wheels have to have enough room to clear whatever I put in there. I understand that they will clear the 911/Carreras and the Boxsters no problem.

Porsche/VW designed the 914 with off the shelf ATE rear brake calipers that had the park brake built in, plus they used a 3" bolt spacing on the rear. Most performance calipers out there have a 3.5" bolt spacing for the caliper mounts. The trailing arms that the calipers attach to are unique to the 914, and the caliper mounts are welded on. So we have to either remove the existing caliper mounts and weld on new ones (not easy to do), or we have to use some kind of adapter to mount the calipers. The Boxster monoblocks are the easiest in this situation, because they use a radial mount, and the stock 914 calipers use an axial mount. That means that we can make a relatively inexpensive, bolt on block to attach the calipers.
Yes, and from what I understand, Rich can provide the adapter blocks (from another thread).


That still does not address the issue of the park brake. Some people dont' think we need one at all, some think a line lock is sufficent, and some (Like me) think a mechanical park brake is a necessity. I have explored all of the possible park brake permeutations, and the best (IMHO) is a modified 911 setup. But in that you have to make custom park brake cables.
I like the idea of a manual brake. On another thread, someone had posted pics of the 917 brakes with the manual parking brake setup. Very nice. Would love to able to adapt that for whatever rears I choose. It actually looks like you would need to drill and tap some holes at the end of the caliper for a mounting spot for the system the 917 uses.

For street or AX usage on a stock 914, the stock brakes, with all the parts working correctly and a good set of performance pads will serve you well.

But most of us modify the car for higher performance. Then we need bigger brakes.
Good point, mine actually has a V8. It's putting out quite a bit of torque and it would be nice to have that peace of mind feeling that I can stomp on the brakes and have some solid control over the momentum of the vehicle.

FWIW... I have only driven my car a little bit since getting it up and running, and I am disappointed in the 944 turbo calipers that are on it. I expected more from it, but the brakes don't even feel as good as the stock brakes on Betty's 1.8L. I am hoping that switching to the 23mm master cylinder will improve the feel.
Wow, that's interesting. I had contemplated doing the same. I used to own a 944 and have driven the 86 944 turbo and the brakes were nothing short of excellent. But someone had indicated that you couldn't mount them on the 914. How were you able to do that Clay?