Upgrading Rotors and pads.

MrFT000 · Post by **MrFT000** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 1:43 pm

I am planning a Rotor and pad upgrade soon and was wondering if anyone can give me any hints or suggestions on how best to do this.
I have my DBA Slotted rotors and RB74 pads ready to go and also plan on painting the calipers at the same time as well.

Ive looked at the DIY on FTODIY but i dont find it overly useful.

Has anyone done this themselves? anyone got pics of the process??

Post them up if you do.

mxysxy · Post by **mxysxy** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 2:04 pm

Considering that I have seen many people upgraded their brake system to DBA Slotted and RB74 combination (and all were happy with this), I was thinking to the exactly the same upgrade.

However, when I was going through the "FTO Information" of this web site, I have come accross the below quoted description.

Upgrading your rotors may not be a worthwhile effort. You should only do so if you have a severe brake fade problem. Most street enthusiast driving does not punish the brakes hard enough.

(You can read this if you follow FTO Information>Modifications link on the left side)

Now, I dont do any track work. Is that means if I do this upgrade it isnt worthwhile.

MrFT000 · Post by **MrFT000** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 2:17 pm

has anyone done the actual upgrade (the installation) themselves...
need some help peoples

Chiangstar · Post by **Chiangstar** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 2:34 pm

ive changed my discs and pads before.... what do you need help with?

simon

MrFT000 · Post by **MrFT000** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 3:06 pm

Anything special to look out for.
or is it just a matter of undoing lots of nuts and bolts and then putting new rotors and pads in and put everything back together?
any pics of the process?

Boris · Post by **Boris** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 3:38 pm

mxysxy wrote:Now, I dont do any track work. Is that means if I do this upgrade it isnt worthwhile.

You haven't seen Grant drive... Canberra is a giant track for him full of nice round abouts...

Grant, changing them is pretty straigh forward. Have a look at more articles with pictures..

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/howto/ ... ticle.html

http://www.miata.net/garage/brakepad.html

You migh want to bleed the brake fluid while your at it....

Chiangstar · Post by **Chiangstar** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 3:59 pm

MrFT000 wrote:Anything special to look out for.
or is it just a matter of undoing lots of nuts and bolts and then putting new rotors and pads in and put everything back together?
any pics of the process?

i dont have any pics...sorry...
but as boris said, read a couple of tutorials off the net...theyre pretty much the same... all you really have to do is undo the caliper from the brake assembly...there are two bolts on the back of the caliper that attach it to the whoel brake assy then the caliper comes off and you can pull the disc off...

then take one of (top or bottom) the caliper bolts off and that will allow you to swivel the caliper open and change the pad.... what you will need to do is push the pistons back in...itll be easier to do if you take the lid off the brake fluid reservior when you do it.... watch out cos when you push the pistons in, the brake fluid will try to go everywhere

with the rear brakes, i think the piston doesnt just push in... IIRC they have to be screwed in.... but this is going back about 18 months now...so i could be wrong...

and then, as boris said, bleed the brake fluid...

cheers and gl

simon

MrFT000 · Post by **MrFT000** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 4:05 pm

You haven't seen Grant drive... Canberra is a giant track for him full of nice round abouts...

Grant, changing them is pretty straigh forward. Have a look at more articles with pictures..

why do you think we used to have the GMC here in canberra! Its one big track!

*Always drive safely and within speed limits on normal roads. Save the track driving for the track.

mxysxy · Post by **mxysxy** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 4:10 pm

hhaahhahh

I have been to Canberra once before 2,5 years ago, and still cant believe how many roundabouts there.
I thought Ballarat was leading, however, Canberra has its own league.

FTO338 · Post by **FTO338** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 5:15 pm

Boris wrote:
mxysxy wrote:Now, I dont do any track work. Is that means if I do this upgrade it isnt worthwhile.
You haven't seen Grant drive... Canberra is a giant track for him full of nice round abouts...

Hahahaha well i haven't seen all of you drive yet, but i've heard enough story though ahahahah you boys need to take me for a "cruize" when i'm over.

ACT = Australia goCart Track ahahhahahahaha

Jono · Post by **Jono** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 10:14 pm

i thought boris was crazy, then i met grant...

BuCkEt · Post by **BuCkEt** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 11:21 am

Heheh, I too get a lot of comments about my driving around the ACT's roundabouts.

But from the sounds of it, no where near as "crazy" as the Boris and Grant.

I still manage to get tyre squeelage once a day.

Boris · Post by **Boris** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 12:54 pm

Man, this thread has gone off topic... hahaha... spose i can't complain cos i started it

Ahwell. So what is the cheapest price you guys have payed for some slotted front rotors? And where!

MrFT000 · Post by **MrFT000** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 1:56 pm

Man, this thread has gone off topic...

YES IT HAS!!

Boris - I paid $103.30 for each DBA Standard Slotted DBA 425SL & R

d_stroy_r · Post by **d_stroy_r** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 10:52 pm

I got rb74s on normal discs.

With in 2-3 days of getting the discs machined, i saw a massive amount of warpage.

Im going to get some dbas very soon.

I highy reccomend not getting upgraded pads with normal discs.

D-TRAIN · Post by **D-TRAIN** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 11:12 pm

d_stroy_r wrote:I highy reccomend not getting upgraded pads with normal discs.

I second that also!

Boris · Post by **Boris** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 11:13 pm

So did you bed them in?
What is the proper procedure of bedding in the brakes pads & rotors?

spetz · Post by **spetz** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 11:26 pm

Once we are on this topic...
Do these upgraded FTO brake rotors come in 4 stud pattern?
My car has 4 stud pattern and the brakes are to my knowledge identical to FTO brakes (But from a galant or something???)

FTO338 · Post by **FTO338** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 9:52 am

spetz wrote:Once we are on this topic...
Do these upgraded FTO brake rotors come in 4 stud pattern?
My car has 4 stud pattern and the brakes are to my knowledge identical to FTO brakes (But from a galant or something???)

Well i'm sure you can find the Lancer stud pattern at DBA website, so the answer would be yes.

spetz · Post by **spetz** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 6:12 am

Does the rotor have to be the same size (diameter) as my old one?

And I heard DBA rotors warp easy...

Should I bother changing calipers? Is this a difficult (read expensive) task?