Brembo OE Brakes for the Porsche Cayenne: Which Parts Fit

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

The Brembo OE front disc brake kit we carry fits the 2011-2018 Porsche Cayenne with standard cast-iron brakes. It pairs Brembo Prime low-metallic pads with UV-coated, pillar-vented rotors, so one box covers a complete front brake job. It is not for Cayennes with yellow ceramic (PCCB) or white tungsten-carbide (PSCB) calipers, and older or newer generations need different parts, which we cover below.

Which Cayenne the Brembo OE kit fits

The Brembo OE front disc brake kit for the 2011-2018 Porsche Cayenne is built for the second-generation Cayenne with Porsche's standard cast-iron discs. Before you order, look through the wheel spokes at the caliper color and disc surface, because Porsche offered three very different brake systems on the Cayenne:

Porsche identifies PCCB by its yellow calipers and perforated discs. PSCB, which Porsche made standard on the Cayenne Turbo starting in 2017, uses a grey-iron disc with a tungsten carbide coating and white calipers. Both systems use pads engineered for that surface, so a cast-iron kit is the wrong part for them. Cayennes also came with more than one front disc size depending on model and brake package, so match the kit to your VIN or to the size of your existing rotor before you pull anything apart.

What is in the kit and why it matters

The kit combines two Brembo Prime aftermarket parts that are designed to work together:

• UV-coated rotors. Brembo applies a water-based UV varnish to the braking surface, the outer diameter and the hub. The braking-surface coat wears off in the first few stops; the hub and outer edge stay protected, which keeps rust bloom off a large, very visible rotor behind open-spoke wheels. Brembo says it verifies rust resistance in a salt spray chamber.
• Pillar Venting Technology (PVT). Instead of straight vanes, the rotor's internal cooling passages are formed by pillars. Brembo states this raises resistance to thermal cracking by more than 40 percent. On a heavy SUV that tows or runs mountain grades, crack resistance is worth having.
• Prime low-metallic pads. Brembo's Prime pads use a black backplate and a black noise shim, are ECE R-90 homologated, and are designed to limit noise and dust. Brembo names Prime UV-coated discs as the pads' ideal partner, which is exactly the pairing in this kit.

Low-metallic pads are the typical European OE-style compound: strong bite and fade resistance, with more dust than a ceramic. If wheel cleanliness matters more to you than bite, look at ceramic brake pads, but confirm fitment for your exact Cayenne first.

Symptoms that say the Cayenne needs front brakes

• Brake pad wear warning on the dash. The Cayenne uses electronic pad wear sensors. When the warning comes on, the pad has worn into the sensor.
• Vibration in the pedal or steering wheel during highway stops, usually from uneven pad deposits or rotor thickness variation.
• A lip on the rotor edge you can feel with a fingertip, or scoring and heat checking on the face.
• Grinding or scraping, which means pad material is gone and the backing plate is contacting the rotor. Stop driving and inspect.
• Longer stopping distances or a soft pedal, which can also be fluid or hydraulic trouble, not just pads.

Brembo notes that pads typically last about half as long as discs, and it recommends a brake inspection every 15,000 to 20,000 kilometres. Brembo discs carry their minimum thickness marking on the hub; measure with a micrometer, and if the rotor is at or below that number, it is done. On a Cayenne, most owners replace rotors with every pad change because pads and discs wear as a matched set.

What to replace at the same time

• Pad wear sensors. Once a sensor has triggered, it is consumed. Plan on new front sensors with any front brake job where the warning came on.
• Brake fluid. Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time. Flush it on the interval in your Porsche maintenance schedule, using the fluid specification in your owner's manual.
• Hardware and pad seats. Clean the caliper pad seats and check the anti-rattle hardware. See our brake hardware kits.
• Rear brakes. Check the rears while the truck is in the air. Rear pads usually last longer on a Cayenne, but not always on vehicles that tow.

How hard is the job

A front pad and rotor job on a 2011-2018 Cayenne is a moderate DIY job for someone with a floor jack, jack stands and a torque wrench. The Cayenne uses fixed multi-piston front calipers, so the pads come out after removing the retaining pins and spreader spring, and the caliper then unbolts from the knuckle so the rotor can come off. Brembo describes its Prime rotors as needing no modifications for installation.

