I'm using the Legend calipers for 3 months now and want to share some expiriences with you.

My setup:
- 4G VTEC Prelude
- Legend 2-piston calipers
- Brembo blanks rotors
- Ferodo DS2500 pads

I brake pretty hard and made about 5 track sessions with this setup. I other words, I love red-hot rotors :



My observations right after the install - the braking power seemed to me the same as before, maybe a bit better, but nothing major. It seems that the brake pedal goes further down than before when pressing on it.

On a race track, I can block my wheels any time, even with red rotors and speeds over 180kmh (120mph), probably thanks to the DS2500 pads.

Today I checked my brake system.

The DS2500 pads are almost worn after 2500km (1600miles) of hard work, there is about 3mm of material. The outer pads are worn more than the inner ones (on both wheels). All the pads are worn more on the lower side than on the upper side (when installed in the caliper). The lower piston is bigger, so it pushes more, but when the outer pad is a "triangle", it must rotate the caliper or rotor itself IMO, because the caliper and the rotor are paralel. On the inner side, the pistons will balance to the "triangle" shape of the pad, but the outer side not. Maybe I don't understand it well, but can this cause warping of the rotor?

The Brembos have some little cracks, but nothing major.

What are your expiriensec with Legend calipers?

 

very curious to know, did you install the left on the left and right on the right, or just swap them around because you wanted the bleed screw on the top?

 

so how much better are they than the btec calipers ? is it worth the time and money?

 

The upgrade is not worth it if your brake calipers are fine.

My car was in need of new pads and rotors so I decided to change EVERYTHING out since I will be using my car on the track too.

If your car is a street car, a nice set of pads (Axxis Ultimates are a good choice) and you will be fine.

I don't have any regrets doing the upgrade though.

 

ya i have stock brakes and everythign except for endless vita vn8500 pads and they helpa shatload. next ill probly change the fluid

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by prelittlelude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">very curious to know, did you install the left on the left and right on the right, or just swap them around because you wanted the bleed screw on the top?</TD></TR></TABLE>

i believe that he has the left on the right side, right on left due to the fact he said the bigger piston was at the bottom. but i got really confused in his post so i'm not too sure

I upgraded my smaller Si brakes/rotors with VTEC/Legend brake setup. My steering wheel would shake when i broke at higher speeds, so i upgraded I kept the left on the left, right on right. and if i need to bleed the brakes i could just flip them up and stick in a piece of wood, no biggie.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by prelittlelude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">very curious to know, did you install the left on the left and right on the right, or just swap them around because you wanted the bleed screw on the top?</TD></TR></TABLE>
I have installed it the right way, i.e. R caliper on the right and vice versa, so the smaller piston is first (up) and the biggger one is second (down). The bleed bolt is down on the caliper.

The pads are worn in a "V" shape similar to the pistons in tha caliper. I'm wondering if this is ok or not. Imagine two paralel boards (one is rotor, second is the caliper). These two paralel boards are now trying to press a triangle (uneven worn pad). What happens? The pad cannot compress, so it will hold it's shape. It means that either the caliper has to bend or the rotor has to bend. I think in both cases the rotor will more prone to warping? Anybody with legend calipers has uneven worn pads?

 

perhaps ur slide pins are slightly sticking, try lubing them up

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by petrv &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I have installed it the right way, i.e. R caliper on the right and vice versa, so the smaller piston is first (up) and the biggger one is second (down). The bleed bolt is down on the caliper.

The pads are worn in a "V" shape similar to the pistons in tha caliper. I'm wondering if this is ok or not. Imagine two paralel boards (one is rotor, second is the caliper). These two paralel boards are now trying to press a triangle (uneven worn pad). What happens? The pad cannot compress, so it will hold it's shape. It means that either the caliper has to bend or the rotor has to bend. I think in both cases the rotor will more prone to warping? Anybody with legend calipers has uneven worn pads?</TD></TR></TABLE>

i haven't taken mine off in a while, but it will einteresting to see.. did you make the 5mm shim? or just let the piston take up the space? .. i don't have the shim..

if the pad is sort of shapped like a triangle that just goes to show that the bigger piston is doing more work so it tips the pad in, the can rock allittle on the pisotn it self..

