View Full Version : Replacing, Or Upgrading Brake Calipers?
I have been noticing a lot of brake dust accumulating on one of the front wheels and hardly none, if not any at all on the other. They are wearing unevenly, as I suspected and the squeal and screech. I don't know what to do as far as replacing the front calipers. I am fine with Brembo Blank Rotors and HPS Hawk Pads. But on to the calipers.. Should I just do OEM replacements? They are extremely expensive, obviously.. Some people have recommended re-manufactured calipers but wouldn't I be compromising on durability/quality to an extent that I should pony up the extra coin?
Or, should I do something like THIS (http://www.ephatch.com/forum/showthread.php?64905-4-lug-brake-upgrade-options-AEM-big-brake-kit-RSX-calipers&p=936957&viewfull=1#post936957)?
differentK
05-01-2012, 06:25 AM
why not look at a bbk like the wilwood kit? fastbrakes also makes a decent kit with re-manufactured calipers and 11in rotors. thats the way i would go if i didnt need to fit the stock 15in wheels for the winter
Blah1219
05-01-2012, 07:35 AM
Yeah I've had thought about doing that brake setup for awhile now. Still debating if its 100% safe with no flaws in it. I haven't heard from that member for awhile.
differentK
05-01-2012, 08:16 AM
yea i hear you- i was spooked out of it at first because of the re-manufactured parts. my stock calipers with drilled/slotted rotors, hawk pads, braided lines, and motul fluid have been holding their own just fine- even with 300+ whp.
Lucid Moments
05-01-2012, 09:34 AM
My recommendation is to just use remanufactured calipers. Unless you are tracking the car no need for a bbk.
RHCP0801
05-01-2012, 09:57 AM
if the pads are wearing unevenly it is not the caliper. The slide pins need to be lubed up and as do the tracks the pads slide one, you would just be wasting money if you replaced the calipers because you can fix this problem in under 30mins and all you need to buy is high temp grease
My recommendation is to just use remanufactured calipers. Unless you are tracking the car no need for a bbk.
Yea, I don't want to get a BBK for a daily driver. I find that to be a considerable waste of money. Plus, I would have to be very good and have a lot of time under my belt in order to even maximize the full potential of the stock brakes.
if the pads are wearing unevenly it is not the caliper. The slide pins need to be lubed up and as do the tracks the pads slide one, you would just be wasting money if you replaced the calipers because you can fix this problem in under 30mins and all you need to buy is high temp grease
The person before me used never-seize on the pins and the insides of the boots that go around the pins are gunked up and so is the hole that the pin slides in and out of. I will surely give it a try, but my brakes squeak quite bad and it's very annoying. I had Hawk pads and NAPA blanks, which was recommended on here but I'm beginning to think differently on the NAPA rotors.
What grease do you recommend? Also, are you referring to part #14 when you say "the tracks the pads slide on"?
Are them two squares in part #1 high temp grease packs or something? I don't think they're a part that I've seen on the brakes haha. Maybe I'll just get 2 of these #1's and clean the hell out of the pins and find a pipe cleaner or something of that nature to clean out the holes and re-grease the pins and change the pads/rotors and see where I am.
http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/auto/jsp/mws/catimgs/14s5s01_b22.png
why not look at a bbk like the wilwood kit? fastbrakes also makes a decent kit with re-manufactured calipers and 11in rotors. thats the way i would go if i didnt need to fit the stock 15in wheels for the winter
As I said before, I don't necessarily want a BBK because I personally don't think that I need it. How much is the kit that you suggested and is it a direct bolt on? Link?
Thanks guys.
MugenReplica
05-01-2012, 11:45 AM
The DIY 11.0" brake setup with the 3.0 CL calipers seems to be the best option IMO. For the price of a set of slightly larger piston used/rebuilt calipers, .8" larger rotors, and slightly bigger pads I don't think you can go wrong. If you can't find the T25 brackets and calipers, go to car-part.com and look for a set out of a yard.
differentK
05-01-2012, 12:06 PM
part #13/18 in the diagram- those slides are notorious for sticking. one of mine seized solid and was a serious PIA to remove. i used axle grease and re-fit the slides and worked it in and out to make sure it was going to work properly... i have not had an issue since.
