Alright, here is the deal:

Recently I noticed my brakes were a lil soft so I decided to check them....yup...one of the calipers is screwed and the two pads. The rest of the brakes don't look that bad but the rotors are warped and I wanna upgrade anyways.

I've searched the forum and have seen all sorts of things about the EX swap, fastbrakes, wilwood, DA, and all that jazz. THe problem I am having is I just got 14" snows (yeah new england weather sucks!) and want to be able to use them. Also, all the conversions I have seen or whatever have only been for either rear or front...not both? I also wasn't thrilled about spending $800 (fastbrakes) on a brake upgrade...

I say this in most of my post but it is true...I'm new to this and just wanna make sure I'm not replacing these next year for something better, ya kno?

 

you can do an integra swap. use the integra rear trailing arm with old civic control arms. and you can use the integra front spindles also. it is recommened that you get the integra prop. valve and master cyl./booster. this can be done relatively cheap too. and i believe they will work with 14s

 

i have the teg brake swap.i used my hf prop valve and a si m/c. the prop valve from the crx si and hf were the same part number so dont waste the money. its a really easy swap but after u put the DA knuckles on make sure u have money for an alignment ur caster is fucked with DA knuckles without the alignment. i told them do the caster and tie cuz i knew camber was fucked and they wanted to charge me 1100 for a camber kit installed with alignment.

 

A reman caliper from Autozone is less than $50. New rotors from the same place will run what, $60/pair or less? Flush your brake fluid and replace the pads and you're looking at a new brake system for under $200. You can save about $40 if your rotors have enough material to be turned rather than replaced.

If you're new at this and don't want to waste money, why not restore the OEM setup to fully functunal and see how it compares to your busted-*** current setup? THEN you can decide if you need more. FYI, OEM calipers and OEM/Brembro rotors along with some ducting, fluid, race pads, and sticky tires is enough to pull me up out of my seat with fairly good modulation. I wouldn't be too willing to shell out $800 for new brakes even if I was allowed to do so. I would at least have to have a damn good reason.

 

i was looking at the slotted\drilled Brembos on tirerack.com. I'm at work right now so I'll be back tonight to reply more. Thanks!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by staticCRX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i was looking at the slotted\drilled Brembos on tirerack.com. I'm at work right now so I'll be back tonight to reply more. Thanks!</TD></TR></TABLE>

General thought of Slotted and drilled = garbage.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 4drEF &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">General thought of Slotted and drilled = garbage.</TD></TR></TABLE>

get the slotted if you are going to do it the cross drilled rotors will crack

 

i was looking into conversions for a short period of time. I just wanted to be able to stop faster considering my motor swap...

i ended up taking the lower budget route and ended up getting some rotor replacements from napa and then i picked up the HP+ pads from hawker. it was a very noticlible difference in my braking. once those pads warm up they're awesome. wasn't very expensive either....

 

yah i hear ya.. my rear caliper(drivers side)on my 91 crx si, when i went to change my pads/rotors i could not get the piston to compress in..and my caliper nuts were stripped for some reason..then i found out u have to twist them not compress them..but anyways the lil rubber boot was ripped and so the whole piston rusted out thus not allowing me to compress the piston to put new pads on.
i just talked to a buddy who had on old integra sitting around his garage..i'm gonna take the caliper off of it and use it on my car...that willl work wont it?

oh and anyone know an good way to get an axle nut off? i don't have heat. and it wont budge..any little tricks?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by a11mtrhatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">you can do an integra swap. use the integra rear trailing arm with old civic control arms. and you can use the integra front spindles also. it is recommened that you get the integra prop. valve and master cyl./booster. this can be done relatively cheap too. and i believe they will work with 14s</TD></TR></TABLE>

Ayone know of a write up on the fronts? Also, do I have to replace the arms on my '91 CRX Si or can I just use the stock stuff? WHat parts do I need if I use Si arms? I've heard different things. I like the size of the integra swap.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by travis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">A reman caliper from Autozone is less than $50. New rotors from the same place will run what, $60/pair or less?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah, I talked to them and they want like under $20 for each rotor and like 10 for each pad or something like that. I was just hoping for something a lil more (performance wise) or something. I also wanted the bigger look for when I get rims.

