Reducing stopping distance

[Ru$kI]

Hi Guys.

I've got close to no idea when it comes to brakes:o , hence I need all ur help!!

Problem:
1. Car doesn't stop as quickly as I want it to
2. Brakes squeal

Potential Solutions
1. New brake pads?
2. Machining rotors?
3. New rotors?
4. Re-bleeding OEM pads?
5. Better Tyres?

Im leaning towards getting new pads. Can anyone recommend any for strictly street use?

Brand Name:
Price:
Compare to OEM pads:
Brake Dust:
Fade:
Bite:
Squealing:
Chance of Rotor warping:

Cheers:cool:

[bennjamin]

since you speak of only your car - refer to this previous "civic brake pad thread" for more info and discussion

http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47739&highlight=brake+pads

Also , newer better tyres will increase braking ofcourse :)

[Ru$kI]

Tnhx ben.

Im leaning toward the Lucas pads as I recall my mechanic recommended them ages ago, plus it seems they dont need to be heated up at all to start working well, which is exactly what Im after since Ill be doing daily driving + some spirited driving at times. However, aarong stated they will eat up the rotors very quickly.

Has anyone had these on before, and what did they think of them? How do they compare to Endless SSS, Project Mu Best stop, and Winmax pads??

Also as far as tyres, has anyone heard anything good about Sumitomo HTRZ 2?

[destrukshn]

those tyres are okay..
BUT, never ever, please don't skimp out on the tyres.

[Ru$kI]

Yea, I've learned my lesson about cheap tyres already :(

Im also looking at Bridgestone Potenza G3 and Toyo T1R, but god damn they are expensive!!!

[ZeForce]

Bridgestone Potenza G3 :thumbsup:

I just got some lucas pads installed about a week ago, so far Im quite happy with them

[destrukshn]

toyo guwn trampios are quite good in my books, and aren't too bad in pricing.
=)

[CUL8R]

some good spring/shock or coilover combination would help u with bumpy surface braking

some killer pads like ebc redstuff will resist fade at high temp operation(i cannot get these to fade!!!)

even braided lines will improve pedal feel under hard conditions coz they will not flex/expand under serious loading

some high performance tyres would help u apply the retarding force(braking) to the ground

upping to a bigger rotor is not always good unless u up the size of ur brakes because the inertia of the rotor has been incresed but not the retarding force.

big 19" chromes on ur ride? throw em and get some bangin 16" forged wheels to decrease rolling inertia.

throw some of the excess baggage out of the car for a lighter car.

[garett]

a mixture of all these things will help for sure.

i have found that fresh brake fluid does wonders
have just changed the rotors and front pads in my eg and
was a huge improvement,

they are prob squealing cos they need changing
when changing pads its allways good to do the rotors too
whether it be machining them or replacing.
bleeding the brakes is a pain in the arse. but when done makes a hell of a difference for pedal feel and braking ability

tyres will help but not at normal braking applications, however if you really need to jump on them for example to avoid and accident or whatever, the difference between new and shagged tyres might save your life

[aaronng]

If you are not engaging ABS when you press the pedal hard on a good road surface, then your tyres are still exceeding your braking performance. Some pads tend to bite lightly with 1/2 pedal pressure and only show their true performance when you press on the brake pedal with all your might.

If you are on a budget, do your brake performance increase in this order:
1) Sand your brake pads
2) Brake fluid bleed
3) Replace your brake pads with one of higher friction
4) Once your rotors wear out, replace them with better rotors that are more wear resistant.
5) Replace your calipers, pads, rotors, brake lines as well as get larger rims to accomodate the larger brakes.

If at any point you exceed your tyre performance (I doubt you will until you get the big brake kit), then look at replacing your tyres with better ones.

[DLO01]

Good braking in the end is only as good as your tyres. In saying that its a combination of tyres/wheels, suspension, brake components and the person behind the wheel.