The DIY 11.0" brake setup with the 3.0 CL calipers seems to be the best option IMO. For the price of a set of slightly larger piston used/rebuilt calipers, .8" larger rotors, and slightly bigger pads I don't think you can go wrong. If you can't find the T25 brackets and calipers, go to car-part.com and look for a set out of a yard.
Is there a complete part list somewhere?
- 99 Acura CL 3.0 Calipers
- 25T Brackets (are these off of the 99 Acura CL 3.0?)
- 07 Mini Cooper DOHC 280mm Rotors (11")
- 99 Acura CL Brake Pads (obviously)
That should do me well? I'm skeptical because I too haven't heard much more feedback other than when the user posted the DIY. But I mean, I guess if you're going to replace OEM parts, might as well do it with compatible, "better" OEM parts at or around the same price, right?
part #13/18 in the diagram- those slides are notorious for sticking. one of mine seized solid and was a serious PIA to remove. i used axle grease and re-fit the slides and worked it in and out to make sure it was going to work properly... i have not had an issue since.
Oh yea, I thought those were being referred to as the pins. In the part list they are actually called PIN A/PIN B. It sucks you can't just get the boots to replace those while you're at it..
I am seriously considered re-man'd Acura CL calipers and doing that brake "upgrade". Idk.. I'm so indecisive when it comes to my car it's sickening haha.
What the hell car does the 25T Brackets come with?
Blah1219
05-03-2012, 10:18 PM
"bought the rotors on ebay for 42 shipped, calipers and brackets come from accord wagon, acura legend or acura 3.0 cl, they were $35 total at the junkyard"
I got ahold of him awhile back for more info.
Ba82Ep3
05-04-2012, 01:51 AM
Bro, if you need calipers, i have EP fronts for you (40k on them). Just pay shipping and theyre yours. :msmile:
Otherwise, dont forget you can always go the RSX-S route. Calipers, pads, retaining clips, shims, and rotors. It cost me like $360 for all of it new (OEM). Plenty of braking powah... its essentially an s2000 front brake setup.
Zzyzx
05-04-2012, 11:15 AM
Its cute that there are still those that think bigger calipers means shorter stopping distances.
"bought the rotors on ebay for 42 shipped, calipers and brackets come from accord wagon, acura legend or acura 3.0 cl, they were $35 total at the junkyard"
I got ahold of him awhile back for more info.
Ok thanks. I was having some confusion because I searched with google and people were saying they were ordering parts and expecting to get 25T's but some were getting the 28T's and 23T's.
Bro, if you need calipers, i have EP fronts for you (40k on them). Just pay shipping and theyre yours. :msmile:
Otherwise, dont forget you can always go the RSX-S route. Calipers, pads, retaining clips, shims, and rotors. It cost me like $360 for all of it new (OEM). Plenty of braking powah... its essentially an s2000 front brake setup.
DEAL! I'll shoot you a text later tonight. That would be great! Are they the 02-03?
Its cute that there are still those that think bigger calipers means shorter stopping distances.
I don't think that at all. I know tires are the most important thing overall, and I said earlier in this thread "Yea, I don't want to get a BBK for a daily driver. I find that to be a considerable waste of money. Plus, I would have to be very good and have a lot of time under my belt in order to even maximize the full potential of the stock brakes."
I was just saying, if I am going to/need to replace parts/calipers, is there a better alternative for the same amount of money? Know what I mean?
Ba82Ep3
05-04-2012, 01:46 PM
DEAL! I'll shoot you a text later tonight. That would be great! Are they the 02-03?
Nope... 04/05. Same caliper though... if i remember correctly. Im off work tonight so ill be awake and able to respond (i sleep days). lol
Haha ok that's cool. I know the 02-03 have different pads than the 04-05 :/ I'll look at part numbers and see what it says.
As I suspected :/
45018-S5D-A00RM (02-03) front right
45018-S7A-J02 (04-05) front right
Ba82Ep3
05-04-2012, 03:09 PM
Hm... i thought the difference was in the bracket and the caliper was interchangeable... ill have to look into it again. Its been a few years since ive messed with the brake stuff.
Oh I see. Well that'd be fine. As long as it'll work. I'll stay in touch! Oh BTW, 2 weeks and my k24 goes in! Haha
Zzyzx
05-07-2012, 09:33 AM
iDom; that statement wasn't actually directed at you, as you seem to be more or less reasonable regarding BBK so far. It was pointed at the masses that still think that how stiff the brake pedal feels is a metric for better stopping power... They always show up in threads like these.
iDom; that statement wasn't actually directed at you, as you seem to be more or less reasonable regarding BBK so far. It was pointed at the masses that still think that how stiff the brake pedal feels is a metric for better stopping power... They always show up in threads like these.
