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I thought the NA8 calipers are exactly the same as NA6? When I did my converion and put them side by side they looked the same. If they are different, what where the differences?

NA8 calipers ARE exactly the same as NA6.

The caliper mounting brackets are very different and you must swap the calipers left to right to do the conversion.

I run NA6 drilled and slotted DBAs with Bendix Ultimate pads. Since this conversion I have not had brake problems going down Clyde Mountain from Braidwood to Batemans Bay.

IMHO with a stockish NA6 on the road you don't need bigger brakes. Turbo/Supercharge or trackwork - different story.

i agree with adam. for a na6 road car, dba slotted rotors and some decent pads is all you need, i reckon. that's what i have on my turboed na6 and it's great.

Nice engine bay!!!

adamjp wrote:NA8 calipers ARE exactly the same as NA6.

NO THEY ARE NOT! the difference is in the finger length. (A 1.8 caliper won't fit on a 1.6 bracket)

The caliper mounting brackets are very different and you must swap the calipers left to right to do the conversion.

They are NOT "very different". They are basically the same, but asymmetrical with each other (ie, almost identical if you compare with the opposite side of the other version). The 1.8 brackets are a little "taller" and take a bigger pad.

adamjp wrote:
NA8 calipers ARE exactly the same as NA6.

NO THEY ARE NOT! the difference is in the finger length. (A 1.8 caliper won't fit on a 1.6 bracket)
Quote:

The caliper mounting brackets are very different and you must swap the calipers left to right to do the conversion.


They are NOT \"very different\". They are basically the same, but asymmetrical with each other (ie, almost identical if you compare with the opposite side of the other version). The 1.8 brackets are a little \"taller\" and take a bigger pad.

Well, I must admit that since I have never bothered to actually do the conversion I have no personal knowledge. But I do find it interesting that all the literature on the subject suggests that the NA6 & NA8 calipers are essentially the same, but must be swapped to the other side in order to fit the NA8 brackets. Apparently the NA8 brackets have the pivot at the other end.

I can accept that NA8 calipers won't fit the NA6 brackets, but the NA6 calipers WILL fit the NA8 brackets if swapped over. The length of the supporting casting will make no significant difference to the clamping force they generate.

A caliper that can be swapped over is functionally the same, a bracket that is 'a little taller' is functionally the same, but operationally different. After all the difference that matters is the extra size that allows the calipers to take the bigger pads that clamp the bigger discs. To me that makes them very different.

In this case the difference between the calipers is of no concern, it is the bracket difference that matters.

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I just checked and the literature I have suggests putting left bracket on right side. A bit easier than swapping the calipers over. The Hakuna archive http://www.miata.net/hakuna/0003/aindex.htm or Miqs http://www.bigllama.com/miata/brake/bigbrake.htm

That's what I was thinking. If they were the same, why would there be different Hawk pads for the NA6 and NA8/NB8.

Because the pads differ to allow clamping on the bigger disks. If you look at the pads, they are the same where they fit to the caliper, but the NA8 ones are 'taller'. The caliper mating area IS identical, the disc mating area is LARGER. Check out the Bendix website print them out and lay the printouts over each other.

NA6 http://www.bendix.com.au/Catalogue/BrakeProfilePDFs/DB1178.pdf

NA8 http://www.bendix.com.au/Catalogue/BrakeProfilePDFs/DB1282.pdf

NB8B calipers use a larger pad and are designed to work on a larger rotor - 270mm as opposed to a 255mm NA 1.8 and NB8A rotor.

The functional difference between the 1.6 and 1.8 calipers is that the 1.8 caliper will squeeze a 1.8 pad more evenly.

A 1.6 caliper will squeeze a 1.8 pad more towards the outer edge, wearing it in a taper.

Admittedly the difference is not great, I just want to clear up the misconception that they're the same (except for the L/R swap thing)