My brake upgrade thread.

[2ndGenGuy]

Well, I'm trying to get started on my brake upgrade this week. I'm putting on the rear Prelude discs, and installing the JDM 86-87 twin piston calipers.

So far on my parts I've got:

Brembo drilled, sloted OEM front rotors (which hopefully won't crack)
eBay Prelude drilled, slotted OEM rear rotors (also hopefully won't crack)
All mounting rear brackets from 2g Prelude Si and e-brake cables
Reman Autozone (Tokico) 2g Prelude calipers
3g Accord JDM twin piston calipers
2g Prelude Si proportioning valve
New rear wheel bearings

Currently waiting on / on order:
EBC Redstuff pads all around
Custom stainless hoses made by local brake shop
Speed bleeder valves
Rebuild kit for JDM calipers


I think that's everything, but it's late and I'm tired...

So anyways, I started doing some manual labor tonight on this project. Got out my favorite rust stripping tool.



After about an hour of cleaning, here's how the caliper brackets looked before and after.



Used some "Ford Red" high temp engine enamel for it. Its the same paint I sprayed my drums with, so I know it's durable, and is the color I like.



Hung the brackets up and sprayed them. Wiped them down with laquer thinner first of course.





So yeah that's all I got done tonight. Much much more to come though. I only had about 2 hours to do this. I spent half my night driving up to pick up my Prelude tranny...

So I still have to:

Rebuild front calipers
Paint front calipers and brackets
Paint rear calipers
Have Prelude e-brake cables extended at welding shop (since I have no welder)
Install parts!

I will be updating this thread with pics as I progress. Just wanted to get some notes up tonight, with a few pics.

[PhydeauX]

If I were you I'd extend the adjuster on the e-brake handle not the cables. Just in case you ever need to replace the cables you'll be able to replace them with stock prelude parts. I'm interested to hear how the 2 piston fronts work out for you. I've got a similar set of 2 pistons for my nova that I've yet to install. I've heard both ways that either they're great or you're just adding more unsprung weight. I've yet to try mine. Aside from getting the car road worthy I also have to get a set of 15's to clear them. Remember the best brake upgrade is stickier tires. Upgrading the brakes is meaningless if what you currently have can lock your wheels up.

If if you get a chance can you post up which pads those fronts use. What rotors they need, the smallest rim size they'll fit under etc. Stuff that would be good for a faq.

andy

[offthahook]

Man, that will be hot. I plan on doing mine someday, too. It'll be cool to actually see the rear discs because of your spoked rims. The red calipers should scream. Your car will have a sick brake setup.

[MessyHonda]

Man, that will be hot. I plan on doing mine someday, too. It'll be cool to actually see the rear discs because of your spoked rims. The red calipers should scream. Your car will have a sick brake setup.

lol i said that too...but the rear disks are small. i was impressed on how even it stops now tho..i went from 70-20 in around 2 secs all while downshifting into 2nd

[2ndGenGuy]

Yeah when I'm done with the project, I'll make up a new thread for FAQ. Though all of my info, I pulled from this site already. Guess it would be good to have in one place.

Just for reference for now, the rotors I'm using are the stock size. Since they were the same as the 3g 86-87's. I also read your thread on how you used the 86-87 calipers and they bolted right to your brackets. And I figured since the two piston calipers bolt onto the 86-87 brackets, that means they would bolt right onto the 2g brackets as well. Well once I got the brakes, I confirmed that the brackets are the exact size and should work fine.

I know that the drilled / slotted thing isn't going to do crap. If anything, it reduces braking surface for the pads to grip to. My tires are pretty damn sticky right now, but yeah I'm still planning an upgrade. Right now they're at 205-50/15. I'm planning on going up to some 215/50-15's, with some 5mm spacers. That should help fill out wheel gap, give me more grip, and widen the stance. All of which are great benefits.

I do think that the 2 pistons will be a benefit though. Instead of having one piston pushing in the middle of the pad, you get 2 smaller pistons pushing over a more even area across the pad. I think it should add for better contact.