It's all good :)
I know your name pops a lot in the AutoX and suspension/handling threads and what not, so I value your input. Do you know about the 04-05 brake calipers working on the 02-03? Or do I need the brackets as well? Or will it just not work? I know the brake pads are different. Would the rotor not be able to work either?
shanewdude
05-07-2012, 02:27 PM
The DIY 11.0" brake setup with the 3.0 CL calipers seems to be the best option IMO. For the price of a set of slightly larger piston used/rebuilt calipers, .8" larger rotors, and slightly bigger pads I don't think you can go wrong. If you can't find the T25 brackets and calipers, go to car-part.com and look for a set out of a yard.
Hey John, I haven't heard of this set-up. I'm going to need some new brakes soon, and this sounds interesting.
Bro, if you need calipers, i have EP fronts for you (40k on them). Just pay shipping and theyre yours. :msmile:
Otherwise, dont forget you can always go the RSX-S route. Calipers, pads, retaining clips, shims, and rotors. It cost me like $360 for all of it new (OEM). Plenty of braking powah... its essentially an s2000 front brake setup.
This is what I was thinking. In Canada, you're looking at about $1500 to do all four with RSX-S parts.
Its cute that there are still those that think bigger calipers means shorter stopping distances.
Hehee... missed your posts! I keep meaning to look up your suggested alignment specs.
So, any advice for someone looking to upgrade brakes for a hard-driven DD? I was thinking bigger brake = less brake fade. Probably not an issue on a DD.
Zzyzx
05-07-2012, 03:24 PM
So, any advice for someone looking to upgrade brakes for a hard-driven DD? I was thinking bigger brake = less brake fade. Probably not an issue on a DD.
That's actually the reason for larger rotors; increased thermal capacity. You can fade brakes on an OEM system pretty easily, though stop and go traffic really isn't going to do it (I've only actually faded my brakes on the street once, on the down hill side of a mountain pass, and I boiled the fluid in the process). The 1st question would be are you fading the brakes now? If so you have a couple of options, one being changing pad materials the other changing rotor size. Typically a change of pad will solve heat issues on a street car, though you may see increased rotor wear. (also stick with your standard blank rotors) Else a larger rotor would bring brake temps down to acceptable levels.
The danger of going with new rotors and calipers is altering your brake bias. As brake bias, next to tire, is going to be the largest influence on stopping distances. With that being said there are relatively few companies that actually take brake bias in to account when designing their BBK. Stop tech is one of the few. The rest are a use at own risk.
iDom, I really don't know the difference in mounts between the two. Honda likes to reuse parts as much as possible so It would not surprise me if they just altered the caliper to mate to the old knuckles. Though if the question is between the RSX and RSX-R you are on your own...
iDom, I really don't know the difference in mounts between the two. Honda likes to reuse parts as much as possible so It would not surprise me if they just altered the caliper to mate to the old knuckles. Though if the question is between the RSX and RSX-R you are on your own...
I'm just wondering about the Civic Si 02-03 and 04-05 Calipers. I don't know what all I need to make the 04-05 calipers work with my 02 EP3. I don't know if I'll need the 04-05 brackets too and I don't know if the 4x100 02-03 rotors will work or not. I know that the pads are different, and that's about it lol
:mconfused:
tinman5
05-12-2012, 02:03 PM
I *think* the difference is in the caliper carrier itself. You can use the newer caliper on your current carriers.
I noticed this slight difference myself while doing the 5 lug/type s hubs. The brake pads off the EP have more meat, more surface area, but the mounting ends are different. On the type s pads the ears are half as big as the EP's.
tinman5
05-12-2012, 02:08 PM
Wow. That reads kinda random. Using the parts list on the previous page, I am refering to the caliper carrier and part#14. Because the carrier us a cast part, part #14 is going to be different, and that will determine which pad you have to use.
I *think* the difference is in the caliper carrier itself. You can use the newer caliper on your current carriers.
I noticed this slight difference myself while doing the 5 lug/type s hubs. The brake pads off the EP have more meat, more surface area, but the mounting ends are different. On the type s pads the ears are half as big as the EP's.
