kaivorth

Going to do a overhaul of ALL of my brakes. So what goes into them?

Rotor
Brake Pad


That's all I know at the moment

Recommend some good cheap brands? Just something better than stock and look nice.

Also converting the rear to disc brakes as well. I saw the thread on that, and will go by that and some Youtube videos.
Is it worth converting? Or just get new rear brakes as well. Replacing everything I can.

bbarbulo

there are those stainless steel doohickeys (clips in which the pads slide into) and slider bolts. don't get anything but OEM for those. i've tried those cheap kits from advanced/o'reilly's and they were rubbish. i didn't try the more expensive hardware kits b/c by that point it makes more sense to get the OEM ones from majestic honda.

brake rotors and pads, again I love OEM stuff cuz it's top notch and it's cheap. if you want aftermarket, Brembo blanks and Hawk pads are your best bet. Or ATE rotors and Hawk pads. Can you tell, i LOVE Hawk pads??

but yeah, there is a little more to it than that... flex hoses, check for leaks on the calipers. then a wicked good flush and bleeding of the brakes. I use Prestone or Valvoline brake fluid, but if you don't bleed all the time like me, then OEM fluid again.

However, i think it's a huge waste of money to just go and replace everything. Cuz for that money you can go 5 lug swap from a base RSX.

Rear drums, i hate drum brakes with a passion when i have to work on them, so yes - i run disks on everything I can. However, it's not necessarily an 'upgrade' per se. I just like the look and love the ease of service. So that's up to you.

Again, OEM hardware all around on the rear.

kaivorth

What is this 5 lug swap RSX you speak of?

Okay I'll just do a conversion, and get new pads/rotors/bleed them. Big help.

David12

do you have all wheel disc or drums in the rear?
you don't need to do a conversion for a brake job, drums arent horrible, 80% of your stopping power comes from your front brakes anyways. If your asking about what you need for a brake job, i'd suggest going to a shop for the drums, as stated they are a pia
don't forget a can of brake cleaner and some lube for your slides

bbarbulo

ya do the 5 lug swap, prob $200-400 (depending on condition) on the RSX forums from guys that go type R, and you're all set. make sure it's the base though, otherwise your axles won't fit the front.

but if you just decide to redo yours, figure about $300 in high quality parts, maybe $200 if you shop around.

04civicoupe

fyi the springs for drums and brackets for pads are referred to as "hardware kit". Drums arent that hard but if you mess with them take a picture of the way they were before you touch them for reference later on lol. Dont be afraid to use too much caliper grease when doin your pads. Dont press the brake pedal when your caliper is removed. release the emergency/parking brake when working on the rear. most new rotors are shipped in a packing grease and its recommended to use some kind of brake cleaner to remove it before it gets on your pads.

discs:
pads
rotors (may check into having them turned by a shop like napa/pepboys to save extra money like shops do but most car guys just buy new ones)
hardware
caliper grease
disc cleaner
maybe wanna bleed/ top off brake fluid
(you may need a new caliper depending on the conditon of yours)

drums:
hardware kit(contains springs, retainers and stuff)
shoes
some other vital parts but most dont need changed frequently.
you can have a buddy help set your parking brake to your desired setting

imo if you dont race professionally or arent aiming for a magazine feature you dont need brembo/wilwood/stoptech,etc. Hawk and EBC are reputable brands without breaking the bank.
on more thing!
Drilled and slotted rotors
pros: looks cooler, reduces temperature from friction
cons:compromises the structural integrity of the rotor and shortens the lifespan of it

aggressive brake pads
pros: stops way sooner, firmer more aggressive response from the brake pedal
cons: typically made of very hard material which will eat up rotors depending on how you drive anywhere from 10k-35k miles.

most shops charge $100 specials for ONE axle brake job. do it yourself and you can spend more money on performance

as for a rear disc swap, if you have extra money sitting around why not. it looks way cooler than rusty drums. next time youre in a parking lot take a look at cars to see if they have rear discs. many will have surface rust on their discs because thats how little they are actually used. i would only do it if the required parts showed up on craigslist in my town. aesthetic more than anything. you can actually lose stopping power because rear discs take more pressure to engage than drum brakes which can reduce the pressure given to the front discs who have to do the most work. if you do a 5lug swap you pretty much have to do a rear disc swap but make sure you upgrade all necessary parts