Mostly this brake upgrade is a "bling-bling" factor, but I figured why not, since I needed new brakes anyways. Maybe it will stop better too.

[forrest89sei]

NICE!

Looking forward to seeing the swap

[MessyHonda]

drilled / slotted help cool down the rotor so you dont get fade.......i never had fade on my car....it also lets the gases escape when your pad and rotor create alot of friction. i love my breaks....you can feel the difference when i drive my dx and my lx-i

[2ndGenGuy]

Drilling and slotting is only really effective when you've got 6-piston calipers, and 14 inch rotors. And even then it's nominal. The effects are mostly seen, from what I've read, at speeds of like 125mph+. Porsches, Corvettes, Ferarris, etc can utilize them, because they're daily driven, and are capable of high speed. And warped rotors are expensive to replace.

Most race applications, AFIAK, don't use drilled / slotted setups anymore because they found them to be less effective due to reduced surface area. So while drilling and slotting may cool more, the reduced braking ability from the surface area loss is greater.

Also, my concern is using brakes that have been slotted and drilled AFTER casting. The brakes were obviously designed with a certain structural integrity in mind, and by reducing that from it's original design, you're taking a huge chance in them cracking. If you get rotors that are cast with the holes and slots, you'll be fine because they were intended to be used that way.

But I guess we'll see. Like I said, for me it's more for the bling, and performance will only be an added benefit.

[2ndGenGuy]

... So anyways, I got more work done tonight. I cleaned the crap out of my rear calipers. They came with this thick awful coating of oil on them to help keep them new looking I guess. Sure woudn't have been compatible with paint being sprayed on them.

I started cleaning them with some of those generic orange rags you find at every store, using some laquer thinner. I then noticed as I was cleaning, that the rag was leaving lint behind ALL OVER the damn brakes.

I then went to those blue shop towels on a roll, and they started deteriorating and doing the same thing. So I went to the store and bought some polishing rags, which appeared to have no lint on them. They even started leaving behind lint.

Got out the air compressor and blew the crap out of them... The lint WILL NOT COME OFF. It was pissing me off, so I sat there and hand picked it as best I could, and blew it off some more, but there was still some left. I decided to say "SCREW IT" and painted them anyways. I spent just about all night on them.

I sprayed a nice heavy thick coat on the calipers and decided that if they start flaking or looking crappy, I'll have them powercoated. However, I'm definitely going to take the front calipers in and powdercoat them this week.

Before Paint:


After Paint:


Pretty bitchen lookin I think. But we'll see how they hold up.

[forrest89sei]

... So anyways, I got more work done tonight. I cleaned the crap out of my rear calipers. They came with this thick awful coating of oil on them to help keep them new looking I guess. Sure woudn't have been compatible with paint being sprayed on them.

I started cleaning them with some of those generic orange rags you find at every store, using some laquer thinner. I then noticed as I was cleaning, that the rag was leaving lint behind ALL OVER the damn brakes.

I then went to those blue shop towels on a roll, and they started deteriorating and doing the same thing. So I went to the store and bought some polishing rags, which appeared to have no lint on them. They even started leaving behind lint.

Got out the air compressor and blew the crap out of them... The lint WILL NOT COME OFF. It was pissing me off, so I sat there and hand picked it as best I could, and blew it off some more, but there was still some left. I decided to say "SCREW IT" and painted them anyways. I spent just about all night on them.

I sprayed a nice heavy thick coat on the calipers and decided that if they start flaking or looking crappy, I'll have them powercoated. However, I'm definitely going to take the front calipers in and powdercoat them this week.

Before Paint:


After Paint:


Pretty bitchen lookin I think. But we'll see how they hold up.

SWEET!!

[Hazwan]

mmmmm pretty

[MessyHonda]

Drilling and slotting is only really effective when you've got 6-piston calipers, and 14 inch rotors. And even then it's nominal. The effects are mostly seen, from what I've read, at speeds of like 125mph+. Porsches, Corvettes, Ferarris, etc can utilize them, because they're daily driven, and are capable of high speed. And warped rotors are expensive to replace.

