Rear Disc Brake Kit
#21
10-09-2017, 06:06 PM
Thanks GAFIT, just got a response from Fast Brakes, and it's the same situation for them. They have brackets for the GD and GE, but haven't had a chance to look at a GK yet. Last member to post in the Arizona sub forum hasn't logged in for a few months.
Anyone know someone in Phoenix/Scottsdale who could check it out?
Anyone know someone in Phoenix/Scottsdale who could check it out?
#22
08-14-2018, 12:15 AM
This all brings up a question that might not have an answer- is the brake bias so far to the front because that's what works for the weight distribution, or is it because they didn't want people to think about brake technology at least 50 years out of date every time they had a service done?
Think about it, with some numbers I just made up for the sake of argument, if the stock USDM brake bias is 95% front but the chassis could handle 75% or even 60% front bias, how many people in the target demographic would ever notice? The worst effect on performance would be to add understeer if you're trail braking, which almost nobody buying a car with drums would bother doing.
If the disc brake conversion changes the brake bias in a way that causes the rears to wear significantly more than with the drums, it could improve performance more than just the cooling effect. Of course, this is all meaningless speculation without real numbers, or the experience of someone with a spare $1k and time to go to the track.
GAFIT, I wish you had a GK, but I would still love to see your results.
Think about it, with some numbers I just made up for the sake of argument, if the stock USDM brake bias is 95% front but the chassis could handle 75% or even 60% front bias, how many people in the target demographic would ever notice? The worst effect on performance would be to add understeer if you're trail braking, which almost nobody buying a car with drums would bother doing.
If the disc brake conversion changes the brake bias in a way that causes the rears to wear significantly more than with the drums, it could improve performance more than just the cooling effect. Of course, this is all meaningless speculation without real numbers, or the experience of someone with a spare $1k and time to go to the track.
GAFIT, I wish you had a GK, but I would still love to see your results.
I have a GE8,
The first 25,000 miles or so on stock brake system, during those first 25k miles, I change the front brake pads 3 times and never change the rear brake drum shoe.
After I upgraded the front brake to much larger brake system and the rear to disc brakes (also much larger), and about 50,000 miles later, I already change the rear disk brake pads 2 times while I haven't change the front brake pads at all.
#24
09-17-2018, 10:48 PM
[QUOTE=GAFIT;1382576]Good points and questions Hasdrubal.
( QUOTE :To your point, the Fit nose dives under even moderate braking. German and Ford European models stay much flatter. I prefer that feeling.)
Back when I was serious into Auto crossing, we would drop the rear suspension 1/2" lower than the front to help eliminate the nose dive and get the car to squat under braking. this worked well with a VW Jetta GLI, a VW GTI and (my favorite) a Honda street prepared CRX. Add a better sway bar up front and make that ass play follow the leader. Light front wheel drive cars are a lot like motorcycles when braking, DON'T unless absolutely necessary. sorry this is a late entry, but just joined a few months ago and there is a lot to digest in this forum, loving it though.
( QUOTE :To your point, the Fit nose dives under even moderate braking. German and Ford European models stay much flatter. I prefer that feeling.)
Back when I was serious into Auto crossing, we would drop the rear suspension 1/2" lower than the front to help eliminate the nose dive and get the car to squat under braking. this worked well with a VW Jetta GLI, a VW GTI and (my favorite) a Honda street prepared CRX. Add a better sway bar up front and make that ass play follow the leader. Light front wheel drive cars are a lot like motorcycles when braking, DON'T unless absolutely necessary. sorry this is a late entry, but just joined a few months ago and there is a lot to digest in this forum, loving it though.
#25
09-19-2018, 10:19 PM
[QUOTE=redracer;1412955]
I solved this nose dive problem by using Coilover with 7k spring rate up front, 4k spring rate rear, equally lowered front and back.
Good points and questions Hasdrubal.
( QUOTE :To your point, the Fit nose dives under even moderate braking. German and Ford European models stay much flatter. I prefer that feeling.)
Back when I was serious into Auto crossing, we would drop the rear suspension 1/2" lower than the front to help eliminate the nose dive and get the car to squat under braking. this worked well with a VW Jetta GLI, a VW GTI and (my favorite) a Honda street prepared CRX. Add a better sway bar up front and make that ass play follow the leader. Light front wheel drive cars are a lot like motorcycles when braking, DON'T unless absolutely necessary. sorry this is a late entry, but just joined a few months ago and there is a lot to digest in this forum, loving it though.
( QUOTE :To your point, the Fit nose dives under even moderate braking. German and Ford European models stay much flatter. I prefer that feeling.)
Back when I was serious into Auto crossing, we would drop the rear suspension 1/2" lower than the front to help eliminate the nose dive and get the car to squat under braking. this worked well with a VW Jetta GLI, a VW GTI and (my favorite) a Honda street prepared CRX. Add a better sway bar up front and make that ass play follow the leader. Light front wheel drive cars are a lot like motorcycles when braking, DON'T unless absolutely necessary. sorry this is a late entry, but just joined a few months ago and there is a lot to digest in this forum, loving it though.
#26
09-19-2018, 10:24 PM
[QUOTE=BMW ALPINA;1413189]
That solves one issue, but causes another....understeer. A front drive car with high front spring rates and low rear will refuse to rotate and will just plow through turns.
May work if you run a huge rear sway bar and no front sway bar at all. I believe some autocross guys do that, but they still don't run that drastic of a difference in front to rear spring rates.
May work if you run a huge rear sway bar and no front sway bar at all. I believe some autocross guys do that, but they still don't run that drastic of a difference in front to rear spring rates.
