Please note, I take NO credit whatsoever for this writeup. He's my friend and im merely posting it here as reference.
brake expert said:-- EK (96-00 Honda Civic) Brake Upgrades -
(and Information on all 88-00 Civics / 90-01 Integras)
FRONT BRAKES OF YOUR 96-00 CIVIC
Prelude
Okay, there are too many questions, and I see too many people giving WRONG answers. Here I have collected brake setup information based on fact, experience, and no, I don’t accept a setup as proof without a picture of it. I will list interchangeable parts, and talk about what myths are real, and which are not.
For these upgrades, I will refer to SIMILAR, not EXACT parts. Meaning the part may not be 100% identical, but has all of the same characteristics to make it interchangeable, and function the same. Such is the case with 95 Civic Si ABS front knuckles and 95 Integra GS front knuckles. May not be the same part number, but the dimensions make it interchangable 100%. Some other parts MAY work, but I'm listing what I KNOW will work.
CIVIC BRAKES
I have made a chart to simplify "what can I do to my car?" Well first would be make sure its in OEM running condition, and then get good pads/fluid/rotors. This is a list of OEM Honda brake upgrades. After the chart is a desription of how to attain those brakes. Then I mention about upgrading master cylinders to cope with the increased caliper piston requiring more fluid to move the same amount.
Many people assume, and make up s**t. This chart I have here is all factual, and I will not add a brake system to it without pictures as proof.
At the bottom, I am talking about theory, and you can get numbers and debate all day about what you FEEL is better, but I will tell you, with cast iron rotors, and the same pad material, what brake setup is best. Stainless lines affect pedal feel, a bigger MC makes the brakes firmer, and we can discuss that, but given all OEM parts used on the car, this is how you make your brake system better. First get good tires, then good pads, then look into these OEM upgrades. I will not compare aftermarket calipers to OEM calipers, some are good, and some aftermarket setups are worse and more expensive than some of these OEM setups.
Please bump this if you see it, to spread the word about what is REAL, and what isn’t.
For now, the facts:
Common Interchangeability questions:
* 90-01 Integras (except the Type-R) and 88-00 Civics with rear disc brakes are all interchangeable onto any EK, EG, EF, DA, and DC Chassis.
* Integra rear disc spindles, compared to civic drums, are 7lbs heavier (per side of course.) Civic spindles with discs weigh less, but I don’t know how much.
* EK9 and DC2 take the same front and rear brake pads and rotors, so if you spent a s**t-load of cash on a CTR 5-lug suspension/brake swap, there’s your replacement parts.
* Legend/Vigor caliper ARE similar to the Prelude/Integra-R/Civic-R calipers, though since the Legend/Vigor had the caliper on the back, swap them left to right to keep the bleeder pointing up during bleeding. Not all castings have the same numbers but the dimensions are equivelent
* The Civic 88-00 EX rotor is the 10.3" rotor on all EX model Civics from 88-00 and the same rotor found on Integras 90-01 (exc. Type-R).
* DA and DC calipers are NOT the same.
* 94-96 Integras ALL take the SAME front and rear caliper, rotor, pads. WHY people think the GSR has better brakes I don’t know.
* 94-01 Integras and 97-01 ITRs use the same knuckle, and same wheel bearing.
* 98-01 Integra GSR and ITR models use a 1" Master Cylinder, the same as from a 97-01 Prelude, and will bolt onto the 96-00 Civic stock master cylinder and hardlines with no bending of brakelines, and the fluid resovoir is the same.
* 96-00 Civics, all LHD Civics, take the same brake booster. The 99 Si and 96 CX both take the same brake booster; from a RHD 96-00 Civic chassis, the brake booster still is the same cept the brake booster vacuum port is on the other side.
THE 1996-2000 Honda Civic Front Brake OEM Upgrade chart:
Weakest to strongest brake setup
These directions tell what Caliper/bracket/rotor to use that will attach to a stock 96-00 Civic DX, CX, LX. If you have an EX model, then where it says to bolt on the EX knuckle, obviously you don’t. The “>94-01 Integra” Upgrade would require you to put on DX/LX knuckles. If you have an EG, these upgrades are the same, and the EX knuckle for you EG people would mean the EX/SI knuckle from 94-95 ABS models, or whichever ones come stock with 10.3” front brakes. You can identify the front 10.3” brakes because the caliper mount has that hanger in the front. What it means, is that from stock, this tell what Caliper body, Caliper mounting bracket (what holds the caliper’s slide bolts and attaches it to the steering knuckle) and which rotors are used with the parts.
