Hey guys, I'm thinking of doing a brake upgrade on my car, and was looking for ideas, so tell me what you've done, all I'm really looking for at the moment is something streetable..I was thinking of maybe upgrading to the cobra brakes, but for that I'd just need the 13in rotors as well right?
Brakes
SSj_Guitarist
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Do your brakes ever squeal? I would suggest that you rebuild the caliper you are concerned about rather then buy a new one. It honestly could be something as simple as your brakes squeaking from not having any grease left. What state are you in? The inviroment could be taking a tole on your brakes from the looks of those pics.
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I live in southern ontario so yes, winter has been a bit hard on it
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Well I bet what happened to the other one is about to happen to this one. But I don't think it froze. I think the pistons went crooked. That is what caused mine to ware to metal/metal. It was putting more pressure one one side of the pad. I bet just pushing the pistons back all the way in and bleed the system, it will be fine. But it you don't 'NEED' brakes, don't get any, but those brakes with increase stopping power just from the pads. Plus ceramics don't make NEAR as much dusts as semi-metallics and organics. So no blacked out wheels.
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huh, alright..now can you familarize me with that process?
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The bleeding, or the pushing the pistons back in?
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both, lol
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Well they are both simple, but you need a second person for bleeding. To push the pistons in you just take a C-clamp to one piston, then leave it on, and use another clamp on the other piston. For the back calipers you have to twist them in though. They make a tool for this called the 'caliper cube'. I bought one and I had to grind two points off to make it fit my calipers.
But as far as bleeding goes, you will work from the farther caliper from the master cylinder to the closest.
Right rear
Left rear
Right front
Left front
You need to put a hose on the bleeder valve and have it go into a cup with come brake fluid in it.
You are going to take the master cylinder cap off, and have your other hand pump the brake about 5 times and hold the brake down and you loosen the bleeder valve on the caliper. Tighten it back up and they can let off the brake then you do it all over again until there are no bubbles coming from the hose.
You need to check your master cylinder periodically.
But as far as bleeding goes, you will work from the farther caliper from the master cylinder to the closest.
Right rear
Left rear
Right front
Left front
You need to put a hose on the bleeder valve and have it go into a cup with come brake fluid in it.
You are going to take the master cylinder cap off, and have your other hand pump the brake about 5 times and hold the brake down and you loosen the bleeder valve on the caliper. Tighten it back up and they can let off the brake then you do it all over again until there are no bubbles coming from the hose.
You need to check your master cylinder periodically.
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Ok, thanks, I'll give this a shot and let you know
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lol, ok.
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Late to the party, but is this upgrade for looks or performance?
If it's the latter, you can get a pretty significant upgrade for cheap in just a few things:
1) Good pads. Hawks, EBCs, or, my preference, Porterfield's R4-S compound.
2) Stainless braided lines - makes sure to get a set that has the fronts AND the line that attaches to the rear axle! Leaving one rubber line in is dangerous.
3) Flush the system, and replace the fluid with DOT 4 or better.
Altogether, shouldn't cost you any more than $350, and will get you better braking performance than a big-brake kit with fancy rotors everywhere but at a serious track day.
Remember - if you can lock up your wheels (or trigger the ABS), you can NOT see an improvement in stopping distance until you upgrade your tires!
If it's the latter, you can get a pretty significant upgrade for cheap in just a few things:
1) Good pads. Hawks, EBCs, or, my preference, Porterfield's R4-S compound.
2) Stainless braided lines - makes sure to get a set that has the fronts AND the line that attaches to the rear axle! Leaving one rubber line in is dangerous.
3) Flush the system, and replace the fluid with DOT 4 or better.
Altogether, shouldn't cost you any more than $350, and will get you better braking performance than a big-brake kit with fancy rotors everywhere but at a serious track day.
Remember - if you can lock up your wheels (or trigger the ABS), you can NOT see an improvement in stopping distance until you upgrade your tires!
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Thanks for the info Rev
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Dot 4 isn't needed. The system is set-up for dot-3 so I would suggest that. As far as the line.. For has to meet a minimum requirement, so they wouldn't put bad lines on a car. Steel are mainly just a requirement to tracks.
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That's why it's called an upgrade, lol.
DOT 4 has better heat resistance than DOT 3. The ONLY reason you go to a bigger brake kit is because the increase in mass allows the brakes to soak up more heat before they fade. By going to higher temp brake fluid, you negate some of that need with your smaller factory brake system.
For the lines, sure, the rubbers aren't bad, but they give you that little bit of squishy feeling at the bottom of the pedal. SS lines firm that up, giving you better pedal feel.
Everything I've listed is something that is proven to increase your braking performance - contrast that with slotted rotors, which actually INCREASE stopping distances over blanks and have no positive effects other than "looking good", or big brake kits which cost $$$$, don't decrease your cold stopping distance, and actually negatively affect you accleration and handling performance due to the increase in unsprung weight.
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Ya, but I don't think it is looking to go bigger. And I know the 'slotted' rotors and less effective because the have less friction area. I'm not trying to contrast your advise, just giving my .02.
If I ever did a brake upgrade, I would go to cobra calipers, SS lines, and DOT 4. IMO that is a good cheep way to do it. But If you think about it. Stock brakes still get the job done well.
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Oh, absolutley. With my stock 94 V6 brakes and the cheapest pads autozone sells, I can lock up my front wheels when I'm running my RA1s. Think about that - some of the crappiest brakes possible can STILL lock up *race tires*.
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Are you sure you have ABS? most base models don't. I know I don't
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