CXI owners who upgraded brakes

[djanowaddameen?]

I have a stock EK CXI '99 -last run, with front disc rear drum configuration. I was hoping to get advice about the possibility of replacing the drums with discs, from anyone whose done that.

I've hated drums since my first accident where i locked the brakes and rear ended someone. Anyone with 4 wheel disc brakes are lucky bastards!

[[[d a n n y]]]

well changing a drum brake on a civic is pretty easy.
i've dont it to my Breeze and few other civics, CXI,Gl, etc

though it isnt that hard it is time consuming.
firstly u need a pair of rear trailing arm+disc+calipers off a EK4 or a GLi+VTi
make sure u get the handbrake cables too.
this will set u back around 350-400

then u unbolt your rear drum trailing arm and handbrake cables.
they are 14,17 mm bolts. using a rattle gun is highly advisable.
unbolting the handbrake cable u need to take your centre console off and undo the 2 lines from the handbrake leaver.

once u have taken out the whole drum assembly u may put the disc trailing arms in the reverse order.

this is just a basic outline if u want more info when your doing it i'll be more than glad to help u out

[iamhappy46]

Drum brakes would not have caused your front disc brakes to lock up... even people with rear discs rear end people!

Yes, there are ways of fitting rear discs to your car. A decent upgrade would be to find a wrecked EK4 VTiR Civic and swap over ALL of the braking components ;)

[mrwillz]

on a gli wif 4-disc brakes
does the civic haf abs?? is it really required to haf abs on 4-disc?

[|N|]

on a gli wif 4-disc brakes
does the civic haf abs?? is it really required to haf abs on 4-disc?


for aust. modem . only EK4 and EM1 has ABS... gli has 4 disc and no abs
cxi has rear drum.

[Zdster]

I have a conversion for sale if you are interested.

[djanowaddameen?]

I don't have confidence driving a car with rear drum brakes, so people, watch out for me on the roads! :>

when I brake hard in this car, the front end bites down ok, all the weight moves to the front end and the rear sort of lifts up and locks up.

Then the car drifts left or right depending on what direction i turn. I dont think its a calibration error with the brakes as the place I send it for service always checks them. Its a design flaw, and Hondas stinge factor for putting these types of brakes on the cheaper cxi model.

Besides that, I want the look of seeing disc brakes through my wheels :)

[Surrufus]

to upgrade to rear drums on a CXi you need to source (using the Gli as a donor car) rear hubs with discs and handbrake cable which is all well and good
but you will also need to get a brake proportioning valve from a GLi as the CXi's vavle is not set for rear discs
this goes for any brake upgrade really

[civicCXI]

I don't have confidence driving a car with rear drum brakes, so people, watch out for me on the roads! :>
put that as a bumper sticker : )

Don't they have like a bolt on drum-disc conversion kit?

[Surrufus]

haha i dont think there's such a thing as a bolt on drum to disc conversion
thats why you use the GLi bits
and thats prob the cheapest way

[Zdster]

to upgrade to rear drums on a CXi you need to source (using the Gli as a donor car) rear hubs with discs and handbrake cable which is all well and good
but you will also need to get a brake proportioning valve from a GLi as the CXi's vavle is not set for rear discs
this goes for any brake upgrade really

**cough** also have the pv and master cylinder as well as the brake hubs/arms etc **cough** :D

[mrwillz]

get mikes 13' big brake upgrade
almost as big as the 14' stockie wheels lol

[Zdster]

get mikes 13' big brake upgrade
almost as big as the 14' stockie wheels lol

:p or you could always get the rear kit and have discs all around.

[Surrufus]

**cough** also have the pv and master cylinder as well as the brake hubs/arms etc **cough** :D
i always thought that the master and booster cylinders were the same size for CXi and GLi
thanx for correcting me

[fergo308]

is there any difference between EK1 and Ek4 front brakes? my girlfriend drives an EK1 and I'd like to improve it's braking as well. swapping to Ek4 fronts,and GLI rear discs was the kind of thing I was considering.
opinions?


Justin...

[TypeRice]

yeah CXI sux
i feel unsafe driving one..
you have to break earlier than usual.. and giv a bit of distance from u and the car infront of you at ALL times.... (forget about tail gating in a Rear Drum car !!!)

usually when i drive a CXI i have to use the engine to help me slow down..
it really sux.. bcoz n e sudden breaking.. u no u will crash for sure..

and it forces u to drive slower than other ppls .. so ppls always over take u .. and that sux too..

my 2 cents .. peace6^

[civicCXI]

I don't have confidence driving a car with rear drum brakes, so people, watch out for me on the roads! :>

when I brake hard in this car, the front end bites down ok, all the weight moves to the front end and the rear sort of lifts up and locks up.

