NA6 Rear brake upgrade...worth it ?????

Wheels, Suspension, Brakes & Tyres questions and answers

Moderators: timk, Stu, zombie, Andrew, -alex, miata

User avatar
emexv
Fast Driver
Posts: 470
Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2006 6:24 pm
Vehicle: NB SE
Location: Melbourne. Down on the Peninsula
Contact:

NA6 Rear brake upgrade...worth it ?????

Postby emexv » Wed Aug 27, 2008 6:37 pm

I just upgraded my NA6 brakes to later model. Apart from the bigger rolling diameter of the disk I see no difference in the rear brakes. I understand it is easier to stop a rotating wheel from the outside so it stands to reason braking efficiency would be improved with a larger disk. Would my assumption be correct.

It's interesting to note that with the taper on the Hawk pads there is probably a 30% reduction in contact area now to the old NA6 brakes.

Comments ???
Cheers
Mark

User avatar
Matty
Racing Driver
Posts: 1652
Joined: Wed Apr 23, 2003 11:00 am
Vehicle: NB8A
Location: Melbourne
Contact:

NA6 Rear brake upgrade...worth it ?????

Postby Matty » Wed Aug 27, 2008 6:48 pm

Getting the bias (front to rear balance) is important. The rears do less work than the fronts, but if they don't do enough the braking is compromised. The larger diameter disc has more leverage so applies more braking torque for the same pressure

As a cheap fix, get in on the FM prop valve group buy, then you can boost the rear pressure (relative to the OEM valve)...

User avatar
emexv
Fast Driver
Posts: 470
Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2006 6:24 pm
Vehicle: NB SE
Location: Melbourne. Down on the Peninsula
Contact:

NA6 Rear brake upgrade...worth it ?????

Postby emexv » Wed Aug 27, 2008 6:53 pm

Matty, does this valve just replace the standard prop valve ??
Cheers
Mark

Sasso

NA6 Rear brake upgrade...worth it ?????

Postby Sasso » Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:31 pm

emexv wrote:Matty, does this valve just replace the standard prop valve ??


Yep but its adjustable.

But you should get the fronts upgraded first, and make sure you have the same pads front and rear. Pad taper? callipers bind much?
Bigger disks also act as a bigger heat sink.

User avatar
emexv
Fast Driver
Posts: 470
Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2006 6:24 pm
Vehicle: NB SE
Location: Melbourne. Down on the Peninsula
Contact:

NA6 Rear brake upgrade...worth it ?????

Postby emexv » Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:37 pm

Sasso wrote:
emexv wrote:Matty, does this valve just replace the standard prop valve ??


Yep but its adjustable.

But you should get the fronts upgraded first, and make sure you have the same pads front and rear. Pad taper? callipers bind much?
Bigger disks also act as a bigger heat sink.



Fronts are done (did the lot) Hawks all round. Just finished bleeding them.

As a matter of interest. The rear drivers side caliper was siezed solid. Had to smash the bugger pretty hard with a big hammer to get the caliper off the slider pin, so would say only one pad was doing any work. I'll be greasing those pins pretty reguraly from now on.
Cheers
Mark

Sasso

NA6 Rear brake upgrade...worth it ?????

Postby Sasso » Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:50 pm

emexv wrote:
Sasso wrote:
emexv wrote:Matty, does this valve just replace the standard prop valve ??


Yep but its adjustable.

But you should get the fronts upgraded first, and make sure you have the same pads front and rear. Pad taper? callipers bind much?
Bigger disks also act as a bigger heat sink.



Fronts are done (did the lot) Hawks all round. Just finished bleeding them.

As a matter of interest. The rear drivers side caliper was siezed solid. Had to smash the bugger pretty hard with a big hammer to get the caliper off the slider pin, so would say only one pad was doing any work. I'll be greasing those pins pretty reguraly from now on.



Yar with the callipers all cleaned and sliding nicely your brakes should be great. I've spend more time on brakes than anything else practically (except turbo install), I spent 3/4 of a day cleaning all the crap off all the slider pins and pad mounts and greasing them, the brakes work much better now. Just make sure you do it now rather than after you crash into the back of someone because your brakes don't work every time you washed the car :roll: I could have gotten a big brake kit with the damage cost.


Return to “MX5 Wheels, Suspension, Brakes & Tyres”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 200 guests