Better brakes?????

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hawk02

hawk02

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The saying in racing is: Brakes don't stop the car; tires do.

'Better' brakes address feel and fade; however, as long as you can engage full ABS then tires are the limiting factor in stopping distance, not the brakes - as Totopo states.

Of course, if you don't want to press as hard for the same amount of braking, then different pads may offer more bite so one perceives that the brakes are 'better' - but stopping distances won't change until you change tires.
I'm not getting them hard enough to engage ABS they just "feel" like they are not biting well enough to stop the way I'd like them to from higher speeds/spirited driving, not sure if I'm explaining it properly,,,,not tracking or racing, just wanting better brake feel.....
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baldheadracing

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I'm not getting them hard enough to engage ABS they just "feel" like they are not biting well enough to stop the way I'd like them to from higher speeds/spirited driving, not sure if I'm explaining it properly,,,,not tracking or racing, just wanting better brake feel.....
Its been a couple years since I drove the 1.5t but I don't remember any issue with brake feel. It wasn't the same kind of feel that one gets with fixed calipers like the Type R's Brembo's, of course.

I realize that your car is probably pretty new, but if you have a winter on the car, then it never hurts to make sure that the calipers move (slide) freely and lubricate as needed, as a sticky connection where the piston assembly caliper floats against the base can affect initial feel - and also check if the pads are wearing evenly (inside pad has as equal depth of pad material as the outer pad).

Then there are pads that would be expected to compress less then stock pads, like ceramics, as others have mentioned.

Good luck!
 

totopo

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I'm not getting them hard enough to engage ABS they just "feel" like they are not biting well enough to stop the way I'd like them to from higher speeds/spirited driving, not sure if I'm explaining it properly,,,,not tracking or racing, just wanting better brake feel.....
Oh, I thought you said braking distance, not feel. Yeah, as others have said, different pads will have different feel. You can try them for your preference.

Honestly though, why not just step on your brakes harder? I wonder why people have such a preference for a crisper brake feel.
 
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hawk02

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Oh, I thought you said braking distance, not feel. Yeah, as others have said, different pads will have different feel. You can try them for your preference.

Honestly though, why not just step on your brakes harder? I wonder why people have such a preference for a crisper brake feel.
That's the problem, I did and it just didn't "feel" right, want more bite....
 

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Ive liked the feel from using hawk hp plus pads and ss brake lines. Like others have stated, its the tires that help with braking distance.

Have done this in the past with other cars, like my old crx, miata, and current evo for street and track driving without the need to swap out the pads for street or track driving. For some applications, the hawks are even cheaper than oem oads. Only con i noticed was more brake dust.
 


BarracksSi

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I'm not getting them hard enough to engage ABS...
Then you don't need new pads yet. Or rotors. Or tires.

Let's get some clarification: Are you overheating them? Are you asking for more stability?

I'll say, though, that different pads can affect feel more than tires or rotors can. I had Cobalt GT-Sport pads on my EP3, and they were good and grabby with high initial bite. Got positive remarks from autocross instructors, too. Sh*tload of dust, though, and noisy like bus brakes on their worst days.

The first thing I would try, though, is a good bleed.
 

akirarex

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Then you don't need new pads yet. Or rotors. Or tires.

Let's get some clarification: Are you overheating them? Are you asking for more stability?

The first thing I would try, though, is a good bleed.
Agreed, some people have reported a soft brake feel, and this can sometimes fix the problem.
And to stop the misinformation of what order to bleed the brakes, directly from Honda:
1. Front DRIVER
2. Front PASSENGER
3. Rear PASSENGER
4. Rear DRIVER
5. Then apply and release the parking brake 5 times and bleed the rear brakes again.

NOTE: When bleeding the brake system, air can get trapped inside the rear calipers. This is due to the complex fluid path inside electric parking brake calipers. Therefore this procedure is necessary.

Side Note: Do not grease the backs of the rear brake pads, it causes errors with the electric parking brake torque system.
 

BarracksSi

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Side Note: Do not grease the backs of the rear brake pads, it causes errors with the electric parking brake torque system.
News to me, but important to know. Thanks for the side note. :headbang:
 

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Had this kit on my other car, pretty similar in size/weight, there is way more bite, definitely less fade than this car.
Only thing is they wear super quick if you drive hard often. As in small stress fractures on some of the rotors by the vents. Plus the pads glaze sooner than you'd like.
 

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When I'm taking logs, I can get one good run before the brake fade kicks in. then again i'm braking from the speed limiter haha. new pads and rotors are on my list
 


yunggunz846

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Agreed, some people have reported a soft brake feel, and this can sometimes fix the problem.
And to stop the misinformation of what order to bleed the brakes, directly from Honda:
1. Front DRIVER
2. Front PASSENGER
3. Rear PASSENGER
4. Rear DRIVER
5. Then apply and release the parking brake 5 times and bleed the rear brakes again.

NOTE: When bleeding the brake system, air can get trapped inside the rear calipers. This is due to the complex fluid path inside electric parking brake calipers. Therefore this procedure is necessary.

Side Note: Do not grease the backs of the rear brake pads, it causes errors with the electric parking brake torque system.
Can you pump it with your foot or do you need a pressure or vacuum bleeder? I am new to bleeding cars with the clutch and brake fluid sharing the same reservoir.
 


 


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