Anyone ever use that caliper paint stuff? I want red calipers

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by manson &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i ended up taking the lower budget route and ended up getting some rotor replacements from napa and then i picked up the HP+ pads from hawker. it was a very noticlible difference in my braking. once those pads warm up they're awesome. wasn't very expensive either....</TD></TR></TABLE>

How long have you had the hawker pads? I think I read somewhere they wear down after like 8 months.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ImJuStMePUNK &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">yah i hear ya.. my rear caliper(drivers side)on my 91 crx si...</TD></TR></TABLE>

That is the exact same car and caliper I am having problems with.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by staticCRX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
How long have you had the hawker pads? I think I read somewhere they wear down after like 8 months.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well i have had mine on for nearly 8 months now and they are worn, but they are not in need of replacement. i would say i have at the very least a years worth of pad left.

im sure if i was to autocross and was really heavy on the brakes daily they would have worn quicker, but that would happen with any pad don't you think.

sorry i can't help with the whole swap your trying to do, but i know i am very happy with my upgrade and thought i would add my .02

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by travis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">A reman caliper from Autozone is less than $50. New rotors from the same place will run what, $60/pair or less? Flush your brake fluid and replace the pads and you're looking at a new brake system for under $200. You can save about $40 if your rotors have enough material to be turned rather than replaced.

If you're new at this and don't want to waste money, why not restore the OEM setup to fully functunal and see how it compares to your busted-*** current setup? THEN you can decide if you need more. FYI, OEM calipers and OEM/Brembro rotors along with some ducting, fluid, race pads, and sticky tires is enough to pull me up out of my seat with fairly good modulation. I wouldn't be too willing to shell out $800 for new brakes even if I was allowed to do so. I would at least have to have a damn good reason.</TD></TR></TABLE>

us racers on a budget or that don't buy bling bling. know stock oe brake system with race pads and oe brembo rotors with good ATE Blue or Valvoline brake fluid is ok. and when money permits upgrade MC and brake lines

my crx DX brakes that i know aren't at its full potential. so i'm installing this week: hawk pads oe brembo rotors and oe brembo drums. accompanied by valvoline brake fluid. i stop pretty damn fast and good with my worn stock setup and with a b16 in her.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PaImportTuner &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

us racers on a budget or that don't buy bling bling. know stock oe brake system with race pads and oe brembo rotors with good ATE Blue or Valvoline brake fluid is ok. and when money permits upgrade MC and brake lines

my crx DX brakes that i know aren't at its full potential. so i'm installing this week: hawk pads oe brembo rotors and oe brembo drums. accompanied by valvoline brake fluid. i stop pretty damn fast and good with my worn stock setup and with a b16 in her.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Before the rex I used to race an ITR which really didn't need any brake modifications. I'm not as impressed with the CRX Si, but it still stops quick with my setup. The thing people have to realize is that you don't need bigger brakes when you get a bigger motor if this is a street car. Stopping from 80 or 60 or 40 or whatever is all the same (give or take the slight weight difference). The only time a bigger motor requires bigger brakes is on the track where your corner entry speeds are increased so braking from 60 might now be braking from 65 or 70+ after the same straight section. If you need bigger brakes on the street you're just driving too fast. Also, increasing the size of the brakes isn't going to stop your car faster. Once your brakes are locking up your tires (which the OEM setup and good pads will often do), the only thing that is going to stop your car faster is the tires. Want better brakes? Buy better tires. It's the best money you can spend.

 

Listen to Travis; the dude knows of what he speaks.

As an old racer once told me, "Brakes only stop the wheels; TIRES stop the car!"

I've been autocrossing for about five years now, and the brakes on my (non-streetable) '87 CRX Si are as follows: Porterfield R-4S pads and rear shoes (overkill on the rear shoes; they're not really a needed upgrade, and I won't be buying $90 rear shoes again!), AutoZone OEM-replacement rotors ($18 each, with a two-year warranty. They've been on the car 4.5 years now, and aren't warped at all), ATE SuperBlue Racing brake fluid (I'm switching over to Valvoline Heavy Duty after having great results with it in other cars of mine, since it's also about 1/4 the cost of the ATE), and stainless brake lines.