Most race applications, AFIAK, don't use drilled / slotted setups anymore because they found them to be less effective due to reduced surface area. So while drilling and slotting may cool more, the reduced braking ability from the surface area loss is greater.

Also, my concern is using brakes that have been slotted and drilled AFTER casting. The brakes were obviously designed with a certain structural integrity in mind, and by reducing that from it's original design, you're taking a huge chance in them cracking. If you get rotors that are cast with the holes and slots, you'll be fine because they were intended to be used that way.

But I guess we'll see. Like I said, for me it's more for the bling, and performance will only be an added benefit.

idk my breaks have a special zinc coating...so they dont rust like original....but yeah.....it would be cool if i could comprare it with some of the guys that are running stock set up.

[2ndGenGuy]

idk my breaks have a special zinc coating...so they dont rust like original....but yeah.....it would be cool if i could comprare it with some of the guys that are running stock set up.

Yeah the zinc coating is nice. We put some drilled / slotted rotors on my friend's Vette. The holes and the edges of his brakes aren't all rusted out and crappy looking. They're still nice and silver. Zinc coating rules.

[offthahook]

Yeah, I feel ya on that stuff they put on the calipers after they rebuild them. Some kind of oily solvent type deal, definitely not paint friendly. Keep in mind that powdercoating will make your front calipers/brackets slightly thicker. Amazing how you just learn so much when actually doing stuff like this. Sounds like your rebuilt calipers needed blasted to get to a point where you could paint them.

[2ndGenGuy]

Yeah I guess they turned out okay. I checked em out tonight. They look better than I expected. The little fibers come off still but don't take any paint off with them luckily. I guess I'll have to see how time holds them up...

So here's another update. Didn't have much time again tonight. I took apart the rear mounts that bolt onto the hub and the rock shields too. I spent about 2 hours stripping dust off them.

Got out the jukebox:



Got some beer that I found in the fridge, never seen it before, but it's not bad.



How rusty everything was before:



That's all I got done in about 2 hours. My wire wheel is worn out and so is my rust stripping pad...


Anyways... Will finish the rest this weekend and paint!

[2ndGenGuy]

Got my stainless steel brake lines tonight. Should help improve pedal feel a bit.

[2ndGenGuy]

Progress has been so slow this weekend. I had to help my friend install some Hella dual-tone air horns in his car. It took forever for some reason. And I spent all day today looking for new boots for the sliding caliper brackets... Good luck on those! Can't get them from Honda, can't get them from the auto parts stores, so the junk yard was my only choice.

The yard didn't have any Preludes with Tokico brakes, so I had to go steal some from the Legend. They were almost a perfect fit, but they worked, and were in good shape. Gotta keep that grease in and dirt out!

Anyways here's the brake parts I installed today:


Remember how rusty these were? Now they look brand new!




Too bad these are going to get dirty and you can't see how good they look when it's all done.




Drilled and slotted rotors with all bearings installed and mounted.


Fo shizzle! Just didn't have time to finish it up.... Hopefully tomorrow night I can get those blingin' red calipers bolted on and bled.

[MessyHonda]

looks like my power stop rotors...woot

[offthahook]

Man, this going to be so sick. Props for doing it so right and thorough. Impressive.

[mkymonkey]

is this really all you use to clean those calipers? and i have to say wow at your progress and how everything looks

[offthahook]

I just thought of something... Won't those cleaned up dust shields re rust instantly if you stripped them like that? Like the minute a drop of water hits the untreated/stripped metal? I guess it's what they're made of. I would hate to see them rust out again after all that elbow grease. Bare metal usually is very prone to rust.

[mkymonkey]

to me it looked like he painted them....but i might be wrong.

[MessyHonda]

yeah they look painted

[Hazwan]

ya looks painted. I don't know why he would leave it bare metal like that

[offthahook]

I figured he would paint them, but that silver is close enough to bare metal color that I had to be sure. Hope he let the paint cure and used high heat paint. They do look new-- no runs or any blemishes. Let's hope they are painted.