1. Loosen the wheel bolts, raise the vehicle at a lift point, and support it on stands.
2. Unplug the pad wear sensor, remove the pad retaining hardware and pull the pads.
3. Remove the caliper and hang it from the suspension. Never let it hang by the brake hose.
4. Remove the rotor retaining screw and the rotor. Clean rust off the hub face so the new rotor sits flat.
5. Install the new rotor, refit the caliper and torque the caliper bolts to the value in the factory service manual.
6. Push the pistons back, then install the new pads, sensor and hardware.
7. Pump the pedal until it is firm before moving the vehicle, then bed the pads in following the pad maker's procedure.

Parts for other Cayenne generations

If your Cayenne is not a 2011-2018 cast-iron car, the Brembo OE kit is the wrong part. These are verified-fit options we carry for other years:

• 2011-2013: Hawk HPS 5.0 front brake pads for the 2011-2013 Cayenne are a street performance pad if you want more bite than a stock-style pad.
• 2003-2007 Cayenne 4.5: EBC Redstuff ceramic front pads for the Cayenne 4.5 with 350mm rotors and EBC GD slotted rear rotors for the 2005-2007 Cayenne 4.5.
• 2018 and newer 3rd generation 3.0L Turbo: EBC Yellowstuff front pads and EBC Yellowstuff rear pads for hard driving, EBC Bluestuff NDX front pads for track days, or EBC Extra Duty front pads for towing and heavy use.

Browse the full range in brake rotors and brake pads.

Check this recall before a brake job

If you have a 2011-2016 Cayenne, check your VIN against NHTSA recall 16V-169 (Porsche recall AG02). Porsche reported that the brake pedal pivot pin on Cayennes built between April 28, 2010 and January 11, 2016 could be missing its circlip, which could let the pivot pin move and the pedal dislodge. The report lists 88,300 potentially involved vehicles. A dealer inspects the pedal assembly and installs a missing circlip at no charge. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours was done.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the Brembo OE kit fit a Cayenne with yellow calipers?

No. Yellow calipers mean PCCB ceramic composite brakes, a different system with its own discs and pads. The Brembo OE kit is for standard cast-iron brakes.

Does it fit the white-caliper Cayenne Turbo?

No. White calipers indicate PSCB, the tungsten carbide coated disc that needs specially formulated pads. Replace PSCB parts with PSCB parts.

Do I need to remove the UV coating from the rotor before installing?

No. The coating on the braking surface wears away during the first stops and bedding. The coating on the hub and outer edge stays and keeps rust off. Just wipe the braking surface with brake cleaner to remove shop grime.

Should I replace the rotors every time I replace the pads?

On a Cayenne it is usually worth it. Measure the rotor against the minimum thickness marked on it. If it is at or near that number, or has a lip or causes vibration, replace the rotors with the pads.

Are low-metallic pads dusty?

They make more dust than a ceramic pad, which is normal for a European OE-style compound. Brembo designs Prime pads to minimize dust, but a ceramic pad is the better choice if clean wheels come first.

Sources

1. Brembo Prime brake rotors - UV varnish on braking surface, outer diameter and hub; salt-spray tested; PVT raises thermal crack resistance by more than 40%; no modifications required
2. Brembo Prime UV coated disc - high-carbon alloy, minimum thickness on the hub, inspection every 15,000/20,000 km, pads last about half as long as discs
3. Brembo Prime pads - black backplate and shim, ECE R-90 homologation, reduced dust and noise, pairing with Prime UV coated discs
4. Porsche: PCCB explained - yellow calipers identify PCCB; PSCB standard on the Cayenne Turbo from 2017
5. PSCB tech guide - tungsten carbide coating on grey iron, white calipers, specially formulated pads required
6. NHTSA Part 573 Recall Report 16V-169 - 2011-2016 Cayenne brake pedal pivot pin circlip recall, 88,300 vehicles, Porsche recall AG02