Here is my situation. I have a 93 si hatch with 9.5in front rotors. My oem rotors are getting pretty worn and need to be replaced. It's going to cost around $100 for new brembo blanks, i would really like to try bigger brakes. I posted a thread before and got negative comments on big brakes, and decided if i was going to do anything i would put gsr front brakes on my car with the 10in rotors. I looked into that and it would end up costing me more then the fastbrakes 11in kit for civics. So here is my question if you were me what would you do? This is my chance to kill two two birds with one stone, and try something new.

 

fastbrakes makes a killer kit, but you can get integra spindles, calipers and rotors for about 200-250 and most of the time even less. You can even get the integra setups from fastbrakes!

 

i'd say get brembo blanks and some good pads like hawk hps. i wouldn't get bigger brakes unless you race a lot.

 

Here is my delima on the gsr brakes. Yeah maybe i can find the compleat swap for around $200, but i would want to replace the rotors with new ones anyway that's another $100 and the calipers may need to be rebuilt as well. With the fastbrakes kit i get new new rotors get to keep my calipers wich i know are in good working order, get larger brakes, and get to test something out. I'm just wondering if they will fit under my konig heliums. What the guy needs to do is measure the inside diameter off the wheels that it does fit and put that on the info instead of " fits most 15in wheels" don't you think that would help? Anyway, looking for more comments.

 

The benfit, in street driving, to larger rotors/calipers is an increase in total swept area, and an increase in the size of the pad contacting the rotor, which will provide more friction. With the fastbrakes kit, you just re-use the stock caliper and the only beneft would be the bling! factor and increased heat storage capacity, which would only be utilized on the track (if at all)

Will this translate to more stopping power? Not sure, but i think so. You would probably want to swap the master cylinder at the same time.

RJ

 

The master cylinder on my car should be fine, it's not like i'm getting larger calipers. With the larger disk, the clamping load is further from the hub giving it more leverage then it had with the 9.5in rotors, i would think the stock master cylider would be fine. I was thinking more along the lines of the perportioning valve should i swap this out. Isn't it 40/40 on the 92-95 si? What would you guys reccomend swaping it with? Integra RS non-ABS?

 

The prop valve controls front/rear bias.

If you get the integra brakes, arent the calipers larger?

 

The calipers on the integra may be slightly bigger but not to justify swaping the MSs.

Yes i know what the prop valve does, with bigger brakes in the front i would probly have more front bias then i need.


[Modified by mantic6t9, 5:03 AM 4/19/2002]

 

have you tried
http://www.collettimotorsports.com/

and priced the blanks there?

I'd just put new blanks, get some good (for your purpose) pads, and flush the brake fluid out with something good... ate blue, maybe?

after you do this, if you still need more brakes, then look at upgrading.

sounds to me like you have your mind made up to upgrade already and need justfication from others on the board. if that's the case... go for it. you'll never be happy till you do it. but, if you are looking to get the best brakes posssible for the least amount of cash, I stand by my recommendations.

good luck with your decision.

 

No, i don't have my mind made up. But the fastbreaks kit is only $200 and i hear there is some sort of h-t member discount too that brings it down to around $180. I'm trying to decide what to do. Seeing how i need to replace this stuff it jsut seems like a good time to upgrade if i am going to. I plan on getting better pads and am flushing my brake system with valvoline synt.

 

does the fastbrakes kit come with better pads? If not, you upgrade and you're back to square one.

Better Pads (carbotech 'green', axxis 'ultimate), fluid, and fresh rotors will help lots.

 

Whoever is trying to sell you Brembo blanks for 200 bucks has padded his prices a little.
They are available for much cheaper at any number of shops, most have been posted here exhuastively. Colletti, Essex, Porterfield, just to name three off the top of my head.
Last time I bought front rotors for the GS-R, they were 32 bucks a piece. The rears are less. Pads from Autozone for the rear run a whopping 11 bucks. The rears don't do much. That leaves you with the bulk of your budget to spend on quality pads for the front. You won't be disappointed with quality pieces, even at the same size.
Remember, if you can still lock up the brakes, you don't need more brakes.

