EFRue57

I was wondering why some people have to machine their brackets when doing ITR brakes and others have to shim their brackets? I have ITR brakes on my 97 civic ex front spindles and have to shim the bracket for proper fitment.

I have tried searching but have only found people saying they either machined their brackets or shimmed them, not why they did one as compared to the other. Obviously one would do either for fitment but what stipulates one versus the other?

If this has been covered then could someone please find a link for me because I'm coming up with nothing, lol.

Thanks in advance.

Dogginator

You have to machine it by 2 mm for fitment to a 94-01 Integra. People often shim the rotors with washers, which is not a good idea.

unusual71

it all depends on which way you need clearance. If the bracket causes the caliper to stick out too far, then it needs to be machined, if it doesnst stick out far enough, it needs to be shimmed.

LastGenEK

This Makes much sense now!

EFRue57

back to my first statement, i understand that one or the other needs to be done for proper fitment, i was just wondering why does one particular car need to be shimmed, and another car would have to be machined.

is it just on 94-01 integras like dogginator stated above? or does it have to do with a particular bracket used? cause I thought the front spindles between a DC and an EK were the same except for the drop forks. so why on my EK did I have to shim whereas stated above DC's need to be machined?

also on my crx with 90-91 ex front spindles, I had to shim the brackets when I put type r brakes on the front by about 2mm.

Dogginator

It has everything to do with the distance from the brake caliper mount on the knuckle to the hub face.

EFRue57

okay i guess I'm not being clear. I understand completely that it has to do with the distance between the hub and bracket, but what stipulates being shimmed compared to being machined? is it a particular caliper bracket that makes the difference, such as a t23 bracket compared to a t25? or does it depend on the spindle? or does it depend on both?

Dogginator

Just mount the bracket and the intended rotor. If the rotor is not centered, machine or shim until it is centered. You can use washers behind the rotor or caliper bracket for fitment measurements.

EFRue57

I already have it mounted to my car and I already have it shimmed. I'm not asking "How do I put this on my car?" I already have it on my car. I just want to know why did I have to shim mine, where as others have to machine their brackets? I know it's so that it will fit. I can grasp that concept. But what is the determining factor for one person to shim and another person to machine. I don't know how to make what I'm trying to ask any clearer. Sorry.

unusual71

how much did they shim it? maybe there were problems with parallelism between the pads and rotor face so they were shimming the caliper to mount it better.

EFRue57

never mind, obviously I'm just not making my question clear enough. I'm not having any troubles what so ever with the brakes on my car. This is not a "I need help with the brakes on my car" question. I was just listing my car as an example. But there have been numerous people who have used shims, and numerous others who have had to machine their brackets. I was asking, what is the determining factor for doing one against the other? And saying "fitment" is not the determining factor. Fitment is obvious. I want to know what is causing the fitment issues that makes one person have to shim and a different person have to machine.

Mods please lock this thread.

rxtasyy

I know this is old but. I was just going through this with my calipers.

the reason why one platform could require shimming or machining would be the rotor.

for me it is TL-S brakes on an element. because I chose to use the TL-S 12.2 rotors I needed to machine the bracket 5mm or shim the rotor 5mm I chose the caliper.

however if I had used s2000 rotors ide have to shim the caliper 2mm

etc etc. theres about 4-5 or more diff rotors people choose for each application

so that is why we end-up with much different mods being done to get the same end result.