Integra caliper swap for 88-91 civics...HMT style
01-07-2006, 08:17 PM
#1
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Join Date: Aug 2003
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Integra caliper swap for 88-91 civics...HMT style
This project was more or less brought on by necessity. The project **** is my 89 hatchback dx which is a good platform to build off of, but none the less is not well noted for its brakes. Recently I picked up a pair of 91 Integra front calipers and mounts with the intent of doing a Fastbrakes GTI rotor conversion, but lack of money has left that stranded for a while. Instead I picked up a 91 crx-si parts car and began swapping the brake components in the front to the slightly larger Si front brakes from the tiny dx factory's. Unfortunately half way through i found out that both calipers were frozen solid. So boredom set in, and i came up with this. Warning...this is not for the faint of heart...this is some true HMT ghetto style at it's finest. On to the goodies...
First off we can see the size difference between the 3 front brake calipers...from left to right we have the Integra caliper, followed by the Si caliper, and finally the cheezy dx stockers.
Next we see the difference in size of the pistons inside calipers...same thing as before...Integra the largest piston, followed by the Si, then the dx.
Here is an example of the pad sizing...on the left is a stock dx pad, middle is an Si, then followed by the Integra's. The dx and Si pad are almost identical in sizing, main difference being the way they mount in the caliper bracket. The Integra pad is slightly larger, and actually fits the Si front rotor that i used exactly.
Moving along we come to the problem child of this entire swap. On the left is the stock dx caliper mount, followed by the Si, then the Integra on the right. DX as always, is the smallest. The Si will bolt onto the hub and will clear the wheel and rotor like stock as well, only difference is it's slightly larger. The Integra mount will bolt onto the dx hub, however the mount is thicker than all the rest. Once you try to screw down your rotor and mount your tire, the rotor will lock tight against the caliper mount. No good.
Here we see the thickness difference between the Integra mount and the Si mount. Also notice that the Integra mount is wider in general, apporx. a half inch or so that will hit the wheel around the dished area.
Here i started grinding down the Integra mount to the same thickness as the Si mount. I would have liked to use a mill for this, but the mill that I usually use at my friend's garage is broken, so it's the old-fashioned grinder method for now. Just go easy as a grinder can dig in pretty fast if your not careful. Also try to keep it as flat as possible so things don't get warped. :P
Fuzzy pic of the bracket ground flat. You might have to run a tap through the bolt holes, i used the bolts to do this and chamfered the edges when i was done. Once both sides are cut down evenly and to the size of the dx or Si mount, check the mounting and make sure that the rotor is in the center of the mount where it should be. You're also going to have to double the washers on the 17mm head bolts in order to take up the space that was created by grinding the caliper mounts.
Finished pic of caliper mounted to hub with the rotor on. The pads may look like they hit the center of the rotor, but they don't. Also the reason the "arch" was cut out of the mount is to be able to clear the wheel once it's bolted on. Like i said earlier, the new mount sits half an inch out more than the rest, so it's necessary to cut this piece out. I did this swap along with the Integra rear disc brake swap, and I highly reccomend that you use the Integra proportioning valve as well, or if you wish to adjust things a bit more like i do, get some adjustable prop. valves from summit. Even though the rotor size isn't increased, the force being applied to the rotor has been. Make sure you get some good pads and rotors, don't cheap out here cause the extra force will create alot more heat and warp things. Hopefully I can take it for a test run once it stops snowing around here, and i'll keep you guys updated on how it feels.
First off we can see the size difference between the 3 front brake calipers...from left to right we have the Integra caliper, followed by the Si caliper, and finally the cheezy dx stockers.
Next we see the difference in size of the pistons inside calipers...same thing as before...Integra the largest piston, followed by the Si, then the dx.
Here is an example of the pad sizing...on the left is a stock dx pad, middle is an Si, then followed by the Integra's. The dx and Si pad are almost identical in sizing, main difference being the way they mount in the caliper bracket. The Integra pad is slightly larger, and actually fits the Si front rotor that i used exactly.
Moving along we come to the problem child of this entire swap. On the left is the stock dx caliper mount, followed by the Si, then the Integra on the right. DX as always, is the smallest. The Si will bolt onto the hub and will clear the wheel and rotor like stock as well, only difference is it's slightly larger. The Integra mount will bolt onto the dx hub, however the mount is thicker than all the rest. Once you try to screw down your rotor and mount your tire, the rotor will lock tight against the caliper mount. No good.
Here we see the thickness difference between the Integra mount and the Si mount. Also notice that the Integra mount is wider in general, apporx. a half inch or so that will hit the wheel around the dished area.
Here i started grinding down the Integra mount to the same thickness as the Si mount. I would have liked to use a mill for this, but the mill that I usually use at my friend's garage is broken, so it's the old-fashioned grinder method for now. Just go easy as a grinder can dig in pretty fast if your not careful. Also try to keep it as flat as possible so things don't get warped. :P
Fuzzy pic of the bracket ground flat. You might have to run a tap through the bolt holes, i used the bolts to do this and chamfered the edges when i was done. Once both sides are cut down evenly and to the size of the dx or Si mount, check the mounting and make sure that the rotor is in the center of the mount where it should be. You're also going to have to double the washers on the 17mm head bolts in order to take up the space that was created by grinding the caliper mounts.
Finished pic of caliper mounted to hub with the rotor on. The pads may look like they hit the center of the rotor, but they don't. Also the reason the "arch" was cut out of the mount is to be able to clear the wheel once it's bolted on. Like i said earlier, the new mount sits half an inch out more than the rest, so it's necessary to cut this piece out. I did this swap along with the Integra rear disc brake swap, and I highly reccomend that you use the Integra proportioning valve as well, or if you wish to adjust things a bit more like i do, get some adjustable prop. valves from summit. Even though the rotor size isn't increased, the force being applied to the rotor has been. Make sure you get some good pads and rotors, don't cheap out here cause the extra force will create alot more heat and warp things. Hopefully I can take it for a test run once it stops snowing around here, and i'll keep you guys updated on how it feels.
01-07-2006, 08:38 PM
#3
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Join Date: Aug 2003
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Re: Integra caliper swap for 88-91 civics...HMT style
Originally Posted by fourthgenhatch
wow..good job man. what are the other options for larger front brakes w/ larger rotors do dissipate the heat a little better?
01-09-2006, 10:47 PM
#4
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,751
Re: Integra caliper swap for 88-91 civics...HMT style
Did the whole swap, I hear people saying that you have these issues, I didn't, THe car need an alignment and some camber adjustment just like any other suspension mod. Had no steering issues what so ever.
01-11-2006, 10:37 AM
#7
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Join Date: Feb 2003
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Re: Integra caliper swap for 88-91 civics...HMT style
USA, although I'm sure Canuckland got their variant of it, likely rebadged and called something sli-ightly different.
88-89 EX got the Si engine with DX/Si front brakes and I *think* rear drums. 90-91 got the Si engine and Integra disc brakes all around.
88-89 EX got the Si engine with DX/Si front brakes and I *think* rear drums. 90-91 got the Si engine and Integra disc brakes all around.
01-11-2006, 11:34 AM
#8
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,751
Re: Integra caliper swap for 88-91 civics...HMT style
Originally Posted by Joseph Davis
USA, although I'm sure Canuckland got their variant of it, likely rebadged and called something sli-ightly different.
88-89 EX got the Si engine with DX/Si front brakes and I *think* rear drums. 90-91 got the Si engine and Integra disc brakes all around.
88-89 EX got the Si engine with DX/Si front brakes and I *think* rear drums. 90-91 got the Si engine and Integra disc brakes all around.