 

Read my post i said it will probly cost around $100 for new rotors after shipping and everything. Just because you can lock up your brakes doesn't mean much to me, i can lock up the brakes on my kubota tracktor . But honnestly i don't like these brakes, i've driven a few different car and they all seemed to brake better then my car. This is why i rasied this question. True i am sure better pads and new rotors will make a good difference. But 2 more inches of brake rotor for $100 when you offset the price isn't bad. I wish more people would comment on this.

This is what i would do if i infact got the fastbrakes kit, i would also get better pad i'm looking at p+ right now. I'm already going to flush my brake system, i'm not so sure on braided lines? Brake mondulation should be better with this set up then my stock 9.5 system.

 

But if you get the fast brakes kit, you *still* need to buy new pads.... without better pads, your stopping power will still suck

 

yeah if i get the fastbrakes kit i will get new pads as well i said that in my perviouse post, along with flushing my brake fluid.

Does this sould like a good brake setup?
fastbrakes 11in kit - since i'm having to buy new rotors anyway.
p+ brake pads
valvoline syth brake fluid
are regular OE pads good for the rear?
also about the prop valve. Should i use one off a non-abs integra or will my 40/40 be ok?

My plans for this car are b20/vtec or b20 turbo or maybe a built GSR . I think now would be a wise time to upgrade my brakes.


[Modified by mantic6t9, 7:44 PM 4/19/2002]

 

anyone here have the fastbrakes kit?

 

I've only seen the fastbrakes kit with the the Wilwood calipers, not the relocation bracket ones.

Do you feel like it's worth $200? You're getting new rotors (maybe $70?), lines (maybe $50), the brackets and hubcentric rings ($??). You're paying more than if you just bought your rotors and some new pads and left it at that. It really would be interesting to see what the net outcome would be. I'm assuming you're not doing any kind of competition???

It sounds like you've pretty-much made up your mind. Maybe you should just call Brian (fastbrakes) and see what he has to say. He can sell you the parts, regardless of which way you go. I don't think he'd steer you wrong.

 

if ur plans are big..with the motor that is..why not get a Fastbrake kit with the Wilwood calipers right now..or wait a bit till you can afford them. Cuz trust me, having decent horsepower in a light chassis will require a good brake kit.
Just dont make the mistake I did. I had GS-R brakes on my car..spent close to $500 CAN, and then 6 months later when I put a turbo on my car; I needed a new brake setup...in the end I spent $2000 CAN; $500 for the GS-R brakes and $1500 for the ITR brakes.

 

Well do you think it would be a good time to upgrade>? I plan on putting over 200whp later when i build an engine. I may also be moving to florida and get into autoX and possible track events if i can find them. The reason why i'm not into it now is because there is nothing close to me at all. I probly have the one of the smallest front disks on a honda. I just bough a 32oz bottle of valvoline SynPower synthetic brake fluid, i'll flush my system tomorrow.

 

what's the correct sequence for bleading/flushing the brake system? left rear, right front, right real left front?

 

Nevermind i just got done flushing it. This stuff was nasty, DARK DARK brown and has little bitts of black **** in it. I pored it all into a clear bottle and you couldn't even see light through it. I don't think it's been changed since the car rolled out of the plant in Canada 9 years ago. My petal feels alot better.

 

By the way, Panter + are overkill for the street. From what I hear, unless you like eating rotors and having some really bad braking, don't use them on the street. Those pads are only suggested for running on the track. You will never see the optimal temperature range on the street with those pads. If you plan on tracking in the future, just buy them and throw them in your closet until you actually go out on the track, and then just change them there.

As for the brake setup, realistically what is your budget? Upgrading my stock brakes alone, I spent a little under $500 for the perfomance parts (F/R pads, rotors, fluid, and SS lines). Add to that a remanufactured right rear piston (because the old one froze), and a bunch of other OEM parts and I'm right around $600 total. If budget is you limiting factor, list that, and then go from there as to what you can afford.

 

Yeah i am on a budget, but $100 extra for bigger brakes isn't going to kill me. I know about the rear brakes freezing. My left rear froze on my car It's a 93. I looked in the manual and it said that the rear can't requiers sprcial tools to rebuild. I took mine apart and cleaned it out it was a bitch to get the piston to turn though. I think this was all part of having that old brake fluid in there. What happend to mine is it rusted to the piston from the inside. That means there must have been a good amount of water in there. Anyway, i've had no problems with it since then, about 5 months ago. I will replace it if it starts to go bad again.