After reading my first articles, I suppose you noticed that my project will not be the craziest build ever seen on a EF chassis, or the baddest B-series preparation of all time. Because you’ve probably noticed that my main goal is to maintain or upgrade a high level of homogeneity on the car’s general handling and feeling.
Those 90’s EF chassis are fantastic but suffers from different defaults for a confortable and secure track use. And brakes are one of them. But why … ?
Do you know what is asbestos ? Today it is a forbidden and unused material of course but in the 90’s there was asbestos fiber added inside braking pads. So what’s the relation with a lack of braking ?
Asbestos allowed – for the same ‘braking configuration’ (discs and pads size, power applied on braking pedal, and so on …) – to have a more performant friction coefficient between discs and pads during braking and this was obtained at a lower temperature level. Consequences are clear : to have the same braking with OEM braking system on a EF chassis with today’s materials, you need to hit the brake pedal harder and heat-up your components.
So of course, they will die faster … no secrets !
I made the decision to move on big brakes on the CRX for the following reasons :
- Have a bigger general braking power. But this will be done on both front and rear brakes to keep the same balance between the two sides of the car.
- Have a lower brake temperature to help keep components in the area ‘safer’ (heat has big consequences especially on axles grease and wheel ball-bearings)
- Lower costs on both discs and pads on track days.
Before working on discs and calipers themself I decided to install a 1″ brake master-cylinder coming from a TYPE-R Integra. This comes from a ABS free car. This piece will help having a slightly bigger fluid displacement as my calipers will get bigger pistons … or perheaps more pistons ^^.
New master cylinder. If installed on a EF chassis with its Integra master-vacuum system, this is a bolt-on modification (except for the piping). But I will only install the master-cylinder and needs to solve a small issue …
… Holes are not facing each-others when installed on the EF MV. Let’s go for some metal welding and grinding to get a nice adaptive plate !
With the plate finished, time to reinstall things on the car. You’ll have to change brake piping shape to fit with the new master cylinder.
Master-cylinder in the bay with all pedals reinstalled in the cockpit. More welding by creating a strong MC stopper for brake feeling improvment.
Ready to burn some brake pads now !
