488 Brake Wear

Carbon ceramic brakes are supposed to last for a very long time with street driving ... the track is known to wear them out quickly (some people will convert to conventional brakes for track use as the expense of the rotors and pads is crazy expensive for OEM parts). I would factor the expense of pads and rotors into your purchase price.

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/cc-to-steel-brakes-488.632805/

You might ask this question in the track forum, I'm sure people there have first-hand experience with their street cars on the track.

 

Is the dealer saying the rotors are 50% or the brake pads at 50%?

Tracking a car can do this but it totally depends on the driver and the track. A beginner will not wear brakes like a fast track guy that’s been at it for years full throttle out of a corner all the way till the next brake zone and threshold braking.

 

Surely the 50% wear observation refers to the pads, not the rotors

 

Normal then with some street driving and 2 track days to be 50% on pads. You might want to have them measure the rotors. They take them off and weight them. They’re probably fine though.

 

Surprised that there is 50% pad after two trackdays. The 488 kills pads and sometimes only last one trackday. So 6200 miles plus track is fine. Tells me that the car was not driven very hard.

If you want to look into replacement rotors, look into the Surface Transforms CCST rotors. They are mire expensive than steel, but they are cheaper than OE. Also, the CCST rotors can be resurfaced for the fraction of the price of both steel and OE.

Anyhow, get a set of Pagid RSC1 pads. They run smoother, last longer and are quieter than the OE pads - and they are significantly cheaper. Any indy shop can do a pad swap in 30 minutes. It is very easy.

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A quick word on rotor wear. Don't worry about the algorithms. That stuff is total BS. It is easy to see when they are worn. They are rough and pitted, it is that simple. If the rotor is almost glass smooth and without pitting etc. then it is fine. Ferrari has really found a golden goose with that algorithm. Seen so many cars getting rotors replaced without needing it.

As for weight? Well, Ferrari techs also like this. But if you ask the experts at Brembo or Surface Transforms, you cannot determine wear by weight.

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Factory pads are 10mm thick, so have them actually measure how much pad there is left at all 4 corners. Even a picture helps, as the backing plate is 5mm thick as I remember and can be used as a visual reference.

Pads are around $2000 +/- $200 for the front as I recall and I think the rears are a bit less. You can probably find them online for less these days. Installation isn't all that complex. I did the job myself on my 458 and it only took maybe 30-45 minutes per wheel.

Everything Co-pilots says above is spot on; don't let the dealer freak you out. The CCM brakes rotors will practically out last the car itself.

Ray

 

I believe the rotor wear algorithm is based on the number of brake pedal presses since the last rotor change & ECU reset, right? If so, that leaves a lot of variables. If weight is no longer the most accurate measurement--nor is rotor thickness--how is a prospective 458 buyer to know when they will be hit with the big bill?

 

You can use the thickness to gauge whether or not it's like new. But truth be told, aside from thickness, it's a total toss up.
I've seen cars which read lots of rotor left, but with absolutely trashed rotors. I've also seen cars with mirror finish rotors with over 35 mm thickness that read almost worn out according to the algorithm.

As you say, there is a ton of variables. Even on the same track, on the same day, in the same conditions, you can have two drivers that wear the brakes totally different - and that without the algorithm showing any real difference.

What you can deduct is that if the car has not been tracked, and mileage is low, then there's a good chance that rotor replacement is a long way out.
But as Ray says, unless you regularly track, then the rotors last a long time. 6200 miles and two track days definitely don't wear rotors a lot. Pads, that's a different story. The OE Textar T4300 pads are just not that great, and over 25 years old technology.