Model S Plaid Brakes Are Terrible!

[theslimshadyist]

Those of you who own a Plaid, is it just me or are the brakes terribly subpar for the power of this car? I was driving at a high rate of speed on the Interstate and had to aggressively apply the brakes only to find out that they are very weak.

Anyone else agree and more importantly, have any over you replaced to improve upon the braking experience?

Thanks!

 

[Tman458]

It is my only complaint on the car. The brakes are clearly the weak point and not very confidence inspiring. If u push the car, one has to be real careful. Porsche brakes will make ur eyes pop out ur head in contrast.

 

[theslimshadyist]

It is my only complaint on the car. The brakes are clearly the weak point and not very confidence inspiring. If u push the car, one has to be real careful. Porsche brakes will make ur eyes pop out ur head in contrast.

Agreed. I had a Taycan and wow!

 

[wornout]

The tradeoff would be using a more aggressive street/clubsport pad that creates more dust and more rotor wear.

 

[Aggmeister2010]

The tradeoff would be using a more aggressive street/clubsport pad that creates more dust and more rotor wear.

No, I think the solution is a big brake kit......which should come with the car to begin with. If you're going to go fast, you have to be able to stop fast. Even on my old P90D, the brakes are inadequate.

 

[Mash]

It's a long tradition of supporting aftermarket community by making range biased brakes on a too fast car. If everything would be perfect, you won't have a forum worth reading.

 

[Aggmeister2010]

It's a long tradition of supporting aftermarket community by making range biased brakes on a too fast car. If everything would be perfect, you won't have a forum worth reading.

Sure, but i mean...

 

[MFrunkerOG]

My plaid gets delivered in a week. Been researching brake kits . If I understand what you guys are saying - The 380 front / 365 rear brake rotor sizes are the culprit. So just replacing those with identically sized but lighter two piece rotors won’t really work.

You actually need a big brake kit? OR you need grippier brake pads (okay more dust, but I’d rather be alive)?

 

[MFrunkerOG]

Giro disc said they are making rotors for mountain pass performance - 400 in the front. MPP confirmed it but they’re still in prototype mode.

Racing brake have a couple of kits - metal BBK (420F/390R plus 6 piston calipers) for $8k and a ceramic BBK for $19k

 

[SO16]

Would definitely be ideal that the brakes are better on the plaid. And really should be.

But at least it’s easier to replace brakes than it is to increase acceleration performance.

 

[lolachampcar]

My plaid gets delivered in a week. Been researching brake kits . If I understand what you guys are saying - The 380 front / 365 rear brake rotor sizes are the culprit. So just replacing those with identically sized but lighter two piece rotors won’t really work.

You actually need a big brake kit? OR you need grippier brake pads (okay more dust, but I’d rather be alive)?

Plaid rotors are larger in diameter than previous PDs so, in theory, performance should have increased. It does not feel as though it has and feel is typically a pad/rotor material issue.

I've found I seldom if ever use them. When I do, I stand on them like there is no tomorrow and it hauls the car down reasonably well. Feel sucks and it seems my previous PD stopped a tad bit shorter. That is qualitiative. I've not seen quantititative data to back that up.

I can live when them as an emergency resource. I can not imagine relying on them for feel in track level driving where you actually use braking as a tool let alone the idea of using them repetitively. There are several posts dealing with complete temp fade and full pad destruction after short bursts of track usage.

Basically, they are generic street car brakes sized for the application but not helpful for track work.

 

[Aggmeister2010]

I agree with @lolachampcar.

It is certainly frustrating that most other performance brands offer factory options for bigger, carbon/ceramic brakes and so forth - Tesla gives you no choice at all. Really, not choice beyond the color, but I digress. The Taycan is not as fast or powerful as the Plaid, and yet even its standard, base model brakes are much bigger. It just reaffirms to me that Tesla is too focused on only acceleration and software, not the rest of the package.

But to that point, 98% of their user base just drives the speed limit to work and back. They will almost never need such powerful braking systems, because they'll just be driving in traffic. And for that, smaller steel brakes are fine, and they'll have plenty of time to cool off with 'adequate' stopping power for that one time you get cut off per day.

I guess the takeaway is - If you are going to be tracking your plaid, then you should probably invest in a big brake kit. If you're just daily driving around the city, you're likely fine with what you have, even if it does leave a bit to be desired versus the performance competitors.

 

[TANGO SUKKA]

I think it's pretty irresponsible to put sub par brakes on a 1000+hp car that has ridiculous high end acceleration, even if you're just commuting most of the time.

 

[CWhite]

So if you stand on the brakes driving at 70mph on a dry road the ABS won’t engage? I have never had that happen in the few times I have done it. Granted my 2020 S LR+ is not a plaid but it can’t really have better brakes. I understand fading due to heat from track work but don’t see how they could be so weak they can’t exceed the grip of the tires for a single stop. Granted it has much longer pedal travel than my old M5 which I not a fan of but the car stops.

 

[Aggmeister2010]

So if you stand on the brakes driving at 70mph on a dry road the ABS won’t engage? I have never had that happen in the few times I have done it. Granted my 2020 S LR+ is not a plaid but it can’t really have better brakes. I understand fading due to heat from track work but don’t see how they could be so weak they can’t exceed the grip of the tires for a single stop. Granted it has much longer pedal travel than my old M5 which I not a fan of but the car stops.

I haven't had a problem with the brakes stopping me or ABS engaging, but I have had issues with the iBooster.

The electronic Bosch iBooster isn't very 'stout.' As in, it runs out of vacuum pretty quick, and takes too long to build back up. I've had encounters where I smash the brake pedal, let up, hit it again, and then get a message that braking force is reduced. So, it has two or three good hits and then needs a second.

Not sure if that's still used in the Plaid....Porsche seems to have this figured out.

 

[Duke846]

Giro disc said they are making rotors for mountain pass performance - 400 in the front. MPP confirmed it but they’re still in prototype mode.

Racing brake have a couple of kits - metal BBK (420F/390R plus 6 piston calipers) for $8k and a ceramic BBK for $19k

It’s not the brakes.
It’s the very intrusive traction and stability control.
Save your money dude.
Track mode will do wonders.

 

[CWhite]

It’s not the brakes.
It’s the very intrusive traction and stability control.
Save your money dude.
Track mode will do wonders.

Ummm, so track mode somehow solves the brakes overheating and fading. Traction and stability systems increase your stopping distance???

 

[Duke846]

Ummm, so track mode somehow solves the brakes overheating and fading. Traction and stability systems increase your stopping distance???

Yes it will make a huge difference.
The brakes are constantly being used under acceleration.

 

[Duke846]

When not accelerating in a straight line.

When accelerating out of a corner it’s constantly using the brakes.
Track mode will let you have the freedom of adjusting oversteer or even under steering.

 

[Duke846]

It’s not the brakes.
It’s the very intrusive traction and stability control.
Save your money dude.
Track mode will do wonders.

Watch his videos. He is doing everything in his power to stay out of the stability control.
It’s like driving in the snow. You don’t get power until you have traction.
Car is a beast!
Read some of his comments he is a veteran racer also.