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Hey guys,
Well, those damned EBC brake pads have rewarped my rotors and I'm just sick of this. So I've decided to order Brembo OE fronts and a front set of some pads. The rears seem to be fine as far as warping, since I had all the rotors turned as a set, plus the EBCs actually do a decent job back there.
The only thing I need to work out is, AEM pads or KVR pads? I've heard good things about both, but just wanted to hear some opinions of actual owners of them. The car is a daily driver that doesn't AutoX(none around here) and only the occasional "spirited driving."
So I want a pad with good cold response, doesn't dust much(not gunmetal rims a la EBCs), doesn't squeal, and has moderately improved braking performance that won't warp my rotors.
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Why not get AEM's front rotor kit (big brakes) ... the 13inch rotor and re-locating caliper braket... reasonably priced... and it helps out with the job at hand...
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Well, considering I'm a cash strapped college student, I was trying to get out of this with as little cost as possible with all the Xmas presents I'm buying.
I was thinking of:
Rotors for $60-70 a pair
Front pads for $50-70
Keep in mind this is a daily driver, I wish I could find a place to drive on a closed track and use something like the AEM Big Brake package, but I can't. So it's not even worth looking at. I also think saying the big brake kit is reasonably priced is going a little far.
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I had the same dilema a while back and got caught up in a bind when my front ebc's decided to decentegrate after a few laps around a track. I thought about the aem's. They are a ceramic pad which creates little dust. I ended up going my napa autoparts and to my surprise they carry a brand called CERAMIX, it is an all ceramic performance pad and better yet carries a life time warranty. I think I paid something like 50.00 but I will never have to pay for brakes again. Performance wise I haven't had a problem with them and I have put them thru hell and back. I didn't break them in properly either. I didn't have much of a choice I was in the middle of a road race when I put them in http://www.hostboard.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Still on my car and still no problems and best of all NO DUST http://www.hostboard.com/ubb/smile.gif
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1992 Red Honda Civic CX Hatch Back... COMING VERY SOON: B18C1 hybrid w/ major weight reduction and boosted by Jackson Racing supercharger at 8psi..
1998 Super Sonic Blue Integra GS-R (completely stock now)
With jrsc at 6psi best 1320: 13.783 @101.43 on drag radials
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How is that Napa's ceramix performs in comparision to other aftermarket brands? I've posted a question on brake pads here before and the overwhelming recommendation was toward KVR. A decent price for a set should be around $50.
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Call Terry at KVR and tell him what you are looking for...
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1998' 4dr GSR, 8psi JRSC w/hand ported plenum, Walbro HP fuel pump, valves set to .005i/.006e, MSD BTM, B&M CommandFlo regulator(working it out), stock intake w/resinator cut off at fenderwell for "cool air", Greddy sp exhaust, Tokico Illumina 5-ways, Neuspeed springs(sux!), Skunkworks 22mm rear swaybar, ES motor mounts and front swaybar bushings, Yokohama AVS 205/50/15's, Metal Master brake pads(KVR Carbon Fibre pads sitting on work bench) ,B&M fuel pressure gauge, Autometer sport comp A/F gauge in dimmer location...
YLW 00' ITR #00-1011 with AEM CAI and 143db triple air horns
Honest officer, I had no idea how fast I was going...the speedometer only gos to 150...
Get paid to surf the Web!!! http://www.alladvantage.com/go.asp?refid=TUD-039
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I may be talking out of my ass here, but don't ceramic pads require special rotors so that they don't destroy the rotor?
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My main question is, I was under the impression that KVR pads tended to dust a bunch. More than Porterfields if I'm not mistaken. If that's the case, no way I'm putting them on my car.
I also DEFINITELY don't want a pad that will squeal. Won't have my ride sound ghetto. I view the warping of rotors as the same category. Sick of my steering wheel shaking from 50-20MPH.
With that in mind, I'm not looking for mindblowing "pop-your-eyes-out-of-your-head" braking performance with just a simple pad upgrade. Just maybe something that grabs a little harder than stock and doesn't fade in spirited street driving(stockers only did this a few times, but I'd like to avoid it).
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OK... so maybe the AEM big brake kit isn't for you.... but i dont think i was out of line by saying it was resonably priced... cuz when i was looking at brakes for my ride.. i ordered my setup from KVR... and they were trying to sell me a bigbrake kit they had for 1750 bux CDN.... and comparatively the AEM is about 6 bills.... Granted, the other kit came with new calipers... but still it's pricey.....
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If you just want less fade but are happy with the stock braking power, why not change your brake fluid?
For about $8 a pint, you can get brake fluid with a boiling point near 600 degrees. I chose Neo Synthetic or something like that from Baker Precision in CA.
If you really want the best, you can spend $70 per quart for real racing brake fluid with a boiling point over 700 degrees.
Greg
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so what is the benefit/downside to ceramic brakes? will they warp rotors fast? will they wear out fast? are they noisy?
I have the AEM big brake kit (still in box) and I am trying to decide which pads to use...
does anyone here use ceramic brake pads?
how much differance do stainless lines make?
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Any opinions on endless pads? I've only heard good things about them on the ITR board...