Legend:
B = The part bolts on, no modifications needed. You need only common car tools.
Pad choice is dictated by bracket, not caliper body.
Therefore, pads ALWAYS go with the CALIPER MOUNTING BRACKET.
An asterisk (*) means that there is some machine or customization.
23T = The caliper bracket mount found on the Integra Type-R, Legend 91-95 (non GS), the 96 Prelude VTEC, the Acura Vigor.
Stock 96-00 Civic DX
This is the OEM brake system. DX knuckles, DX calipers, DX rotors.
to 96-00 EX/Si
Take the complete knuckle (with bearing, hub, calipers, caliper hangars, rotors, and pads and swap them onto the Civic DX.
to 90-93 Integra
Take the EX/Si knuckle (with bearing and hub) and bolt on the 17CL14VN 90-93 Integra calipers, caliper mounting brackets, rotors, and pads and swap them onto the Civic DX.
to 94-01 Integra
Take the EX/Si knuckle (with bearing and hub) and bolt on the 17CL14VN 94-01 Integra calipers, caliper mounting brackets, rotors, and pads and swap them onto the Civic DX.
to >94-01 Integra
Use your stock knuckle (with bearing and hub). Get the caliper mounting bracket, 23T, grinded 3.2mm off of the surface where it mounts to the knuckle. Grind down 97-01 Integra Type-R pads at the middle of the backing material. Use a bench grinder to take off material off the inside of the backing plate of the two outer front brake pads. Take off enough material so that it doenst touch the rotor’s hat, about two inches width wise and take the backing material back to the pad material. Go here for details: http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1484555 Take the 17CL15VN ITR calipers, 23T GRINDED caliper mounting brackets, Civic EX rotors, and GRINDED pads and swap them onto the Civic DX.
to 97-01 Integra R
Take the EX/Si knuckle (with bearing and hub) and bolt on the knuckles. Get the caliper mounting bracket, 23T, grinded 3.2mm off of the surface where it mounts to the knuckle. Get 1996 Prelude VTEC rotors re-drilled to fit the 4x100 hub. Take the 17CL15VN ITR calipers, 23T GRINDED caliper mounting brackets, Prelude VTEC rotors, and ITR pads and swap them onto the Civic DX. You can also press the ITR hub into the civic EX bearing, and not grind the bracket, use 97-01 ITR rotors, but then you have 5-lug and will need new wheels. You may use Legend or Vigor calipers, but you should put the right caliper on the left, and vice versa, so to keep the bleeder pointed up.
to 91-96 NSX (2pot)
Take the EX/Si knuckle (with bearing and hub) and bolt on the knuckles. Get the caliper mounting bracket, 23T, grinded 3.2mm off of the surface where it mounts to the knuckle. Get 1996 Prelude VTEC rotors re-drilled to fit the 4x100 hub. Take the 91-96 NSX caliper bodies, 23T GRINDED caliper mounting brackets, Prelude VTEC rotors, and ITR pads and swap them onto the Civic DX.
to 94-95 Legend GS (2pot)
Take the EX/Si knuckle (with bearing and hub) and bolt on the knuckles. Get the caliper mounting bracket, 23T, grinded 3.2mm off of the surface where it mounts to the knuckle. Get 1996 Prelude VTEC rotors re-drilled to fit the 4x100 hub. Take the 94-95 Legend GS caliper bodies, 23T GRINDED caliper mounting brackets, Prelude VTEC rotors, and ITR pads and swap them onto the Civic DX. Because the Legend used calipers on the backside rather than the front, your bleeder will be pointing down, so rotate the caliper 180 degrees around the upper caliper mounting bolt, and place a block in its throat while bleeding the brakes, so that you will have no air in the brake lines.
to S2000
Take the EX/Si knuckle (with bearing and hub) and bolt on the knuckles. Get 2004 RSX Type-S rotors re-drilled to fit the 4x100 hub. Get a plastic hammer and carefully bend the dust shield back so that the rotor's back surface does not touch. Take the S2000 calipers, caliper mounting brackets, and pads, RSX Type-S redrilled rotors, and swap them onto the Civic DX.