Honda-Tech - Honda Forum Discussion

Honda: Brake Modifications

Shorten the stopping distance of your Civic or Accord with these simple braking improvements.

By Piyush Kayastha - February 20, 2015

This article applies to the Honda Civic and Accord (1990-2000)

Brake upgrades on the Honda Civic and Accord are easy enough to do in the driveway with the proper tools, parts, and knowledge. That said, it pays to take the time to do them right. Bigger brake calipers and rotors work to decrease stopping distance and dissipate heat from braking energy. More aggressive brake pads will decrease stopping distance, too, but with some trade-offs. Keep reading to learn more about getting that Honda Accord or Civic to stop better.

Brake Upgrades

Many of the brake components, like calipers and rotors, are interchangeable between Acura and Honda models. This opens the door to a lot of cheap and easy modifications. For example, Acura Legend calipers fit the Honda Accord and Civic, while Acura NSX calipers fit Acura Integra models. Acura Integra and Honda Civic front knuckles are also interchangeable. Brake pads and rotors between Acura Integra, Honda Accord and Honda Civic are direct replacements. If money is not a issue, there are always aftermarket components available as well.

Calipers

DIY Cost – $150 Acura Legend GS 2 piston calipers with brackets, $20 Honda Brake fluid

Professional Cost – 1-2 hours labor minus parts

Skill Level – Moderately easy; requires removal of braking components.

Upgrading Acura's calipers and brackets is a common and popular upgrade for the Civic. The Acura Legend and other models are heavier vehicles that were equipped with bigger brakes and calipers to handle the extra weight. The overall benefit is better stopping power and longer brake life.

Rotors

DIY Cost – $60-100 each, $20 Honda Brake Fluid

Professional Cost – 1-2 hours minus labor

Skill Level – Moderately easy; requires removal of brake pads and calipers.

Bigger rotors dissipate heat from hard braking better than smaller ones do because of their larger surface area. The rotors from the V6 Accord models, the Accord Wagons and the Acura Legend GS are all larger than the disks on the Civic and older, lowered powered Accords.

Aftermarket rotors are also available. Blank rotors are best for stopping power. Slotted or drilled rotors do not provide any greater stopping power and have a propensity to crack more frequently under hard driving conditions. Under normal use on the street though, this is unlikely to be a problem.

Brake Pads

DIY Cost – $60 Wagner ThermoQuiet pads, $20 Honda Brake Fluid

Professional Cost – 1-2 hours minus labor

Skill Level – Moderately easy; requires removal of brake caliper brackets.

Brake pads are the single biggest change you can make. More aggressive brake pads increase stopping power over the stock Honda brakes at the cost of pad life, rotor life, brake dust, and noise. That said, there are also pads specifically designed to last as long as possible, make as little dust a possible, and be as quiet as possible.

Pro Tip

It's a good idea to change out brake lines while you are upgrading the brakes, so that everything is fresh and new. If upgrading to bigger piston calipers, it is also recommended to upgrade the Master Cylinder.

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