STI Front and Rear Brakes
 

So I hate to beat a dead horse:reposthorse: but I recently came across a much cheaper route to installing STI calipers on my FR-S. (or so it seems)

Heres the thread on how to install them:Full Front and Rear 08-12 STI Brakes Swap

I was searching for a set of used front and rear STI calipers and rotors to use then i came across these for a fraction of the price. $122 per front caliper and $160 per rear caliper. The best part of these are is the paint is already stripped and ready to be powder coated. (keep in mind that the images are not of the actual parts, but if you read the specs, they show that the fronts are indeed the STI 4 piston front calipers and STI 2 piston rears)

This almost seems too good to be true so when I get home in two weeks I'm going to order these to my nearest auto zone and give it a shot. If they bolt up, I'm going to pick up STI rotors and pads to complete the upgrade. If not, Ill just return the unused parts and update you guys.

Oh and one more thing, I don't plan on doing much or maybe even no track days. This is mostly aesthetics that I want, oh well, call me a ricer. Its what I like that matters.

http://i.imgur.com/aEQ81je.jpg?1


Thoughts?

Don't forget the core charge.

-alex

Edit: also don't forget to pick the actual car. Once you select, then you'll find the initial link is useless.

You're right, I guess I should have mentioned that I had selected parts for a 2009 STI.

Auto Zone part numbers:
Front: (Right) D3699 (Left) D3698
Rear: (Right) D3781 (Left) D3780

So that core charge ads another 140 to this set, right?

How about rotors?

Oh man... Be careful here... Check out my build thread for the details (I tried a conversion), but long story short you are going to have to flip the bleeders to maintain proper piston orientation. Sounds easy (normally would be), but with older heavily used calipers the bleeder plugs are often seized inside the caliper and impossible to remove unless you drill them out and rethread.

Brand new calipers are no problem, but I bought an older pair first, drilled em out, rethreaded and they leaked under pressure. Its a tough/risky business unless you buy lightly used or brand new calipers.

Otherwise the install is easy. Get the proper rotors and the proper mounting bolts and the calipers bolt up just fine. Older calipers may need a conversion mounting bracket so do your research and read your threads!

Correct.

This is only for calipers and no rotors, no pads, just calipers and pad retaining hardware.

-alex

Yes you do have to add the core charge however, if you take the old parts that you're replacing they wont charge you the core fee. Most Auto zone employees don't really seem to know very much about what you take back to them and I want to keep my OEM parts so ill end up taking them a set of calipers that i have lying around from a 98 civic. Ive done it before with a CV joint.

I am aware of having to swap the bleeders and i do have the tools to be able to do this. Since these are brand new calipers it will be a lot easier to break the red thread lock that they use on them.

What rotors did you use and did you need spacers? Ive been trying to find the ones listen in the DIY and cant seem to find them.

You're right, i didn't even see that they're refurbished. Maybe that will make it easier to switch the bleeders. As for stock, I had already called my local store and they said they could have them at their store within a week of ordering them.

Ive said it before ill say it again. The braking capacity of our cars far exceeds the tires that were installed on it from factory. Install better tires perhaps a better pad and rotor and it will suit you needs for far cheaper and far less work then doing this route your going.

I'm a brake newbie. I know enough to know that big brake kits are mostly about avoiding heat, and I won't be tracking my car. Just spirited driving and the occasionally rare track day. At this point, the kit would be mostly to fill the void created from larger rims--aesthetics. Could I just put larger rotors on? I thought the rotor diameter couldn't be changed because the caliper would be able to bolt to the bracket.

No rotors have to match the caliper size. You only need large brake kits when you are a serious track guy. Hundreds of people do the occasional track day on stock brake calipers. They just change the fluid pads and rotors.

Thats what I thought. So, this is likely the cheapest route for aesthetics for certain.

I am doing the same upgrade on friday for the same reason and not because race car lol...
http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/y...D286C3F392.jpg
for rotors got dba 2656-10 for the rear and plain centrics for the front and not so aggressive pads to compensate since daily driven as well as 20mm spacers for the front to fit stock mags and back should clear without a spacer.