Then the car drifts left or right depending on what direction i turn. I dont think its a calibration error with the brakes as the place I send it for service always checks them. Its a design flaw, and Hondas stinge factor for putting these types of brakes on the cheaper cxi model.

Besides that, I want the look of seeing disc brakes through my wheels :)

happened to me once, my went slightly sideways for a few meters when i tried to stop hard at a red light. Fortunately no car was infront



yeah CXI sux
i feel unsafe driving one..
you have to break earlier than usual.. and giv a bit of distance from u and the car infront of you at ALL times.... (forget about tail gating in a Rear Drum car !!!)

usually when i drive a CXI i have to use the engine to help me slow down..
it really sux.. bcoz n e sudden breaking.. u no u will crash for sure..

and it forces u to drive slower than other ppls .. so ppls always over take u .. and that sux too..

my 2 cents .. peace6^

Totally agree

[n/a]

is there any difference between EK1 and Ek4 front brakes? my girlfriend drives an EK1 and I'd like to improve it's braking as well. swapping to Ek4 fronts,and GLI rear discs was the kind of thing I was considering.
opinions?


Justin...

justin run a search on gli vtir brakes, you'll find more specific info, facelift glis have same front disc sizes as ek4's

[ekhybrid]

justin run a search on gli vtir brakes, you'll find more specific info, facelift glis have same front disc sizes as ek4's

facelift or not, gli's have same brakes as ek4.
just that gli's have no abs.

[iamhappy46]

or fit DC2 front brakes

[TypeRice]

CXI has abs too you know

[Zdster]

CXI has abs too you know

Unless there is a model that I dont know about, no cxi ever came with abs.

[destrukshn]

er... drums actually brake better, there is more contact from the shoe to the drums.
saying that, there is a downfall, heat, normal day to day driving, NORMALLY, drums will most probably brake better, but then they heat up, from trashing etc.. that's when they will fail you.

[TypeRice]

Unless there is a model that I dont know about, no cxi ever came with abs.

my car is a CXI..

and everytime i start up my car there is an ABS light that turns on for 1 second .. den turns off

[Zdster]

my car is a CXI..

and everytime i start up my car there is an ABS light that turns on for 1 second .. den turns off

While the article refers to gli's (which have higher specs), the cxi didnt come with abs.
http://autoweb.drive.com.au/cms/A_51187/newsarticle.html

[destrukshn]

my car is a CXI..

and everytime i start up my car there is an ABS light that turns on for 1 second .. den turns off
take a pic of the engine if you can?

[TypeRice]

isnt ABS mean airbags?

[SLPJCooL]

isnt ABS mean airbags?

SRS means AirBag.....Not ABS......
I've got Facelifted CXi and doesn't come with ABS (Rear drums of course)

[TypeRice]

SRS means AirBag.....Not ABS......
I've got Facelifted CXi and doesn't come with ABS (Rear drums of course)

arghh crap brothers and sisters i got mixed up with ABS and SRS.. hehe oops

case closed..

peace out^^

[zco]

i have owned both cars. EK4 and EK1. both same shit i reckon HAHA

[mrwillz]

lol rice ur a tool

srs=abs rofl

[TypeRice]

lol rice ur a tool

srs=abs rofl

i thought ABS stand for Air Bag System

peace^^

[mrwillz]

hehehhe
well all sorted now
:)

[ivankit]

I drive EH9 i want to change my front brake too.
can i use Integra GSi or VTi or VTi-R front calipers with disc??

[iamhappy46]

Yes, the GSi or VTiR knuckle with hub, rotors and calipers need to be swapped over for it to work

[ekhybrid]

i have owned both cars. EK4 and EK1. both same shit i reckon HAHA

its because they are the same lol
besides the abs of course :cool:

[chilli]

cxi brakes own!!

slide ftw

[SPEEDCORE]

when I brake hard in this car, the front end bites down ok, all the weight moves to the front end and the rear sort of lifts up and locks up.

This is normal behaviour.... all cars experience forward pitch during braking. If you are experiencing severe forward pitching of the car and the rear drums check out ok...its not the brakes... investigate your suspension *points @ shocks*


Then the car drifts left or right depending on what direction i turn.

Again... this is not a result of having drums at the rear, if they have been adjusted properly then an issue with the suspension is more likely to be the cause.... alignment settings in my experience particularly rear toe can have a profound effect on rear stability under hard braking situations while having slight steering input. Compound this further with the possibilty of worn shocks on the front and you have a car that is gonna be particularly interesting in these conditions.

As for saying that drum brakes are weak... think again. Drum brakes are actually some of the most powerful brakes you can get for their respective size... though as mentioned.... the inadequate dissipating of heat is what makes them prone to fade when they are used on the front axle. On the rear... I highly doubt you will ever get them to loose any significant effectiveness on the street... especially if they still have a good amount of meat on the shoes.

Look elsewhere man... I don't think your problems are brake related.