Just got done looking at pics of a factory Ist from the 04 Tokyo Auto Salon sporting front/rear discs. Any chance of getting the same set up in the U.S.?

 

I don't think so, but there will probably be kits out to make it rear disk. infact I think there already are

 

ok I did alittle research and there is a kit out, the rear is $1642.50.

it was in the parts section

https://www.scionlife.com/parts/revi...&sub_cat_id=66

and here is the maker of it

http://www.thebrakeman.com/home

 

You can simply just order the parts, caliper, rotors, etc... from the dealers in Japan and have them ship it over! Usually they do that for you! And if you call and speak english they will have a english representative assisting you!

 

are you for real? thats great! now what does the bB have that I really really want?

 

Any guess-timate of how much will it cost to order and ship the parts to US?

 

I called and asked about their OEM HID headlights(Housing/Bi Xenon ballast) and was quoted around $1200 shipped and it would take anywhere from 4-7 weeks. They take Visa/Master and bank wire transfer only for international orders. It is still best to have somebody in Japan pick it up for ya and ship it yourself.

 

damn $1200

 

hmm. you can do your own rear brake kit pretty easy. do a google search theres like two people that have done it using old corolla gts rotors and calipers

 

I would question the use of a rear brake upgrade, especially if the front brakes are not upgraded. Throwing the factory brake balance off is a REALLY, magory, stupendously bad idea. If you want better stopping distance, upgrade the front rotors, pistons and calipers first. And then (if it's even necessary), upgrade the rears. It's simple physics, you brake, weight goes forward. Increase rear stopping power without compensating with upgraded front stopping power, and you get the same brake effect in the front, and zero traction in the rear.

Yeah. . . it will look cool, but I would also up my insurance coverage if I did a rear brake mod only.

 

drum brakes grip better than disc anyway.. there's no danger of swapping to disc..

you have abs anyway lol..

 

??? Last I checked, disk brakes are superior to drum brakes.

Secondly, for those of us without VSC, we do not have independent controls for each brake; it's all controlled through one hydraulic pump in the master cylinder, without any proportioning of pressure to each wheel. When the ABS kicks in, it kicks in for all wheels. Therefore, if your rears lose traction prematurely (due to uneven stopping power), the ABS will kick in and REDUCE stopping distances. Finally, did you know that you CAN STILL SPIN OUT, even with ABS. ABS is a safegaurd, not an idiot proof. And tampering with the brake balance can cause rear slippage, and if you lose traction, for instance in a turn, your rear tires are going to continue to slip regardless of how much your ABS pumps. Straight line. . . maybe you won't lose control, but any advanced driver knows the importance of trail braking, and in the real world, that's when it is most critical that your brakes are perfectly balanced.

Again, upgrading rear brakes can be good. . . so long as the fronts are upgraded to compensate for the increased stopping power of the rear.

 

LMFAO

 

Your right on the balance comments. If any of you've driven a go-kart that only has rear brakes, you'll know what he's talking about. Those are a bit on the extreme end with no front brakes, but the principle is there, and you will feel the car want to spin more easily in a turn REGARDLESS of the ABS. ABS won't kick in until you have lockup, and you dont' need lockup to get the car to spin because of more rear brake power. I know because I've done it. Not spin, but I've drifted my xA RS1.0 at high angles simply by trail braking.

Anyway, personally, I think this rear brake conversion, the OEM one, should be fine IF they didn't change anything to the front brakes. Then rear brake biasing, if any, should be minimal. Even a small amount of additional rear brake biasing shoudl be fine and safe. If there is no additional rear brake biasing, then I think the only advantage to them will be less brake fade, easier to change the rear pads, and more pimp factor.

 

hehe more pimp factor, i like that :D

 

I hope so. . . one of my really good friend's wiped out his civic driving in rainy weather. . . he was driving at normal speeds and spun out. An OEM upgrade would almost definitely be fine. . . but I question aftermarket kits and the like, as I don't trust their testing procedures. I stand by my previous comments, that upgrading the front brakes would be far more beneficial to overall handling/braking, but I can't argue with bling factor. . .

 

I agree with you there.

 

Rear drums aren't even that bad. They are better for parking brakes anyway. You don't use that much stopping power in the rear anyway, not enough where discs is really needed. Plus drums last forever practically.