DIY: RacingBrake 4-pot caliper & 2-pc rotor front brake kit
02-15-2010, 11:29 PM
#1
DIY: RacingBrake 4-pot caliper & 2-pc rotor front brake kit
there are two nice front brake kits from RacingBrake
12.7" OE size 2-pc rotors with 4-pot calipers: http://www.racingbrake.com/SearchRes...rch=rx82015kit
13.0" BBK 2-pc rotors with 4-pot calipers: http://www.racingbrake.com/SearchRes...Search=2062kit
Optionally there are matching 2-pc rear rotors too: http://www.racingbrake.com/SearchRes...Search=rx82053
or you can purchase just the front caliper kit or just the front 2-pc rotors by themselves
Sorry, no significant pics from the most recent install. I wrote this up for someone else, just posting it as general community info.
On the front brake kit you'll need some sheet metal shears to trim the backing plate slightly per the pic diagram in the link below for the caliper to clear it, if you bought the std kit rather than the Enkei wheel kit you won't need to hammer back the other areas shown
http://forums.racingbrake.com/showth...ghlight=rx8%2A
Do one corner completely at a time, including bleeding. You want to do as much as possible and open up the brake line connections at the very end. Start by unbolting brake line support tab on the control arm (12mm), then the caliper mounting bracket bolts (17mm), which will allow the whole front caliper/mount bracket assembly to come off as a whole. Set the caliper/bracket/brake line assembly to the side without breaking open the brake line hydraulic connection. Remove the OE rotor which typically requires an impact driver to bust the rotor hat philips head set screws loose. Install the RB caliper mount reusing the OE 17mm bolts - the flat side goes on the inside and the protruding side on the outside. Clean the RB rotor disc surface on both sides with solvent and clean cloth, then install the rotor on the hub - use a lug nut to hold it in place on the hub because they don't have provisions to use the OE set screws. Install the RB caliper (bleeder screws must be up) onto the mounting bracket - these are large allen head screws, which you may need to acquire the proper size allen driver to tighten them down. Smear a small amount of brake lube or anti-seize on the end surfaces of the brake pad backer plates and then slide the brake pads into place in the caliper. Install the brake pad locating bolts using a small metric allen wrench - can't recall the size, same as the OE endlinks - they need to engage the backer plate tab holes on both brake pads. Snap the brake pad alignment/centering plate onto the pad locating bolts. Using the 14mm banjo bolt and two copper sealing washers fit and mount the front brake line to the caliper - the 90 deg bend in the brake line needs to be horizontal and pointing forward toward the front of the car. Install the brake line support tab on the control arm reusing the 12mm OE bolt. Undo the rubber flap that separates the wheel well from the engine compartment using a phillips screwdriver to remove the plastic rivets. Using a 10mm brake wrench, break the brake line nut that connects the hard line to the flex connection, then snug it back lightly. Undo the clip that holds this connection in the mounting bracket. Remove the 12mm bolt holding the brake line bracket from the subframe and slide it up the hard line out of the way. Using both a 10mm and 17mm brake wrenches start undoing the connection between the hard and flex lines. Have the new hose 17mm hex end ready, as soon as you take the OE flex brake line loose immediately connect the new braided flex hose end to the hard line nut and hand-tighten it only as the connection will need to be able to rotate in the next step. Slide the brake line mounting bracket down and rotate it until the 17mm end of the flex hose aligns properly and pops into place, and then slip the clip partially in to hold the brake line in place. Rotate the two together to align the mounting bracket to the subframe and bolt the bracket into place reusing the 12mm OE bolt. Now go ahead and insert the clip in fully using pliers or a small hammer. Now the 10mm hard line connection can be tightened fully using the brake wrench. Reinstall the rubber flap.
You are ready to bleed. I recommend bleeding it now rather than going on to the next corner to minimize the air that is in the system from working its way up through the line. Since these are four pot calpers there are two bleed screws, one on each side of the caliper. Start by bleeding at the inside nipple first because this is where the brake fluid comes into the caliper. After bleeding it fully then bleed the outside nipple. Then go back to the inside nipple again and give it another bleed to make sure no air remains, then the outside nipple again for the same. Be sure to fill the MC reservoir between each bleed as you don't want it going low and letting air back into the system. After bleeding is completed, pump the brake pedal until it goes hard to seat the caliper pistons and pads to the rotor. You can then proceed to the next corner. Doing it this way I used only 1/4 liter of brake fluid. The bleeding is very quick and efficient if address it right away rather than letting it sit with air in the line.
