30 replies to this topic

[cbstdscott]

i have never had much luck getting the parking brake cable out of them, even with the special tool that still doesn’t seem to work.

The "special tool" was the box end of an 8mm wrench. Works fine.

[CSPCRX]

 O it was some special tool I picked up that was supposed to be for this and it never really worked. I think in the end I did end up using a box wrench, don’t recall the size.

[Sinub]

The 1988 and later Civic backing plates will accept the aluminum drums. That is what I am using on my '87 Si.

I wish I had known that. I just removing the lip on the backing plates. 

 

 

I found some numbers around the internet so nothing confirmed, the honda Insite aluminum drum is 4.75lbs for only the drum. The CRX Iron drum is 7.5lbs listed on rock auto.

Using this as a rough estimate for the crx is it safe to say the aluminum drums would drop 2.75bs per corner or drop 5.5lbs total?

If what you say is true, then I have the lightest drums possible (Insight drums). I have achieved greater unsprung weight reduction than Scott. What a great day!

[Sinub]

The "special tool" was the box end of an 8mm wrench. Works fine.

What, there's a special tool? I just remember sliding it out with a plier some how and moving a tab. 

[Aren D.]

O it was some special tool I picked up that was supposed to be for this and it never really worked. I think in the end I did end up using a box wrench, don’t recall the size.

Note that crx drum is the iron drum, not the HF aluminium weight, I couldn't find that number.

[Sinub]

Note that crx drum is the iron drum, not the HF aluminium weight, I couldn't find that number.

My bad. I did misread that. 

[KSousa]

I rocked the aluminum drums for a long time and they were great. However, it's unfair to say one is better than the other as it really depends on how the car is being used. For the street, or autocross, the drums hold up fine and are significantly lighter. It took just one day of road racing at laguna to get me to go to the dark side. The disc's hold up to repeated heavy braking much better than the aluminum drums. Ill gladly take the weight penalty if it keeps the middle pedal up off the floor.

[cbstdscott]

 "Ill gladly take the weight penalty if it keeps the middle pedal up off the floor."

 

That is not a function of the drums, you were over-taxing the braking system's ability to eliminate heat. Brakes work by turning kinetic energy into heat. The trick is being able to vent the heat away as quickly as possible so that your brakes can do their job. If you heat soak your brakes they do not stop the car so much. Brake cooling, primarily in the front, and better fluid would solve that problem.

 

Under braking, particularly hard braking, the rear brakes are barely involved in the process. If you car only has 40% of its weight over the rear wheels at rest, weight transfer under braking lowers that amount to a much lower percentage. Your front brakes are the ones carrying the load, get the fluid hot and your get a lower middle pedal.

[KSousa]

Up front I had the teg rotors with jdm accord si calipers, in the rear aluminum drums. Brake fluid was motul rbf 600. There was smoke coming from the drums, and the nice silver paint which had held up for years discolored into a goldish brown by the end of the day. I had to take cool down laps several times each session to keep brakes functioning.
Before going out on the next track day I converted to the rear discs and changed nothing else. Same front pads, and same brake fluid. I no longer experience brake fade at all at that track.
I should also point out that laguna is very hard on brakes. I did not have overheating problems with the drums at Buttonwillow, or at thunder hill. Just laguna.

[CSPCRX]

I was search the internet and a place called scare bird in Albuquerque NM claims to have disk brake conversion brackets for our cars. Never heard of these before and I question it because it lists the 2nd gen with our cars. 

[Andy69]

I swapped over to the aluminum drums and the matching backing plates. I have 14# in my weight reduction notes next to “rear drums”

[Andy69]

"Ill gladly take the weight penalty if it keeps the middle pedal up off the floor."
 
That is not a function of the drums, you were over-taxing the braking system's ability to eliminate heat. Brakes work by turning kinetic energy into heat. The trick is being able to vent the heat away as quickly as possible so that your brakes can do their job. If you heat soak your brakes they do not stop the car so much. Brake cooling, primarily in the front, and better fluid would solve that problem.
 
Under braking, particularly hard braking, the rear brakes are barely involved in the process. If you car only has 40% of its weight over the rear wheels at rest, weight transfer under braking lowers that amount to a much lower percentage. Your front brakes are the ones carrying the load, get the fluid hot and your get a lower middle pedal.

It is totally a function of the drums if the drums are not capable of handling the heat generated by the braking load. I would never run aluminum drums on a club racing car as they are designed for weight reduction not racing. That’s the primary reason my car had Integra brakes on the front - it had been a club racing car and they have better heat tolerance.

[kedwards]

It is totally a function of the drums if the drums are not capable of handling the heat generated by the braking load. I would never run aluminum drums on a club racing car as they are designed for weight reduction not racing. That’s the primary reason my car had Integra brakes on the front - it had been a club racing car and they have better heat tolerance.

Well, in the Triumph (sports car) world, Alfin brand brake drums were a factory option, for racing. More for improved cooling, than for weight. Enthusiasts covet them (perhaps for the look), and used to search for Datsun 240Z drums to machine to fit the Triumph rear hubs. https://mossmotors.c...zUaAvDZEALw_wcB

[CSPCRX]

Done meany of a track day events and time attack events with my aluminum drum setup and never had any issues. I run civic 10in front brake conversion on the front. I run Hawk race pads with stock pads in the rear. Advantage of the disk brake is the ease of changing pads at the track or just general service.

[Andy69]

Im talking specifically about the CRX aluminum drums. The ones I have on now are just straight aluminum including the friction surface.

Edited by Andy69, 15 March 2020 - 07:25 AM.