Blacksheepdj

iTrader: (88)

No. You'd need to do a lot of work and buy other parts to get your rears ready for discs. It's not an easy changeover.

Just keep the rear drums unless you're building a racecar.

krnkimchi702

iTrader: (2)

and if your building a racecar.. you started off with the wrong foot lol

ChrisBond1

iTrader: (9)

Oh thank you. I am trying to build a semi-racecar. Brakes, tires, rims, and turbo is what I'm aiming for this summer. It's the brakes and turbo that have me questioned. I know I'm changing my front discs but I want to also change those damn drums. :[

Mark Hubley

I believe the statement about "when you really, really need stopping power . . . that's the advantage of 6 pistons," is not accurate. In a panic stop (i.e., slamming on the brakes) it is the tires that limit your ability to stop. It is NOT the brakes. All the evidence you need for this is the fact that our cars have ABS. What does ABS do? IT REDUCES YOUR BRAKING POWER! Why? Because in a panic stop your stock brakes are too powerful for your tires!!! If ABS didn't kick in, your brakes would lock your wheels, the friction between your wheels and the road would drop, and you would skid.

When I slam on my brakes in my stock ES, the ABS kicks in almost instantaneously. That's because what limits my braking is my tires. Having bigger brakes, more pistons, etc. would thus do nothing to help my car stop faster.

The advantage of bigger brakes is that they dissipate heat faster than smaller brakes. This means nothing in a panic stop. It is important if you are doing repeated, hard braking, as in running on a track or driving down mountains. Hence the recommendation to not worry about your rear drums unless you plan to track the car.

If you have the big brakes, then more pistons provide more even pressure of the pads against the rotors.

So, if you're not a complete maniac on the street (maybe some of you are ), you won't get any advantage from bigger brakes unless you track your car. If you're worried about acceleration and handling, then they may actually diminish performance slightly, as they will add more rotating/unsprung mass to your car.

You might also want to buy them if you like spending $$$ on things that look cool, but don't necessarily help your performance.

Another note: People who track their cars often use wider tires made of much grippier compounds (e.g., Hoosiers). These tires could then exceed the limits of stock brakes. In that case, the brake upgrade would help. Here's the test: if you add bigger, stickier tires, and your ABS doesn't kick in when you stomp the brakes, then you can benefit from bigger brakes.

Mark Hubley

Chris,

Hate to say it, but add the following to your list: sway bars, springs, shocks, new seats. I hope you have lots of disposable income on hand As some of us said on a different thread--it is really a bad idea (in economic terms) to be thinking about upgrading rear drums to discs. Costwise, you would be better off selling your current car and getting an ES or a GTS (with the discs, sway bars, etc.). If you don't care about the cost, or if you really enjoy doing the work on your car, then have at it!

ChrisBond1

iTrader: (9)

Thank you for that info. I'm actually going to track this summer with some of my friends. They all got RSX-S, RX-8, GS 320, and WRXs. And a STI. I've been talking a lot of s*** about beating them. So anything and everything will help. Any recommendations on a strut bar? The RRM one doesn't fill the 3 holes, which seems odd to me but is it decent enough to work?

chetman7

I'm a little confused...u need rim size of 17 or above right? cause the site says requires 17in wheels....

if so...the discription leads people to believe u need and can only use 17's

ChrisBond1

iTrader: (9)

Mark,
I actually have the ES but I got the tech package which came with the drums, which I didn't know about until looking into some more. And I was actually thinking about shocks, but a bit lost on which of which I should get/do. The money isn't a super problem but if you think it's a bad idea. I'll reconsider the rear drums (for now) and focus on something else. Like those HID lights. Still waiting on a good solution to the DRL. Thanks mark and others.

krnkimchi702

iTrader: (2)

wow you might have bitten off more than you can chew... eek u talked smack to ur friends who are driving those cars?!?!?! wow... even God can't help you on that track.. lol

