Brakes....

[RobE30]

I know it's been covered before, but is there any reason to go w/ the corrado brake upgrade for a mainly street driven car? I changed my brakes today and the caliper pistons were flaking off rust.... Should I a: rebuild stock calipers w/ SS pistons, decent pads and solid OEM rotors (currently running x-drilled and they are beat) b: same as above but get new calipers or c: do the corrado upgrade? Also the MC is starting to die (pedal slowly sinks to floor @ stop) so I was thinking the 25mm one? Thanks

[jlevie]

An upgraded brake system will give you greater braking force, but do you need that on a street car? The OE brake system is more than sufficient if in good operating condition.

It really doesn't matter if the visible portion of the caliper pistons are rusted. What matters is the condition of the area of the piston where the seals are and the condition of the caliper bores. If those areas aren't corroded, just put in new seals. Replace the master cylinder (get a new, not rebuilt unit), install OE type plain rotors, and a good set of pads, and you'll have a braking system that can lock up a set of R-Compound tires. That is way more than you need on a street car and will be cheaper than any upgrade.

[RobE30]

So the flaking rust shouldn't be worried about? At this point the calipers are working fine (the one sticks a little the guides were dirty). If I just do pads and rotors I can get new hoses too. Braided or rubber? Another frequently asked question.... which pads and rotors?

[jlevie]

A sticking caliper is a sign of bad seals or corrosion within the caliper, or a combination of both. Rebuild kits for all four wheels will run under $60 and it isn't a difficult job. On a street car, the OE soft lines are all you need.

With respect to brake system performance, plain OE type rotors are as good as it gets. I like all the brakes I can get, so I favor Hawk HPS pads or any other High Performance Street pad.

[RobE30]

Thanks for the input. I'll let you know how it goes. Should I upgrade to the bigger mc? I think I need one anyway so....