Page 1 of 1

upgrading stock brakes?

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 9:17 pm
by zerosktz
hey guys, i´m looking to do some maintenance and slightly upgrade my ae86´s stock brake system and hopefully leave my car braking as good as when it was new or better. i'm assuming better since it's more than 20 years since it was new and i'm assuming brake product technology has gotten better since then. right? lol so i was wondering if i could get some recomendations in regards to new slotted or vented rotors (disks), break pads, and braided stain steel lines? the stuff i'm looking for is for the stock struts and stock calipers for a sporty street daily use? i never drift or autocross my car, but if i wanna go and mess around and get my car sideways on the weekend i want it to be able to brake decently. i´m getting the toyota cylinder rebuild kits for the calipers btw.

been looking online and so far found everything from the following:

- ebay rotors, pads, and stainless lines (various brands)
- porterfield brake pads
- hawk brake pads
- endless brake pads
- project mu rotors, brake pads, and teflon (?) lines
- goodridge stainless lines

any recomendations guys? thanks!

Re: upgrading stock brakes?

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 10:40 am
by NikNes
I've heard that brake lines make a noticeable improvement, and it's also a good idea safety-wise to replace old rubber lines. If you're worried about overheating brakes, get some fresh high temp brake fluid too. Brake pads might be more of a personal preference things and it's debated wether or not slotted rotors are just for looks - I'd stick to some good quality oem spec if anything. Other than that, there's a few hardcore full on brake upgrades made by companies like Techno Toy Tuning and you can adapt brakes off other cars for cheap if you're patient with finding parts.

Re: upgrading stock brakes?

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 12:58 pm
by ga_goosh
when i re-did my brake system i simply rebuilt my calipers with the oreily's rebuild kit. the ones from oreilys will be about 80% cheaper then toyota and the availability was much better. I used 88rotors slotted and cross drilled rotors. They came in a kit with front and rear rotors and pads. as for pads i would suggest semi-metalic. these will put out more brake dust tho. if you are worried about the brake dust then use ceramic but ceramic pads dont work as well as the semi metalic. you can also change the brake master cylinder to a larger boar to get a more responsive pedal feel. I also got some goodridge ss brake lines too. needless to say my brakes are as good as they where(maybe a bit better) when the car rolled off the show room floor.

Re: upgrading stock brakes?

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 5:15 pm
by Jesse
Just remember that if you change your master cylinder out for one with a larger bore, you end up with firmer feel at the pedal, but *less* pressure at the brake calipers for the same amount of leg pressure on the pedal. For the type of use you are describing, new pads and rotors with stainless braided lines and rebuilt calipers should be great. I have used Goodridge lines and I am happy with them. Brake pads are a matter of preference. I have used both PBR (now it may be called Axxis or something like that) Metal Masters and Project Mu NS on the street and had good luck with both. The Metal Masters cost less, FWIW. Most high-performance name brand street pads should be fine.

Re: upgrading stock brakes?

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 9:01 am
by gotzoom?
I think most things have been covered already, but here are a couple other things to consider. Steel braided brake lines have a short life expectancy when used on a daily driver. You'll likely need to replace them every few years. If you decide to go this route, stick with a quality manufacturer. Goodridge makes a nice set and they are not super expensive. Many "track" or "track/street" brake pads squeal when used on the street and most make a lot of dust. Most "track" pads have a lot of metal in them and use higher temperature lubricants like carbon. They destroy rotors quickly at low road speeds, so I would stay away from those. I'm running Hawk HP Plus pads on my car and they work well for track and autocross, but they are a terrible road brake pad. They squeal like mad on the road. The HPS is a much better road pad. If you stick with a "street performance" pad, you should be fine. Stock front rotors are ventilated, so there is very little value in going with slotted or drilled rotors. Just get low cost oem replacement rotors from your local auto parts shop. They will be perfectly fine. I'm running a completely stock brake system with Goodridge lines, Hawk HP Plus pads and ATE Blue brake fluid and this is fine for even track duty on a relatively stock powered car. I get a bit of brake fade on Buttonwillow toward the end of a 20 min session, but it's nothing that a pair of front brake ducts won't cure. Unless you're running considerably more power than stock, there should be no need for major brake upgrades.

Re: upgrading stock brakes?

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 10:53 am
by ronny
from my experience - a complete full overhaul is probably the best bet - it would be wise to replace everything.

onc eyou do that, u prob don have to worry about it again

Re: upgrading stock brakes?

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 6:02 pm
by Jacare
Anyone have the part number for the brake caliper rebuild setup?
Just ordered my SS clutch and brake lines yesterday,
thinking about some super blue fluid for the lines
Matted up with my hawk HPS pads all around

Another thing is a recommended rotor set. I was gonna get Napa blanks

Re: upgrading stock brakes?

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 9:00 pm
by MisterJerk
you can get the caliper rebuild from Cabe Toyota. Herb can hook it up.
http://www.cabetoyota.com/index.htm

for brakes, check out 88 rotors. sweet, sweet deals.

http://club4ag.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=650

For brake lines, bearings and what not, check out RPM.
rpmautoparts714@YAHOO.COM

All these guys are vendors that help support C4AG, and they usually have good deals and fast shipping.

Re: upgrading stock brakes?

Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 9:20 am
by Deuce Cam
Goodridge brake lines are DOT approved and have a lifetime warranty if you buy them from an authorized dealer. I'd stay away from the ebay knock off junk, especially for something vital like brakes.

Re: upgrading stock brakes?

Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 4:13 pm
by Jacare
Are SS lines hard to install?
Just got my set, little confused on the lines to swap
Then again I haven't gone under my car to look yet.

Any pointers/advise before I tackle it in the next few week?

Re: upgrading stock brakes?

Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 6:44 pm
by ariel_86
SS lines aren't hard at all to install. Use a line wrench to take off the old lines and route the new lines exactly how the old ones were routed. Make sure you have something to catch the brake fluid that will spill out when you take off the lines.

The hardest line to install is the line from the chassis to rear end. Put the chassis on jack stands and let the rear droop some (hold it with a jack or another pair of stands) when you replace that one.