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12.7" OE size 2-pc rotors with 4-pot calipers: http://www.racingbrake.com/SearchRes...rch=rx82015kit
13.0" BBK 2-pc rotors with 4-pot calipers: http://www.racingbrake.com/SearchRes...Search=2062kit
Optionally there are matching 2-pc rear rotors too: http://www.racingbrake.com/SearchRes...Search=rx82053
or you can purchase just the front caliper kit or just the front 2-pc rotors by themselves
Sorry, no significant pics from the most recent install. I wrote this up for someone else, just posting it as general community info.
On the front brake kit you'll need some sheet metal shears to trim the backing plate slightly per the pic diagram in the link below for the caliper to clear it, if you bought the std kit rather than the Enkei wheel kit you won't need to hammer back the other areas shown
http://forums.racingbrake.com/showth...ghlight=rx8%2A
Do one corner completely at a time, including bleeding. You want to do as much as possible and open up the brake line connections at the very end. Start by unbolting brake line support tab on the control arm (12mm), then the caliper mounting bracket bolts (17mm), which will allow the whole front caliper/mount bracket assembly to come off as a whole. Set the caliper/bracket/brake line assembly to the side without breaking open the brake line hydraulic connection. Remove the OE rotor which typically requires an impact driver to bust the rotor hat philips head set screws loose. Install the RB caliper mount reusing the OE 17mm bolts - the flat side goes on the inside and the protruding side on the outside. Clean the RB rotor disc surface on both sides with solvent and clean cloth, then install the rotor on the hub - use a lug nut to hold it in place on the hub because they don't have provisions to use the OE set screws. Install the RB caliper (bleeder screws must be up) onto the mounting bracket - these are large allen head screws, which you may need to acquire the proper size allen driver to tighten them down. Smear a small amount of brake lube or anti-seize on the end surfaces of the brake pad backer plates and then slide the brake pads into place in the caliper. Install the brake pad locating bolts using a small metric allen wrench - can't recall the size, same as the OE endlinks - they need to engage the backer plate tab holes on both brake pads. Snap the brake pad alignment/centering plate onto the pad locating bolts. Using the 14mm banjo bolt and two copper sealing washers fit and mount the front brake line to the caliper - the 90 deg bend in the brake line needs to be horizontal and pointing forward toward the front of the car. Install the brake line support tab on the control arm reusing the 12mm OE bolt. Undo the rubber flap that separates the wheel well from the engine compartment using a phillips screwdriver to remove the plastic rivets. Using a 10mm brake wrench, break the brake line nut that connects the hard line to the flex connection, then snug it back lightly. Undo the clip that holds this connection in the mounting bracket. Remove the 12mm bolt holding the brake line bracket from the subframe and slide it up the hard line out of the way. Using both a 10mm and 17mm brake wrenches start undoing the connection between the hard and flex lines. Have the new hose 17mm hex end ready, as soon as you take the OE flex brake line loose immediately connect the new braided flex hose end to the hard line nut and hand-tighten it only as the connection will need to be able to rotate in the next step. Slide the brake line mounting bracket down and rotate it until the 17mm end of the flex hose aligns properly and pops into place, and then slip the clip partially in to hold the brake line in place. Rotate the two together to align the mounting bracket to the subframe and bolt the bracket into place reusing the 12mm OE bolt. Now go ahead and insert the clip in fully using pliers or a small hammer. Now the 10mm hard line connection can be tightened fully using the brake wrench. Reinstall the rubber flap.
You are ready to bleed. I recommend bleeding it now rather than going on to the next corner to minimize the air that is in the system from working its way up through the line. Since these are four pot calpers there are two bleed screws, one on each side of the caliper. Start by bleeding at the inside nipple first because this is where the brake fluid comes into the caliper. After bleeding it fully then bleed the outside nipple. Then go back to the inside nipple again and give it another bleed to make sure no air remains, then the outside nipple again for the same. Be sure to fill the MC reservoir between each bleed as you don't want it going low and letting air back into the system. After bleeding is completed, pump the brake pedal until it goes hard to seat the caliper pistons and pads to the rotor. You can then proceed to the next corner. Doing it this way I used only 1/4 liter of brake fluid. The bleeding is very quick and efficient if address it right away rather than letting it sit with air in the line.
