So the brakes on my 1989 CRX Si don't feel as strong as they probably should. The pads and fluid are what were in the car when I bought it about 2 years ago, and the rotors are very heavily rusted around the outside edges and in the middle towards the hub.

Here's my proposed plan of attack (new and improved, hopefully):

Brembo blank rotors (~$50 for both, already purchased)
Axxis Ultimate pads ($40 already purchased)
Goodridge lines ($110)
New fluid (flush, bleed, etc.) ($15)
Possibly a set of Speedbleeders ($32 shipped)
Rear drums will be reconditioned along with the rest of this.

Do you guys think this will be worth the $220+ that I'll be spending on all the parts? If anybody has done a similar brake job, please fill me in on how noticeable the difference was for you.


Thanks!


Alex


Modified by Quik89Si at 7:06 AM 3/8/2004

 

Yes its worth it

But also:

Change your master cylinder for a reconditioned stock or 89 prelude...all that new fluid and bleed will be for nothing if you are running a 15 yr old master.

and

You SHOULD work over your rear brakes, because even though your fronts do most of your stopping if the rear drums /shoes are way out of wack then your pedal will feel mushy no matter what you do to the front (yes the rear drums have a lot to do with pedal feel)

If you're on a budget I wold leave out the speed bleeders and put that money towards the rear.

 

u can do without the brake lines, they cost about half whut u are gonna spend.

rotors, pads, and a prelude si master cylinder.

 

Yeah, I was thinking about leaving the SS lines out since they are so pricey. I should be able to find the 89 Prelude MC at Autozone or a similar place, right?

Now what's this I hear about bench-bleeding a new MC?

Alex

 

The lines are the thing that makes the most difference IMO. With different rotors than you, hawk pads, goodrich lines, and a lude master cylinder (rear disk swap as well). My brake pedal is like a rock, and the car stops on a dime!

-Jake

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Quik89Si &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Now what's this I hear about bench-bleeding a new MC?

Alex</TD></TR></TABLE>

Benching bleeding is when you basically bleed the air out of the MC before putting it in the car.

When you get a new MC, they give you a bleeder kit, which usually sucks. What you do is attach the bleeder kit line, fill the reserviour with fluid, and then put the open ends of the bleeder lines from the MC into the reserviour. Pump the MC until all the air is out of the fluid going back into the MC. Install MC into your car and bleed your brakes like normal.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Quik89Si &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Here's my proposed plan of attack:

Brembo blank rotors (~$60 for both)
Axxis Ultimate pads ($40)
Goodridge lines ($110)
New fluid (flush, bleed, etc.) ($25)
Possibly a set of Speedbleeders ($32 shipped)
Rear drums will be reconditioned at a later date.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

That's a great plan, and is close to what I did in the '88. I kept the rear drums but opted to replace the drum rather than resurface (it was under $50 for the pair). I also replaced the rear wheel cylinders and drum springs at the same time. Like 89civicdx said, I had to replace my MC and booster before I solved by braking problem. After 15+ years, they had nothing left to give. The SS lines are expensive, but they're cheaper than new OEM lines. Old OEM lines will always be a weak point in your system since 14-15 year old lines get soft. You can always do it later, but it's easy to do it at the same time. Finally, check your caliper seals. Those are a cheap rebuild/replacement and can really hurt your system if they're disintegrated.

 

brake lines are key

 

dont waste your time on some crap pads that are supposed to be hi-performance
when buying pads always buy the best quality, BENDIX go to O'reily n pick some up Bendix is the only brake pad I or any of my co-workeds use on any car especially theirs
(even have them on the shagonwagon aka heavy woody, 89 buck lesabre estate wagon!!)
--zak--

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by travis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">That's a great plan, and is close to what I did in the '88. I kept the rear drums but opted to replace the drum rather than resurface (it was under $50 for the pair). I also replaced the rear wheel cylinders and drum springs at the same time. Like 89civicdx said, I had to replace my MC and booster before I solved by braking problem. After 15+ years, they had nothing left to give. The SS lines are expensive, but they're cheaper than new OEM lines. Old OEM lines will always be a weak point in your system since 14-15 year old lines get soft. You can always do it later, but it's easy to do it at the same time. Finally, check your caliper seals. Those are a cheap rebuild/replacement and can really hurt your system if they're disintegrated.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Was there a pretty noticeable improvement after all was said and done? Did you get all the goods at the local auto parts stores?


(By the way, for anyone who is interested in dealing with drum brakes, there's an article on them in the new issue of Honda Tuning - it wasn't all that helpful in technical terms, but it does give you an idea of what you'll be looking at.)


I've never TOUCHED my brakes or any brakes for that matter, so it should be a fun project. Due to $ reasons, the steel lines, drum reconditioning, MC, and Booster will have to wait for a later date...but it shouldn't be too long at all. I think for now I may just leave the pads and rotors on the shelf until I can accumulate the other parts as well... think that would be a better idea?


Alex

 

so the prelude master just bolts up huh?! I learn something new everyday here! What years do you use!

 

um, axxis ultimates ARE made by Bendix.... good pads btw.

i agree with NOT stopping at reconditioning the rear. old wheel cylinders and drums in need of adjustment are a definate source of mushy pedal feel. i dont think you need to spend so much on brembo rotors, any rotors will do just fine.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Quik89Si &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Was there a pretty noticeable improvement after all was said and done? Did you get all the goods at the local auto parts stores?
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Oh hell yea. It was the difference between working and not working. For me, the rears were so bad they were keeping the fronts from working.

As for your setup, here are some thoughts. First, just because your front rotors look rusted on the edges doesn't mean they're done. If they're still thick, take them to Checker or someplace similar and have them turned. That's about $10/each. A bottle of Valvoline synthetic brake fluid will cost you less than $10 and is more than enough for a complete flush. No need to spend $25 on a non-track setup. You don't NEED speed bleeders, those are just a convenience, so you can scratch that. The pads are a good choice, and you can simply check your rear shoes to see if they're too thin. If your rear wheel cylinders are not leaking, you might be okay with keeping them, but have a shop look at your drums to see if they can be turned. Like I said, I would rather just replace that stuff but I abuse brakes.

 

so witch is better, prelude master cylinder or integra master cylinder w/ booster?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tyson &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i dont think you need to spend so much on brembo rotors, any rotors will do just fine.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I didn't think I spent that much on Brembo blanks - they were $25 each, which is $3 more each than the better brand listed on Autozone's website. The old ones have chunks of rust falling off of them. I think I'd just rather have some fresh rotors so that from here on out, I know when I last replaced them.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by travis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You don't NEED speed bleeders, those are just a convenience, so you can scratch that.</TD></TR></TABLE>

The Speedbleeders - well, I was going to get those since I don't have anyone that has the time (or desire) to help me bleed brakes.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by travis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">A bottle of Valvoline synthetic brake fluid will cost you less than $10 and is more than enough for a complete flush. No need to spend $25 on a non-track setup.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I was plannning on getting some sort of "regular" brake fluid like the Valvoline you mentioned, Travis. Either that or the Ford H-D brake fluid that everyone is raving about these days. I thought it would take more than one bottle, so I estimated high. Believe me, I wasn't about to go out and buy some Motul or whatever fancy-schmancy brake fluid for the CRX I drive once a week!


Thanks for the additional input guys!


Alex