question for the CRX folks

[greg_umbay]

A particular question for the CRX owners that might have rear shoes. I would like to know which brake shoes do you use?

Second question, any problems with long pedal and your brake shoe choice?

Greg

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[racer-025]

I use OEM Honda shoes on the rear. Can go the whole season with 1 set. Make sure your drums are new or near new for that "firm" pedal feel.

[lb2]

I use the Carbotech shoes, make sure you adjust them all the time.
Louis B.

[Dom Pirinchinci]

We run stock honda pads, and ditto on the adjustment! They may not do much or wear much, but if you don't get them right, you'll know it at the end of the front straight as those little 150 100 50 signs go zipping by at a constant rate of speed. I got smart on this after our third race weekend and it made a huge difference. You want just a light audible scuff as you spin the wheel- if you back them off too much, the pedal feel sucks. The self adjusters on these (we've got an '86)don't seem to be as self-adjusting as some others. But then again, I don't drive the race car in reverse very often (at least not on purpose).

[Gord Galloway]

I could be wrong as I don't see to much of the older stuff in the shop but almost all newer civics with drums brakes are actually adjusted when you use the e-brake...not when you back up like an old chevy.

[Dom Pirinchinci]

Race cars aren't supposed to have an emergency brake, unless you need one to make minimum weight .

[This message has been edited by Dom Pirinchinci (edited March 09, 2002).]

[lb2]

I heard lots of people having problems with the rear brake after removing the Ebrake, I have not done and I will not take a chance on it.
Unless you need the to save few pounds I would not touch it.
Louis Boustani

[racer-025]

I've raced Hondas for years without the hand brake. As long as you do proper maintenance and adjust them during your pre-race check, you won't have any problem.

I do remember one of my early races many years ago when I knew nothing. I started out using OEM Honda pads on the front with cheap low-buck brake fluid. During one race I compeletely burnt threw the pads and basically lost all front brakes 1/2 way through the race. I ended up finishing the race using my hand-brake only because the pedal was through the floor - talk about scary! When I came to rest in the paddock the brake pad steel plates welded themselves to the piston in the calipers, thus my day was through.

[cbstd]

Porterfield makes a complete line of rear shoes for the Civic CRX. I use the 4R compound and it works great.

Adjusting your rear drums properly is CRUCIAL for proper pedal feel.

[Phat-S]

Originally posted by lb2:
I use the Carbotech shoes, make sure you adjust them all the time.
Louis B.

Louis, are you running the Carbotech shoes irrespective of the front pad? I had them in conjunction with the Panther Plus front and continually locked up the rears. I ran the OEM shoes Saturday and don't "think" I had the lockup problem. We later switched out to the XP fronts and it still "seemed" well behaved. Just curious as to your experience with differing friction materials.

My problem is that VIR isn't that brake intensive so I am guessing I didn't get a great idea of the effects of this change. I am wondering what a CMP-type braking environment will impact the XP front/OEM rear shoe combination or wanting to know what type of behavior to expect.

Thanks in advance,
Adam

PS - Louis, I really like this car (the red #02 now #42). See you at CMP for the ECHC?

[This message has been edited by Phat-S (edited March 18, 2002).]

[lb2]

yes I had Carbotech front and back and never had a problem with them, I remember last year running CMP and still did not have any problems, and my home track is Road Atlanta and also it is a hard track on brakes and the same no problems, one thing that we do with my car is that we bleed the brake after every session and we use Motul 600 and lots of brake colling ducts.
That is a great car and trust me that car is like new never run more than 4 or 5 races.
See you soon.
Louis