.
Another long, hard day at the office 
Out with the old, in with the new .... installed the RacingBrake OE-size front 4-pot 2-pc brake kit and rear 2-pc rotors, opted for their unique open slot rotor configuration on all four corners.
They made some nice improvements since the original kit I bought in 2006 for STU. The braided stainless brake line kit is top tier now, not the PITA Goodrich kit originally used and often complained about, that cheap contol arm mounting tab that had to drilled on the Goodrich kit is now a heavy duty proper size tab like OE - highly recommend it as a stand-alone purchase if you're not doing the brake kit. The previous floating pad-locating pins with clips are now bolts, so they add additional caliper stiffness across the pad opening area and are also much more secure.
As always the fit, finish, and all around detail is the usual first class RacingBrake product as well.
.
Out with the old, in with the new .... installed the RacingBrake OE-size front 4-pot 2-pc brake kit and rear 2-pc rotors, opted for their unique open slot rotor configuration on all four corners.
They made some nice improvements since the original kit I bought in 2006 for STU. The braided stainless brake line kit is top tier now, not the PITA Goodrich kit originally used and often complained about, that cheap contol arm mounting tab that had to drilled on the Goodrich kit is now a heavy duty proper size tab like OE - highly recommend it as a stand-alone purchase if you're not doing the brake kit. The previous floating pad-locating pins with clips are now bolts, so they add additional caliper stiffness across the pad opening area and are also much more secure.
As always the fit, finish, and all around detail is the usual first class RacingBrake product as well.
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Last edited by TeamRX8; 02-15-2010 at 11:32 PM.
02-17-2010, 07:24 PM
#9
Installed the BBK with no problems, but when I was bleeding the front right calipers, I had forgotten that the caliper and pads were off of the right rear. The piston has come pretty far out, and after over an hour of trying to turn it while putting pressure on it. It's not going in all the way...
Do I need a new rear caliper now?
Do I need a new rear caliper now?
02-17-2010, 08:02 PM
#11
I'm using needle nose plyers. I've replaced the rear brake pads many times, and have used the same method.
I think the problem is that when I stomped on the brake pedal to bleed the front caliper, it pushed the rear piston too far out since there were no pads or rotor to keep it in place.
And I have my first event this saturday, so I need to solve this fast.
I think the problem is that when I stomped on the brake pedal to bleed the front caliper, it pushed the rear piston too far out since there were no pads or rotor to keep it in place.
And I have my first event this saturday, so I need to solve this fast.
02-17-2010, 08:11 PM
#12
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I don't think you've permanently damaged anything. I'd recommend renting a brake caliper kit from auto zone and try to compress it in using the toolset. I ran into something similar when installing my RB BBK.
02-17-2010, 08:19 PM
#13
Did you try pushing it back in with a C-clamp first to see if it goes in part way and then turning it?
Otherwise best case just getting it back in past the seals may be enough, worse case rebuilding it.
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Otherwise best case just getting it back in past the seals may be enough, worse case rebuilding it.
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Last edited by TeamRX8; 02-17-2010 at 08:22 PM.
02-17-2010, 08:26 PM
#16
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15 minute fix with this kit:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=40732
Similar kit, free rental at Autozone.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=40732
Similar kit, free rental at Autozone.
02-17-2010, 09:13 PM
#18
Well I just picked up the tool from autozone. After a few turns it stopped. I took the tool off and pushed back the rubber surrounding the piston and a bunch of brake fluid squirted out.
Looks like i'm going to have to rebuild it?
Mark, what to do now? Can I buy the seals and piston from Mazda, should I take the caliper to them so they can take the piston out(I don't have an air compressor).
Looks like i'm going to have to rebuild it?
Mark, what to do now? Can I buy the seals and piston from Mazda, should I take the caliper to them so they can take the piston out(I don't have an air compressor).
02-17-2010, 11:08 PM
#20
The rebuild kit is inexpensive..and the rebuild isn't bad if you have done it before....the seals are a bit of a PIA to re-install...but do-able for a beginner.
Remove piston...clean everything spotless...and re-assemble
Part# for the rear rebuild kit is F1Y1-26-46Z
Remove piston...clean everything spotless...and re-assemble
Part# for the rear rebuild kit is F1Y1-26-46Z