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View Full Version : Brake Upgrade Q&A



LeperCon
05-09-2003, 01:25 AM
Just got my new Wilwood brakes today, and had a few questions. I hope Docofmind helps out here, as he is the resident specialist, but anyone who knows would be great.

1: What type of brake fluid should I use, and where do I get it?

2: How do I break in the pads?

3: Is it possible, or even advisable, to switch the front brakes to the rear? If it can be done, does that keep the e-brake?

4: Should I consider upgrading my master cylinder? If so, where would I get one, if anyone makes them at this point in time.

5: Where could I get a set of braided lines for my rear brakes?

If anyone else has any questions, post them up here, and maybe we can get some answers. Plese only answer if you know the answer and can back it up, no "I think this can be done because it looks similar" answers please. On that note, thanks to anyone who helps me out here.

Quicksilver
05-09-2003, 07:11 AM
Originally posted by LeperCon
Just got my new Wilwood brakes today, and had a few questions. I hope Docofmind helps out here, as he is the resident specialist, but anyone who knows would be great.

1: What type of brake fluid should I use, and where do I get it?

2: How do I break in the pads?

3: Is it possible, or even advisable, to switch the front brakes to the rear? If it can be done, does that keep the e-brake?

4: Should I consider upgrading my master cylinder? If so, where would I get one, if anyone makes them at this point in time.

5: Where could I get a set of braided lines for my rear brakes?


1. I didn't flush the system on mine, I just got some more DOT3 Honda brake fluid from the local dealer. It's been fine for daily use and no problems with fade due to the fluid boiling. It might be worth upgrading to a higher temperature fluid though. There are dozens of companies that make them. I'm sure someone else will post their preference.

2. Go easy on the pads the first 500 miles or so, but especially the first 50! The pads and rotors have a light glaze on the outside that will need to be worn off, so the car will not respond as well and tend to "slide" during braking. Give yourself extra slow down time and give yourself bigger gaps between cars so that you won't have to slam on the brakes. If you want to help break them in quicker, go over the pads and rotors with some sandpaper and gently take off a little of the outside layer. Be sure to keep it as even as possible so that you don't warp the rotors down the line. There are several different ways to finish burnishing the brakes after you get past the first 500 miles. I went with what one of the brake manufacturers recommended and took my car out to a deserted straight and even road and performed a series of 65mph stops using increasing pedal effort. I started out using about 40% pedal and slightly increased the pressure each time. You're looking for warning signs, such as the car wanting to "rove" as you're stopping, the rear brakes breaking loose before the fronts, or any breaking loose at all. In my case, I've had zero problems with any of those.

3. The fronts wont work on the rear. You won't have any e-brake capabilities if you do. Just wait a little while, because I know there are larger rear rotors coming out that relocate the stock caliper, similar to AEM's front brake upgrade. There will also be a 4-piston setup coming out also, but that just seems like overkill to me.

4. You won't need to upgrade the master cylinder. The proportioning and fluid capacity work fine with the stock unit. The brake pedal feel with the upgraded calipers will feel like stock for the first 50% of the pedal travel. After that, it'll start to really kick in and you'll definetly feel the difference.

5. The Brake Zone should be able to fix you up with a set. It should be similar to the fronts that you got. I'm sure there are other retailers out there, possibly locally, but Sherwin's a pretty good guy and would probably give a repeat customer a slightly better price.

Hope that helps you.
Kurtis

LeperCon
05-09-2003, 09:41 AM
Thanks for the info :)

hamlet9634
05-09-2003, 12:20 PM
good set of answers..

the master cylinder question, though, is still up in the air. There has been some talk about finding a master cylinder with a larger fluid plug, which might give better pedal feel.. but this has not yet been pursued.. and it honestly probably won't..

for those of us with the wilwood big brakes, the improvement over stock is so dramatic that we actually feel that our brakes are now "done"