If I were doing it all over again on my '91 CRX "DX/Si" (DX with an Si engine, MPFI swap, and hybrid ZC/HF/Si tranny) or my '90 CRX Si, I'd do the Porterfield front pads, the OEM-style rotors if needed, and the Valvoline HD fluid. Stainless lines I'd take if the price was right.

What I *won't* be doing anytime soon is cross-drilled rotors. Early on, I bought Brembo cross-drilled for the autocrosser. $90 each. And warped them inside six months. Hey, if *I* can learn from my mistakes, hopefully someone else can, too - before they spend their cash to learn the hard way!

Still and all, probably one of the single biggest differences you can make in your brake system's performance is the tires you choose. On dry pavement, a 175-70/13 "Dick Skinner Radial" Pep-Boys 4-for-$100 special just isn't going to stop like a real performance tire. They'll last as long as the car, but they sure as hell won't grip...

Stock Honda brake systems are... "fine"... for your average street car. It doesn't take much time, effort, or money to get them up to snuff for ANY kind of car - street, strip, or a combo of both. Big Brakes look great, but I'm not convinced that they actually do much to help cut stopping distances. And they definitely add unsprung weight that the suspension has to deal with. I've run autocross against CRXs with bigger engines, more power, similar weight, and bigger brakes, and I haven't lost to them. And I'm not a great driver!

My point is that it's easily possible to IMPROVE the car's stock braking system without entirely REPLACING that system.

Mike

 

Oh, and if your brakes are feeling soft, keep an eye on things. If you fix the problem areas you've outlined, flush and fill the system with fresh brake fluid, and bleed the system, and the pedal is STILL feeling soft, start suspecting the master cylinder. Look around all four calipers ('91 Si has rear disks, for those reading along) for any signs of fluid leakage. I've had a couple M/Cs on Hondas fail *internally*, though - never lost brake fluid, but noticed it was soft (or it would slowly sink to the floor while stopped at a light), and then because I put it off "until I had the free time", I had one fail completely while I was driving. Look Ma - no brakes! Fortunately, the e-brake still worked, and I was able to get it off the road in one piece and tow it home. An O-ring inside the M/C had broken, so instead of getting hydraulic pressure on the calipers, I just had brake fluid flowing from one part of the M/C to another...

Mike

 

Thanks a ton guys! You're awesome

I believe I am going to stick with stock because it is cheap and seems to do fine.

Any suggestions as to what M/C I should upgrade to? I'm selling another car ('95 Saturn SC2) that has been sitting in my back yard needing a tranny (which I am replacing this week) so I'll have the money for the brakes.

I also noticed there is some sort of wire\sensor going into the fluid resivor...would the frozen caliper cause the CEL to turn on? It has been turning on lately and I just haven't looked at the ECU codes...

 

Double-check me on this, but I *think* the M/C "upgrade" you're talking about is the '89 Accord LXi one. It's been done frequently, and it has brake-line nipples in all the right places. You'll need to bend one line about an inch to get it to match up, if memory serves.

The wires into the fluid reservoir are for the brake fluid level. If it gets low, your brake light comes on, like when you've got the parking brake set. It won't set off the CEL - that's going to be something different. It should show a code on the LED on the ECU (under the passenger-side carpet, where the footwell angles up to the dash). Once you know what code it's flashing, we can help figure out where the problem is there, too.

mike

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Kwicko &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Double-check me on this, but I *think* the M/C "upgrade" you're talking about is the '89 Accord LXi one. It's been done frequently, and it has brake-line nipples in all the right places. You'll need to bend one line about an inch to get it to match up, if memory serves.

The wires into the fluid reservoir are for the brake fluid level. If it gets low, your brake light comes on, like when you've got the parking brake set. It won't set off the CEL - that's going to be something different. It should show a code on the LED on the ECU (under the passenger-side carpet, where the footwell angles up to the dash). Once you know what code it's flashing, we can help figure out where the problem is there, too.

mike</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'll check on that....

 

maybe its an si thing where just that one caliper goes bad or something....like my piston rusted the whole way through....that little rubber boot came off just enough to let all road **** and water and stuff in there...i just got the integra calipers..so now i gotta put them on....

good luck with yours though..sucks not having brakes lol

 

Nah, it don't suck... Well, it DOES, but only for a very short time - then you're dead and don't care anymore!

Mike

 

thanks for the info all