So..? I'm still kinda unsure haha. If I get the 04-05 caliper, and then get the 04-05 pads, will it be fine with everything else and the 02-03 4x100 rotor?
tinman5
05-12-2012, 03:27 PM
Get the 04-05 caliper, but use your 02-03 caliper carrier and re-use your current pads. Its kinda hard for me to explain.
But if you put the brake pads from the newer calipers on top of the brake pads from tge older calipers you will see what i mean. They are physically identical except for the ends. The newer pads/calipers have a narrower contact area than the older ones.
tinman5
05-12-2012, 03:36 PM
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z141/gumby74/0daef42c.jpg
Forgive my crude drawering. But imagine those are the pads. The caliper assembly is 2 pieces. You want to re-use youre carrier as it is cast with the larger slot for the pads ears. If you replace the entire caliper assembly, then you would change pads as well to correspond with the year of the calipers.
what hes saying is the brackets are pad specific. you can use the 04-05 piston assembly as opposed to rebuilding yours.
my take: if you don't need higher heat capacitance, you can get a rebuilt kit at the store for pretty cheap, like 2 dollars per side, you can get all new pins and stuff for pretty cheap, i got all 4 corners hardware kits and seals for about $60. rebuilt my calipers with my hands and handtools. the thermal brake grease is like $5. 600*F synthetic grease. put it on everything. all the seals and stuff just slide on pretty easy. i had my calipers powdercoated for fun too. got speed bleeders, crush washers and stainless banjo bolts for all that $60 too i think. i did it pretty cheap. now i did all this, and bought rsx-s calipers for $20 a piece up front and $10 a piece for the rear (because i wanted a whole set for powder coating without car downtime) and $20 for the prop valve and $25 for the type-s master cylinder from a junkyard. you don't need all that but its fairly cheap if you look for used stuff. even cheaper if you just stick to ep parts, cheaper if you can afford the ep to be brakeless while you get JUST WHAT YOU NEED to rebuild them. for the money i spent i kinda wish i saved a few more dollars up and got the rotora bbk just for shits and giggles, but i don't have 17" wheels.
kinda forgot that you'd need to go to 5lug or drill for type-s brakes, but i mostly intended to use it as an example. you can buy an extra set of brakes to rebuild and just swap them out. to save you down time. gives you more time to do things like paint/powder them and take your time installing the hardware and boots and whatnot. junkyard brakes are much cheaper than o'rielly rebuilt ones.
before anyone jumps the gun, i was fading away on my ep brakes from 120+ stops (don't forget im boosted) - i haven't put these on yet but im running better pads this time around too.
Get the 04-05 caliper, but use your 02-03 caliper carrier and re-use your current pads. Its kinda hard for me to explain.
But if you put the brake pads from the newer calipers on top of the brake pads from tge older calipers you will see what i mean. They are physically identical except for the ends. The newer pads/calipers have a narrower contact area than the older ones.
Okay, so if I get the 04-05 calipers (piston assembly), I will still use the 02-03 brake pads because they are specific to the bracket (the carriers), and not the caliper/piston assembly? I'm just trying to clarify.
- 04-05 Caliper/Piston Assembly
- 02-03 Brackets
- (02-03 Pads IF 02-03 carriers?) (04-05 Pads IF 04-05 carriers?)
EDIT: Like this?
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7222/7186574166_c1b713fee6_z.jpg
OR
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7241/7186588994_8e60f04640_z.jpg
tinman5
05-13-2012, 08:33 AM
Your first rendering is correct. Remember the carrier is a cast piece and part #14 is not interchangeable between the two.
Your first rendering is correct. Remember the carrier is a cast piece and part #14 is not interchangeable between the two.
Ohhhh okay, I gotcha. Well that's dumb as hell that there's a part number for it then.
Thanks man, I appreciate it a lot.
tinman5
05-13-2012, 09:52 AM
Hey man, I just work here...lol.
I gave up trying to figure out the cost saving measures employed by car manufacturers yet they still make 6 different versions of the same thing.
I hope it works out for you though.
Hey man, I just work here...lol.
I gave up trying to figure out the cost saving measures employed by car manufacturers yet they still make 6 different versions of the same thing.
I hope it works out for you though.
Haha understandable. Thanks again!
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