Honda Car Forum

>>If you have own or have ever owned a Honda Accord for some time, surely you know
>>how weak the brakes are.
>>
>>Not only are they not very powerful (very difficult to get the brakes to the point
>>of lock-up), but the front rotors have to be replaced often as compared to most
>>cars.
>>
>>MY QUESTION IS: Does anyone know of any aftermarket brakes that are better than
>>the weak stock brakes for a 1987 ACCORD LX-i (besides from Midas or Meineke)?
>>Perhaps even a high performance brake kit upgrade?

I've rarely had a problem locking up the brakes on any of my three '87
Accords... and that's with nice meaty 185/70R-13s.

More specifically, I've rarely had a problem locking up the front wheels...

Any time I've had the rear brakes done, the stopping power is
fantastic... for a couple weeks. As the rear shoes get seated in, they
tend to lose contact, and with the front brakes doing all the work,
stopping power is indeed reduced.

The problem, I think, is that the auto-adjustment mechanism is very
"dainty" and has to be put back together JUST right, or it doesn't work.
If the adjusting tabs are bent even the smallest bit, it won't contact
the step-tooth gear on the adjusting screw, and it doesn't take long at
all before the rear brakes stop working properly.

Adjusting them manually will help for a while, until they wear down too
far again. The trick is make sure the auto-adjuster is reassembled and
working properly.


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Matt Ion wrote:
>
> >>If you have own or have ever owned a Honda Accord for some time, surely you know
> >>how weak the brakes are.
> >>
> >>Not only are they not very powerful (very difficult to get the brakes to the point
> >>of lock-up), but the front rotors have to be replaced often as compared to most
> >>cars.
> >>
> >>MY QUESTION IS: Does anyone know of any aftermarket brakes that are better than
> >>the weak stock brakes for a 1987 ACCORD LX-i (besides from Midas or Meineke)?
> >>Perhaps even a high performance brake kit upgrade?
>
> I've rarely had a problem locking up the brakes on any of my three '87
> Accords... and that's with nice meaty 185/70R-13s.
>
> More specifically, I've rarely had a problem locking up the front wheels...
>
> Any time I've had the rear brakes done, the stopping power is
> fantastic... for a couple weeks. As the rear shoes get seated in, they
> tend to lose contact, and with the front brakes doing all the work,
> stopping power is indeed reduced.
>
> The problem, I think, is that the auto-adjustment mechanism is very
> "dainty" and has to be put back together JUST right, or it doesn't work.
> If the adjusting tabs are bent even the smallest bit, it won't contact
> the step-tooth gear on the adjusting screw, and it doesn't take long at
> all before the rear brakes stop working properly.
>
> Adjusting them manually will help for a while, until they wear down too
> far again. The trick is make sure the auto-adjuster is reassembled and
> working properly.
>
-------------------------------------------

Best tip I ever heard for Honda drum brakes . . . Set the handbrake so
it requires at least six clicks before lockup. Otherwise, (if you try to
make it activate on two clicks like a VW) the auto- adjuster won't work
correctly at all. The tip was in a Chilton's manual for CR-V / Odyssey.

I believed it and have been doing it that way since. Also, use the
handbrake often, but every Honda owner knows that because it's in the
owner's manual. Yeah, right :-)

'Curly'

"'Curly Q. Links'" <motsco__@interbaun.com> wrote
> Best tip I ever heard for Honda drum brakes . . . Set the
handbrake so
> it requires at least six clicks before lockup. Otherwise,
(if you try to
> make it activate on two clicks like a VW) the auto-
adjuster won't work
> correctly at all. The tip was in a Chilton's manual for
CR-V / Odyssey.
>
> I believed it and have been doing it that way since. Also,
use the
> handbrake often, but every Honda owner knows that because
it's in the
> owner's manual. Yeah, right :-)

Wow, I've been messing this one up for a couple of years. I
just checked my 1984-1995 Civic/CRX/del Sol Chilton's
manual, and it says the same. Specifically, it says after
installing brake shoes, adjust the parking brake. Then the
last step of the parking brake adjustment directions says,
"With the equalizer [adjusting nut] properly adjusted, the
parking brake should be fully applied when the parking brake
lever is pulled up 6-10 clicks."