Bladed

^lol, with about 5,000 - 8,000 worth of parts, he might be able to beat an them (depending on how good the drivers are). But personally, if you want to beat those cars on the track, I would save your money that you plan on using for mods, and use it to buy a Ralliart, should come out in the summer. AWD is a beast on the track.

krnkimchi702

iTrader: (2)

5- 8 Grand.. wow.. you can buy a yamaha R-1(for 13g) and destroy them lol it would be gas efficient, but moderately hazardous.. but yet you might beat them.. just make sure they dont hit you while your turning on the track LOL

Blacksheepdj

iTrader: (88)

RRM's bar will do more than enough. Doesn't have to hit all the holes. Just needs to keep the towers separated.

Also, it's the only option, so . . . that limits your choices.

17 or bigger. When they talk about required size, it's a minimum requirement. You'll get used to it.

nj_08_gts

iTrader: (1)

Fixed!

Mark Hubley

I just think it sounds like there are a lot of better ways to get bang for your bucks than trying to do the brakes. Here is my reasonably-educated opinion on where to best invest money for upgrades:

For fun street use or autocrossing:

1.* Upgrade the driver! Becoming a better driver is the best and cheapest way to get faster. There are probably various autocross groups in your area that will have people willing to ride with you and teach you--for free!!! The Porsche Club in my area sponsors an "autocross school" each spring. You don't need to be in Porsche Club and you don't need a Porsche to participate. It does cost a minimal amount. Porsche Club autocrosses are also generally open to non-PCA-members and you don't need a Porsche to participate.

2. Wheel/tire upgrades. Get wider wheels and sticky tires. This generally means buying a spare set of wheels and putting R-compound tires. Bigger wheels are not necessarily best, as they generally add weight. 16" is fine for autocrossing. 17"s would be OK. I don't see any need for 18". That just makes 'em heavy.

3. Suspension. You might want to do this along with #2. Sway bars, springs, shocks, possibly bushings.

4. Go for engine mods at this point.

5. New seats that hold you in place and possibly harnesses. Not necessary for autocross, but if you still have money burning holes in your pockets after 1 through 4. If you think they're cool and won't annoy you for daily driving, then go for it.

6. I figure I'll put the brakes here. Upgrading discs to bigger discs is easy. I'm pretty sure that upgrading from drums to discs is going to cost much bigger money. Unfortunately, upgrading your brakes won't bring any benefits in performance unless you hit the track. Maybe spending the money is worth it if you think they look cool.

7. Weight loss program. If you're serious, then start removing stuff that adds unnecessary weight: rear seats, sound deadening, carpet, etc. Maybe replace the hood with something lighter, replace glass windows with lighter materials. If you're hard core, remove the AC!

*If you plan to run your car on the track, then you might consider upgrading brakes as #1. I'm not so sure, though. The brakes on my '08 Lancer appear to be nearly as big as the ones I had on my 944. On the other hand, my Lancer is a bit heavier. I wouldn't be surprised if my stock Lancer brakes could hold up fine on most tracks, especially ones without really long straights. I would bet $$$ that the stock GTS brakes will be fine on a track. Anybody have any experience with this? Upgrading my ES to GTS brakes would be reasonably easy. However, I would NOT take a 3000 lb car with rear drums to the track, period! So, if I had a car with rear drums, I would sell it and buy a car with discs at all four corners. That will likely be the most cost-effective way of upgrading rear drums to rear discs

ROCK

iTrader: (67)

I agree with a lot of what you say. Stock brakes will go fine for a few laps but will ulltimately give up after heat sets in. That is where BIg brak kit comes in. A setup that is not going to be maxed out byu the car/driver will be consistent and shorten stopping distances every time not just on the first stop. It is for serious guys and should be considered for performance reasons and for safety reasons. I am of the beleif that any stock car brake system can improve. Even if it just means pads. I even upgraded my wife's OUtlander cause of safety. I don't want that dreaded call,, Honey I barely hit ...... I couldn't stop in time.

ROAD/RACE