[Ru$kI]

Cheers guys, thnx 4 all the advice

I went to my mechanic to get him to road tested the car to see if he feels the car doesnt pull up well. I sat in the car during the test, and at all times the car stopped absolutely fine.

He mentioned that the accident could've been due to the stiffness of my coilover setup, and that I think is a really valid point.

One of the things i didnt consider before was the effect of the damper setting on my Tein SS coilovers. I've been riding with them set to 100% stiffness, and that may very well have caused the accident as on a poorly surfaced road...my tyres ended up skipping off the road basically. I've reset my damper to 60% stiffness @ front and 50% stiffness @ rear, and Im going to drive around like this for a while to see if there is any difference in traction.

If i still feel there is no difference, then ill get the pads checked out. When the car was serviced last...i was told the pads were almost as new...hence I doubt they'd be OEM (as the guy who had the car before me had a tendancy to opt for cheap mods)...so if it turns out they're bendix or some other crap...then I'll replace the pads + machine the rotors.

As far as the tyres...I've set my mind on Potenza G3. Depending on how the car handling and traction feels now that I've adjusted the damper settings...I will decide whether to stick with my current tyres (Marshal Power Racer II) for a bit longer as they have alota tread left, or swap for the G3s

[Ru$kI]

Bridgestone Potenza G3 :thumbsup:

I just got some lucas pads installed about a week ago, so far Im quite happy with them

awesome...tell me how that combo feels in a while after the pads wear in a little. Did u machine ur rotors as well? Also what lucas pads did u get, and do they need heating up before they start working?

[iamhappy46]

I have found that with excessively stiff front suspension, there is no weight transfer onto the front of the car. This causes the rotors to lock up on street driven roads but vehicles equiped with ABS will quickly pulse the ABS to the point that braking distance increases 40~70%.

Stiff suspension is 'race spec' for a reason.

If you want, I can also source slotted DBA rotors to suit your car for $250 delivered to your door that will make a decent braking increase.

[Ru$kI]

Cheers mate, I'll keep that in mind:thumbsup:

In the meantime Im driving around with a much softer damper setting to see how it feels grip / braking wise, but If I'm still unhappy with it, I think the first thing I will swap over will probably be the pads...then tyres, and only then rotors.

But I'll shoot u a pm if rotors become a viable option:)


I have found that with excessively stiff front suspension, there is no weight transfer onto the front of the car. This causes the rotors to lock up on street driven roads but vehicles equiped with ABS will quickly pulse the ABS to the point that braking distance increases 40~70%.

Stiff suspension is 'race spec' for a reason.

If you want, I can also source slotted DBA rotors to suit your car for $250 delivered to your door that will make a decent braking increase.

[Mr_will]

If you want, I can also source slotted DBA rotors to suit your car for $250 delivered to your door that will make a decent braking increase.

if his current setup is capable of locking the wheels then slotted rotors wont do him any good.

all they will do is reduce fade, which in street driving is really not an issue unless you dont value your licence at all, and repeatedly stop from 150km/h

[iamhappy46]

Slotted rotors by design actually prevent the wheels from locking up as brake dust/gas actually have a means of escape. That is why they are fitted to many performance vehicles from the factory.

Therefore, fitting slotted rotors means you can get more pad bite as the surface is not continuous + the slots can cut into glazed pads + you can hit them harder and for longer.

[aaronng]

Modern brake pads do not gas anymore. Only the older style of the 1980-90's did.

[todaek9]

Money...the more you got, the quicker you'd stop...
Weight dist is the essential key...

[ZeForce]

awesome...tell me how that combo feels in a while after the pads wear in a little. Did u machine ur rotors as well? Also what lucas pads did u get, and do they need heating up before they start working?

Im going for a cruise through the hills this friday if the weather is good and Ill let you know how they perform... I didnt machine my rotors so my brake pedal was a little soft at first, but now they have a nice feel with decent bite when cold. They are a bit dusty, but nothing over the top.

AFAIK there is only one type of lucas pad, feel free to correct me though...