Finally! New brakes!

kgb · 05-20-03, 01:20

The brakes on my 1990 Civic hatchback have been getting soft and weird feeling. So I finally take it to my buddies shop to get checked. I was going to do them myself but then it will be a weekend long project that will never get started let alone get done. Well, seems one of my brake pads seperated from the backing plate. This is good news though cause now I get good rotors and Axxis Metal Master pads. I should be stopping on a dime now! Especially in that light thing.

IndigoGTI · 05-20-03, 01:34

If you really want to stop on a dime, toss in some stainless steel lines, and an Integra RS master cylinder.... The soft pedal could also be due to a bad master cylinder, and ten year old rubber brake lines tend to expand a little when you hit the brakes. Hey, if you have to replace, why not upgrade? Tell us how everything works out.

kgb · 05-20-03, 01:39

Will do! The brakes lines I really wanted but I could not afford them at this time. Hopefully soon! I will be out testing the new pads tonight though.

IndigoGTI · 05-20-03, 03:57

The lines will make a huge difference in pedal feel, you will also get more feedback from braking. It is good you got new rotors too because if you do decide to change the lines, and your rotors were warped, you would hate life every time you had to hit the brakes. It would feel like your teeth were about to fall out.

FNG · 05-20-03, 04:38

Get a set of Hawk HP pads and Brembo replacement rotors. If you have a salvage yard near you with an second gen. integra, grab the rear trailing arms and whole rear brake assembly and do a rear disk swap.

http://www.geocities.com/johnnymorga.../Disc2Drum.htm

SickOfItAll · 07-10-03, 03:18

Be careful about swapping out the master cylinder - most modern brake systems are designed as a system, and not component by component - so changing the master cylinder might have a better feel to it, but it might decrease braking performance.

IndigoGTI · 07-10-03, 09:13

Quote:

Originally posted by SickOfItAll
Be careful about swapping out the master cylinder - most modern brake systems are designed as a system, and not component by component - so changing the master cylinder might have a better feel to it, but it might decrease braking performance.

With Civics, this is a well documented upgrade. The Integra master cylinder is 1/16" larger so the piston displaces more brake fluid, making pedal travel shorter while also increasing pedal feel. If he were to upgrade to rear discs, I would suggest the Type-R master cylinder as it will match the characteristics of the 4 wheel discs better, and give the same pedal feel and movement as the RS cylinder on the car with drums.

SickOfItAll · 07-10-03, 02:04

Quote:

Originally posted by IndigoGTI
With Civics, this is a well documented upgrade. The Integra master cylinder is 1/16" larger so the piston displaces more brake fluid, making pedal travel shorter while also increasing pedal feel. If he were to upgrade to rear discs, I would suggest the Type-R master cylinder as it will match the characteristics of the 4 wheel discs better, and give the same pedal feel and movement as the RS cylinder on the car with drums.

I'm not much of a Honda guy, but I know with MR2s, upgrading the master cylinder goes hand in hand with upgrading the brakes on all 4 corners - mismatching them produces REALLY ugly feeling brakes.

Smoker · 07-10-03, 03:14

Quote:

Originally posted by IndigoGTI
With Civics, this is a well documented upgrade. The Integra master cylinder is 1/16" larger so the piston displaces more brake fluid, making pedal travel shorter while also increasing pedal feel. If he were to upgrade to rear discs, I would suggest the Type-R master cylinder as it will match the characteristics of the 4 wheel discs better, and give the same pedal feel and movement as the RS cylinder on the car with drums.

Sure it'll decrease travel, but it also means youll have to push the pedal harder as your trying to move more fluid for the same travel.

So it'll probably actually DECREASE 'feel'.

That and master cylinders have brake bias set in them (unless you buy a competition bias pedal box) and if you install the master cylinder without the correct brakes itll mess up the front to back bias.
Some have 'proportioning valves' in the hard line running to the back brakes that also do this - they need recalibrating for a different master cyclinder too.

Incorrect bias means if it overbrakes the front you lock up quicker, if it overbrakes the back, you'll swap ends pretty quick AND take longer to stop.

So beware...................