Brake improvement options--what to do first

[BarManBean]

We all know the stock LGT brakes suck--but they seem to have potential. A BBK is totally out of the question for me, but I feel I need to do SOMETHING over the summer, it literally feels like a bit of a safety issue sometimes. My options in order of price/difficulty, seem to be:

 

 

1. Grimmspeed MCB
   
2. Stainless steel brake lines
   
3. STI master cylinder swap
   
4. New pads / rotors, probably hawk/stoptech and centric rotors (bottom of the list mainly because they dont need to be replaced at the moment)
   

What would you do first??? Also, does an STI master cylinder swap negate the need for a GS MCB?

[SCASEYS]

did 2. then weeks later did 1.

noticed improvement w/ the lines right away

MCB not so much

[Windy Road]

2,3,4,1 would be my order.

 

But I'm doing all that and front brembos at once. Well minus the brace since I'm not doing it

[FPerron]

All you need for the street are some quality pads - properly bedded to rotors that are not trashed - and quality brake fluid with the system properly bled. All the rest are cosmetics.

[AZP Installs]

All you need for the street are some quality pads - properly bedded to rotors that are not trashed - and quality brake fluid with the system properly bled. All the rest are cosmetics.

 

Yup, exactly.

 

-mike

 

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[iNVAR]

did 2. then weeks later did 1.

noticed improvement w/ the lines right away

MCB not so much

 

The lines for a daily driver are a waste. if you noticed an improvement with the lines right away, it means you needed to bleed your system, or your original lines were in bad shape to begin with.

 

Get things in the following order:

1) Good pads and rotors that are properly bedded in

2) GS MCB

and if 1 + 2 is still not where you like then

3) MC swap

[mr.hicksta]

 

[No DRFT]

stopping the earth's rotation?

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/4A-FE/Random/01D599A0-4779-432F-A5BD-D8866468B44E.jpg

[xero287]

^No, he's just whoring out his purchases as usual.

[mr.hicksta]

^No, he's just whoring out his purchases as usual.

 

I bought these back in the day yo

[scoobyscoodle]

You know, hick, your car is probably faster with the wheels on.

 

Seriously though, OP; as a few have mentioned, a proper set of pads with quality fresh fluid and rotors in acceptable shape are all you need to stop quickly and safely. Things like SS lines, GS brace, and sti mc/bb will do nothing to increase stopping power or decrease stopping distances, they will really just have an impact on the feel and response of the brake pedal. I still like those parts, and have seen positive results from them, but they take a back seat to pads/fluid.

[BarManBean]

Thanks for all the input guys. I'm thinking pads/rotors and the GS MCB will make me happy. I want to increase stopping power with the first, but the brake feel is also dismal, hence the GS MCB.

 

I was avoiding doing a full bleed of the brake fluid, but since I won't be doing new pads / rotors until the current ones are toast it sounds like I should do a full bleed in the interim. Not sure it has ever been done and the car is sitting around 60k miles. FWIW, I always suck as much fluid out of the reservoir and refill with fresh everytime I change the oil. Not a bleed, but still getting some fresh fluid in there (I do the same with the power steering fluid).