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Does anyone have any suggestions and links for new front calipers for an NB8A? My front calipers need to be rebuilt, and I'm trying to figure out whether it's worthwhile to just get new calipers versus the cost of the rebuild.

I've had a bit of a look around, and it looks like it's a full on upgrade or nothing. It'd be really good if there was something that was a bit of an upgrade rather than an all out one. There's the NB8B brake route, but I'm a bit iffy about getting second hand calipers, purely to avoid this same situation again.

Usage is daily drive with the odd track day here and there. It's also worth noting I just got new pads all round, so I'd really prefer not to swap caliper sizes and have to buy another new set of brake pads.

It's much cheaper to rebuild that's why your only seeing upgrades (NBb or willwood etc).

The only thing different from a new calliper and a rebuilt one is the actual body itself.

Given how frequently these die (almost never) Mazda would have never made huge spares of the bodies and they would cost a fortune - just because.

Everything else "new" would be remanufactured or after market copies. I think the USA did get some after market copies through their parts stores but the thought was a genuine calliper with genuine parts was more reliable. The after market ones had more problems with seals leaking.

Society trains us that throwing away and buying new is more cost effective. In this case it's not.


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Agree with sailaholic the OEM calipers are cheaper to rebuild than replace new.

Going to NB8B calipers would depend on the use of them previously, if they came off a daily drive then you could just bolt them on and drive away, however if had heavy track use it would be worth rebuilding (depending on their last rebuild). However since you have just purchased new pads a rebuild may be the way to go.

DIY guides to help you decide. Personally I get them done by a specialist business just because they are brakes and I'm not that confident to do it myself.

Rear brake operation http://www.miata.net/garage/ebrake/index.html%20or%20http://fastcraft.biz/blog/?p=725

Front caliper http://mazdaroadster.net/showthread.php?1859-Front-Caliper-Rebuild

Good advice guys. Basically the answers I was after. Given the car has done 200,000km, a rebuilt is definitely fair enough. Just a case of whether there's a good aftermarket option that doesn't cost the earth, which it doesn't look like there is.

OEM calipers are very good ones if they get normal scheduled care.

At 200,000kms and with a record of regular (at least 2 yearly) fluid changes then there's a very strong chance that it's a simple rebuild.: maybe just a light hone and a couple of new rubber bits. With the calipers off it would take me around 15-20 minutes to clean, check, hone and reassemble each.

If fluid changes have been missed to the point where the fluid has sometimes become watery in the calipers and there were traces of rust then I'd be looking at getting other calipers.

Yeah, I've never had a problem with how they've pulled me up on the track, so I don't doubt their ability.