#27
09-19-2018, 10:41 PM
[QUOTE=GAFIT;1413191]
That solves one issue, but causes another....understeer. A front drive car with high front spring rates and low rear will refuse to rotate and will just plow through turns.
May work if you run a huge rear sway bar and no front sway bar at all. I believe some autocross guys do that, but they still don't run that drastic of a difference in front to rear spring rates.
Hello GAFIT,
The 4k spring rate on my Honda Fit GE is the official spring rate from Ohlins. It is actually stiff enough that it also help reduce the understeer since our rear is so much lighter compare to the front (engine).
I also apply extra modification that totally eliminate understeer problem with the following:
Spoon Front Sway Bar, (which make the car stay flat when cornering thus increase front grip), plus several chassis braces and Spoon Rigid Collar that keep the geometry of the suspension during hard cornering,
oh and -3.5 negative camber.
For the Rear, I use JDM Fit RS rear axle (with internal RS sway bar) plus Progress Sway Bar and Spoon Rigid collar, which make my rear axle so stiff that it often lift the inside wheel when going into a gas station (over the curb).
I also use wide wheel, 18in x 7.5in et48 plus 13mm front spacer and 12.5mm rear spacer so the track is much wider than stock, with 225/40ZR18 Pilot Sport 4s (very high grip for street tire).
With all the above, I can corner fast and flat without any understeer at all and no squeal from the tire.
That solves one issue, but causes another....understeer. A front drive car with high front spring rates and low rear will refuse to rotate and will just plow through turns.
May work if you run a huge rear sway bar and no front sway bar at all. I believe some autocross guys do that, but they still don't run that drastic of a difference in front to rear spring rates.
The 4k spring rate on my Honda Fit GE is the official spring rate from Ohlins. It is actually stiff enough that it also help reduce the understeer since our rear is so much lighter compare to the front (engine).
I also apply extra modification that totally eliminate understeer problem with the following:
Spoon Front Sway Bar, (which make the car stay flat when cornering thus increase front grip), plus several chassis braces and Spoon Rigid Collar that keep the geometry of the suspension during hard cornering,
oh and -3.5 negative camber.
For the Rear, I use JDM Fit RS rear axle (with internal RS sway bar) plus Progress Sway Bar and Spoon Rigid collar, which make my rear axle so stiff that it often lift the inside wheel when going into a gas station (over the curb).
I also use wide wheel, 18in x 7.5in et48 plus 13mm front spacer and 12.5mm rear spacer so the track is much wider than stock, with 225/40ZR18 Pilot Sport 4s (very high grip for street tire).
With all the above, I can corner fast and flat without any understeer at all and no squeal from the tire.
Last edited by BMW ALPINA; 09-19-2018 at 10:45 PM.
#28
09-20-2018, 07:41 AM
BMW ALPINA, with the amount of suspension, chassis, and wheel/tire upgrades you have, I'm sure it works well!
Is there an image of your car with that wheel/tire set up? That's really aggressive for a GE. I'd love to see what that looks like.
Is there an image of your car with that wheel/tire set up? That's really aggressive for a GE. I'd love to see what that looks like.
#29
09-20-2018, 10:18 AM
yah contrary to most folks who have little to no experience with sus mods have said, i too believe dat the front sway bar is da weak point of these fits. so good job going with a thicker front bar. 
#30
09-20-2018, 11:15 AM
My old post after the Spoon front sway bar replacement is here:
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...ml#post1185943
Here are my old threads of the suspension, chassis and wheel/tire upgrades:
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...coil-over.html
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...ntrol-arm.html
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...iii-rotor.html
and here are some pictures:
#31
09-20-2018, 11:42 AM
nice. dogdamn look at da size of dat front caliper! ure going to do an endo at full brake. lol 
sway bar can stiffen the ride going straight if u hit a bump on one side of the car. if hit evenly there is no impact unless ur endlinks are binding which dey aren’t on ur ride. GJ
ure going to do an endo at full brake. lol sway bar can stiffen the ride going straight if u hit a bump on one side of the car. if hit evenly there is no impact unless ur endlinks are binding which dey aren’t on ur ride. GJ
#32
09-21-2018, 12:58 AM
Eye-spy the old J's racing BMC, which has already been replaced with a 1" BMC from a Honda Odyssey, I think.
Note that BMW_Alpina has spent some serious $$$ and a lot of time on his ride. Not because "it's worth it" nor "value for money" but rather for the love of it.
Note that BMW_Alpina has spent some serious $$$ and a lot of time on his ride. Not because "it's worth it" nor "value for money" but rather for the love of it.
#33
09-21-2018, 02:12 AM
nice. dogdamn look at da size of dat front caliper! ure going to do an endo at full brake. lol
sway bar can stiffen the ride going straight if u hit a bump on one side of the car. if hit evenly there is no impact unless ur endlinks are binding which dey aren’t on ur ride. GJ
ure going to do an endo at full brake. lol sway bar can stiffen the ride going straight if u hit a bump on one side of the car. if hit evenly there is no impact unless ur endlinks are binding which dey aren’t on ur ride. GJ
#35
12-06-2020, 10:51 PM
Yes, I've had them installed for a few weeks now. Don't get Hawk HP+ pads, they will have a very noticeable squeal. The install instructions aren't very good, but if you've done regular disc brake servicing before you should be able to handle it. I put some photos in the "what have you done to your car today" thread a few days ago.
If you want rear discs, they work pretty well.
If you want rear discs, they work pretty well.
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