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KVR = low dust, no squeal, reduced fade, same as OE when cold, awesome when warmed up.
[This message has been edited by rjaffey (edited December 16, 2000).]
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Yeah, just what RJaffey said! I love my KVR's and I swear the things should start to be advertised as NO dust pads. They dust VERY VERY little and the work superbly. I know I'll be replacing the front pads with another set of KVR's in about 10k.
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98 GS-scR w/ 8psi JRSC, Walbro HO fuel pump, AEM cai, DC 4-2-1 one piece header, Thermal Exhaust, Skunk Works cam gears, J&S safeguard, RC 310's, Cartech FMU, Vortech regulator, H&R sports and KYB AGX's, and of course to slow down, KVR X-drill F&R rotors and Carbon Kevlar pads and V1 to signal the slowing down. *ITR LSD, JR flywheel, Clutch Specialties stage 4, NX Gen-X kit and CF diet going on soon....
Best et ==>13.6 @ 103mph w/ 2.3 60ft on Nitto drag radials
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Well, sooner or later, I'll get around to machining some "dog bones" for a custom Legend rotor/Wilwood caliper setup for my ITR... It should stop really well with the four piston caliper and 1" thick rotor combo... I want something that will stop like a bitch, yet fit under the stock ITR wheels. Since no one offers such a thing for a "sane" price, guess I'll make my own... I have a nasty habbit of that... The guy I work with on cars put 911 turbo calipers on his Mitsu VR4... Jeeesssuuuss... If anyone knows of a thick, four bolt rotor, I might be talked into a GSR set, since my gsr could use better brakes too.
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1998' 4dr GSR, 8psi JRSC w/hand ported plenum, Walbro HP fuel pump, valves set to .005i/.006e, MSD BTM, B&M CommandFlo regulator(working it out), stock intake w/resinator cut off at fenderwell for "cool air", Greddy sp exhaust, Tokico Illumina 5-ways, Neuspeed springs(sux!), Skunkworks 22mm rear swaybar, ES motor mounts and front swaybar bushings, Yokohama AVS 205/50/15's, Metal Master brake pads(KVR Carbon Fibre pads sitting on work bench) ,B&M fuel pressure gauge, Autometer sport comp A/F gauge in dimmer location...
YLW 00' ITR #00-1011 with AEM CAI and 143db triple air horns
Honest officer, I had no idea how fast I was going...the speedometer only gos to 150...
[This message has been edited by Zeus (edited December 16, 2000).]
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Did anyone see that Civic in Super Street I think it was with the Porshe brakes? BIG http://www.hostboard.com/ubb/eek.gif but the guy left the stock rears on the car. Looked like silver dollars up front and dimes in the rear http://www.hostboard.com/ubb/biggrin.gif
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98 GS-scR w/ 8psi JRSC, Walbro HO fuel pump, AEM cai, DC 4-2-1 one piece header, Thermal Exhaust, Skunk Works cam gears, J&S safeguard, RC 310's, Cartech FMU, Vortech regulator, H&R sports and KYB AGX's, and of course to slow down, KVR X-drill F&R rotors and Carbon Kevlar pads and V1 to signal the slowing down. *ITR LSD, JR flywheel, Clutch Specialties stage 4, NX Gen-X kit and CF diet going on soon....
Best et ==>13.6 @ 103mph w/ 2.3 60ft on Nitto drag radials
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I wonder what master cylinder he is using on the Civic though? Those calipers have much larger piston fluid resivoirs(sp?) than stockers, which would make the pedal travel very long and mushy with the small diameter stocker... The companies that make "big brake" kits for the Hondas use calipers that have close to the same fluid volume as the stock calipers... even though they are four piston, there are small chambers behind the pistons keeping a "close to stock ratio...
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1998' 4dr GSR, 8psi JRSC w/hand ported plenum, Walbro HP fuel pump, valves set to .005i/.006e, MSD BTM, B&M CommandFlo regulator(working it out), stock intake w/resinator cut off at fenderwell for "cool air", Greddy sp exhaust, Tokico Illumina 5-ways, Neuspeed springs(sux!), Skunkworks 22mm rear swaybar, ES motor mounts and front swaybar bushings, Yokohama AVS 205/50/15's, Metal Master brake pads(KVR Carbon Fibre pads sitting on work bench) ,B&M fuel pressure gauge, Autometer sport comp A/F gauge in dimmer location...
YLW 00' ITR #00-1011 with AEM CAI and 143db triple air horns
Honest officer, I had no idea how fast I was going...the speedometer only gos to 150...
Get paid to surf the Web!!! http://www.alladvantage.com/go.asp?refid=TUD-039
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A few things....
I run the AEM big brake kit with 4piston calipers and the sweet rotors up front on my GSR. I'm very pleased with it, but changing of the brake fluid is in order, as is the replacement of the brake pads. I wouldnt say that I'd complain about the AEM pads, but I'd definitely say that they could grab more consistently. There is a LOT of variation between cold and warmed up.
Anyone running Hawk pads? I've heard excellent things about them, but never tried them.
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'98 GSR JRSC with all sorts of high-performance, high-tech, overpriced stuff packed in all over the place.
http://www.donia.org/clandestine