still something that ive been meaning to look into is the brake caliper for the acura MDX , supposidly 2 piston equal size.. not sure though..


hell you know what would be an interesting experimetn is, you have the calipers on the correct sides.. if you swaped them left for right and vice versa and then throw some new pads on and see how they look after 5 or 6 track events..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by prelittlelude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
i haven't taken mine off in a while, but it will einteresting to see.. did you make the 5mm shim? or just let the piston take up the space? .. i don't have the shim..
</TD></TR></TABLE>
Yes, but there is no space for it with new pads, because I'm using 7mm metal from an old pad. I have to wait until the pad wears a bit and then insert the shim. I think it is usable without any with no problems.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by prelittlelude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
if the pad is sort of shapped like a triangle that just goes to show that the bigger piston is doing more work so it tips the pad in, the can rock allittle on the pisotn it self..
</TD></TR></TABLE>
Yes, I understand this, but I think it really bends the caliper or rotor a bit.

 

I upgraded my Si's brakes with the same set up and kept them on the correct sides using Prelude vtec caliper brakets. I use mine pretty heavily but haven't inspected the pads yet.

Are the pad surfaces both at an angle in relation to the baking plate, or only the end with the big pot? What caliper brakets are you using? I'm wondering if having the pots come out 5mm more would create enough leverage to twist the caliper braket causing the pad to wear unevenly.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by racerx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> I'm wondering if having the pots come out 5mm more would create enough leverage to twist the caliper braket causing the pad to wear unevenly.</TD></TR></TABLE>

hmm i never thought of that.. good point.. but he said he is runing a shim

 

With that shim, the leverage arm from the pot to the pad surface is still 5mm longer. Just something to think about. Its hard to tell without being able to look at the pads. They tell the story. This is making me want to pull apart my brakes.

prelittle: How much research have you done into Hondas brake systems?

 

Unfortunatelly, I put the shims now, when only 2-3mm of pad material is left, so I was running without the shims up till now.

 

Shim or no shim, if you're using the Legend caliper brakets the surface of the pad is physically further from the caliper body than what was orrigionally designed. I'll bet that the part of the pad on the small pots end is angled in relation to its backing plate and the part of the pad on the big pots end is parallel. Can you post some pics of the pads? Is the crest of the v on the pad like a boarder between the top and the bottom of the pad or does it have a cone shape going too?

 

I use the original Prelude VTEC brakets.

The pad surface is flat, just uneven worn. I don't want to remove the pads again to look

 

I just used legend rotors along with the legend calipers... no problems at all yet. A lot easier and more accurate I think to do so.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by racerx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">With that shim, the leverage arm from the pot to the pad surface is still 5mm longer. Just something to think about. Its hard to tell without being able to look at the pads. They tell the story. This is making me want to pull apart my brakes.

prelittle: How much research have you done into Hondas brake systems?</TD></TR></TABLE>

agian i have not had anyway of further researching the MDX system .. but i wish to do so.. maybe next MDX i see ill offer the person a free brake pad change lol

more and more now im thinking of just buying the legend rotors and upgrading to them by redrilling the lugs. seems like the extra material and added thickness will help the brakes work as they were designed too

 

I think thad use of Legen rotors in a 4G lude is not as easy as redrilling....there are different hub diameters etc.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by petrv &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I think thad use of Legen rotors in a 4G lude is not as easy as redrilling....there are different hub diameters etc.</TD></TR></TABLE>

hmm are you sure.. the hub fits 5th gens so what is the 5th gen hub vs the 4th gen..

ive seen a site where a guy had a picture of a 5 lug redrilled to 114.3x4 , and i think it was the legend disk

 

to run a redrilled rotor on a 4lug hub, ur gonna need a spacer cuz the hub on the 4lugs are slightly smaller, like about 2-3mm or so.

 

The Legend rotors have a .5mm higher hat. The hole for the hub may also have to be enlargened from 64mm to 70mm.

Heres a good place for rotor specs spanning several auto makes: http://www.dba.com.au/dba_cata...x.htm

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by petrv &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It seems that the brake pedal goes further down than before when pressing on it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Anyone know whats the reason behind this? I have the same problem. I have to step on my brake pedal much further down for the car to stop. Does this mean the MAster Cylinder needs to be changed as well?

 

can you use metal brake pads with OEM ground rotors?