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Honda Civic Brake Questions

33 messages,  Last post on Nov 29, 2009 at 5:58 PM

You are in the Honda Civic Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens

What is this discussion about? Honda Civic, Honda Civic del Sol, Honda Civic CRX, Brakes, Coupe, Sedan


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#24 of 33
Re: Civic brakes overheating and warping [msmith8] by cz75
Nov 06, 2008 (6:37 am)
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Replying to: msmith8 (Nov 03, 2008 5:33 pm)

It is the pads themselves and the small rotors. I assume they are the standard Civic/Integra 10.3" fronts that are dirt cheap just about everywhere - AutoZone Duralast are a good value if you don't want to get a set of Brembo rotors shipped to you.
 
Replace the rotors and upgrade to a high quality pad. I like Axxis/PBR Ultimates, but the XBG are probably a little more street-friendly. They can take the heat generated by having too much front weight bias and too little front brake for the vehicle weight. I dislike Hawk HPS intensely because they a not much better than stock and they never seem to fit right (i.e., you have a hard time using the OEM brake shims with them).
 
Replace your brake fluid too. Valvoline Synthetic DOT3/DOT4 is very good for the money and c an take the heat generated by the brake system so long as you change it the recommended two-year interval. Lubricate the slider pins on the calipers, as sometimes these get stuck and make the brakes hotter than normal, warping them.
 
I just re-read your post and I would note that the rear ratcheting calipers that act as parking brakes sometimes act up and stick, reducing their effectiveness. You may need to replace them and you can buy remanufactured calipers just about anywhere and these, IME, are the same as what the Honda Part Dept. will sell you, but for more money.
 
 Another suggestion is that you replace all four sets of pads with same compound as this will increase rear brake bias, since Honda uses a less aggressive pad in the rear. Why? Because front biased brakes are generally safer than those that are more balanced, but Honda leaves too much on the table and you can pick up a little better braking with no loss of safety by using the same compound on all four corners.
#25 of 33
Re: [kenlw] by cz75
Nov 06, 2008 (7:11 am)
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Replying to: kenlw (Nov 04, 2008 7:39 am)

Warpage is often just melted pad material that gets deposited unevenly on the face of the rotor, which emphasizes the need for a high quality compound with a high operating temperature, at least 850F on FWD cars with their high front weight bias. These deposits can eventually harden the metal underneath them and form a high spot in the metal as the rotor wears down, which then must be turned. Civic rotors are so cheap that it is easier to throw them away. The sandpaper idea is good, but use garnet paper so you don't get aluminum oxide inclusions on the rotor face.
 
Solid rotors and pad material compatibility is a new one for me. Never had a problem. Where I have had an issue is using two different brake compounds on the same rotor. Brakes work mostly by adherent friction rather than abrasive friction and this requires a layer of pad material to be deposited on the rotor face, which is where the conflict in compounds comes in.
 
I wouldn't even think it would be possible to get solid front rotors for this car, just ventilated. The rear rotors are only going to be solid.
 
I would advise the poster with the '94 Civic to also be careful about breaking in his rotors and pads carefully and according to manufacturer directions to get best life and performance from them. The rotors perform best with gentle stops for the first 100-200 miles, then the pads need to be bedded-in with a number (5-10) of medium effort stops from around 45-50mph, with about a minute in between, followed by 5 minutes of driving, then 5 hard stops with about a minute in between, during which time the brakes will start to get hot and smell bad. Not to worry, as this is cooking out the chemicals that may outgas under a hard stop otherwise and reduce brake effectiveness. Keep driving and try not to make any complete stops (do this in a rural area) for 20 minutes. Park the car (at home is fine, you don't have to just stop somewhere) for at least 3-4 hours to let the brakes cool and you're good to go.
#26 of 33
brakes by warshocked2
Jan 31, 2009 (11:12 pm)
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i have a 07 civic si... i got 3 questionsa to ask..
1. the problem about the rear tires are for 06 only orfor 07's too?
2. my car ALWAYS skids in snow even tho im rele careful drivin.. do i just need snow tires or theres a problem with the car..the abs always kick in..
3. im considering buyin a set of 16's steel wheel from an 07 ex with snow tires just for winter.. would it fit 07 si sedan? i think they have same bolt pattern but i dunno bout the offset, width stuff like that... need help..
#27 of 33
please help by joeybagadonutz
Feb 11, 2009 (5:36 pm)
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I have a 97 honda civic ex coupe. I recently changed the front brake pads on the vehicle. I did everything correctly, removed the wheel, unbolted the caliper, removed the caliper, changed out pads, squeezed the caliper back in with a c_clamp, put the caliper back on, greased the bolts and put them back in. but now The petal goes down very far before stopping, and when the petal gets to a certain spot I actually hear a click noise coming from the passenger side wheel well. I have no idea what it is, I bled the line for air, there was none. I don't know where to go next. please help me.
#28 of 33
99 honda civic brake line Patch? by bells1
Jul 17, 2009 (5:48 pm)
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I own a 99 honda civic ex w/ 69,585 miles on it. When I asked how much a could sell it for, the mechanic told me that the brake lines were rusted and they're difficult to repair because of where they're located....and basically offered me $2000 for it. Now, I didn't ask him how much he'd give me for it, I just wanted to know how much to sell it for. However, if the "rusted lines" are true, can they be patched or do they really need to be replaced for $1500? Any ideas? Thank you so much!!!
#29 of 33
Re: 99 honda civic brake line Patch? [bells1] by Mr_Shiftright HOST
Jul 18, 2009 (2:55 pm)
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Replying to: bells1 (Jul 17, 2009 5:48 pm)

You should probably get a 2nd opinion on the brake lines but if in fact 2 or 3 mechanics give you the same $1500 estimate then their offer is what you'd expect for someone who's looking to turn a small profit after they fix the car. It's not going to cost THEM $1500 obviously.
 
Let's say a "home run" price for this car is $5000, for a really nice clean one--so you'd deduct accordingly for what it would take to make your car clean and ready to roll.
#30 of 33
Re: 99 honda civic brake line Patch? [bells1] by cz75
Jul 20, 2009 (9:26 pm)
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Replying to: bells1 (Jul 17, 2009 5:48 pm)

No patching, unless you don't like living.
#31 of 33
Re: 99 honda civic brake line Patch? [cz75] by bells1
Jul 21, 2009 (7:59 am)
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Replying to: cz75 (Jul 20, 2009 9:26 pm)

Thank you for the input! As someone who doesn't know much about cars, I had hoped asking on this site would clarify some of the things I've been told. And, my second opinion told me that everything looked fine and didn't know what the other guy was talking about. That's why I'm glad I asked. Have a great day!
#32 of 33
Re: 99 honda civic brake line Patch? [Mr_Shiftright] by bells1
Jul 21, 2009 (8:04 am)
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jul 18, 2009 2:55 pm)

Thank you so much for your advice. My 2nd opinion said he thought it was an excellent to good rating and didn't have any idea what the other guy was talking about! Pay it forward...I'll make sure to tell others how helpful your advice and this site are! Have a great day!
#33 of 33
Re: please help [joeybagadonutz] by paul021577
Nov 29, 2009 (5:58 pm)
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Replying to: joeybagadonutz (Feb 11, 2009 5:36 pm)

Did you ever got an answer on your civic break problem? I have a 97 civic and the same thing happened to me today. Can you please let me know what the problem was and what was the solution?
Thank you!
pmg802hotmail.com

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