Options for Brakes on Galant

[GTX]

Hi gurus,

I wonder if I could pick your brains on the options for brakes on my 1991 Galant. I have to get rid of the booster as it is inconsistent when left foot braking. I have to find bigger brakes, presumable 4 pistons front and dual rear. I also have to stay with 15 inch rims. What is out there? Have you used anything beyond stock? Would brakes from 3k fit?

Thanks
A

 

[prove_it]

Good questions, no one has ever upgraded brakes, ever. So yea searching would be utterly useless........

 

[jeverts]

Come on now give the guy a break (pun intended), But prove it is right there are plenty of brake options out there. 3kgt, evo brembos, cobra, or what I am going to be doing is a CTS-V caliper because they are the same as the evo brembos and half the price. Just need mounts and lines and good rotors.

 

[prove_it]

Yea yea, if your staying with 15in rotors, there are no options besides slotted drilled rotors and race pads. Even fitting the outlander brake swap on requires 16's.

Our rotors are as big as 15's will handle.

 

[GSTwithPSI]

Ryan is right. With a 15" wheel your brake options are pretty much factory calipers with whatever flavor of rotor/pad combo you want.

I'm more curious about why your brake booster feels inconsistent. Is it not sufficiently supplied with vacuum?

 

[prove_it]

Most likely the brake master has leaked into the booster and damaged the diaphragm if it feels odd. Otherwise check the check valve in the booster source. Might be stuck open and under boost you lose the vacuum assist.

 

[EMX5636]

Left foot braking? Are you rallying the car? If so, maybe you could supply the vacuum booster with a vacuum pump to keep it consistent? I'm guessing you lose assist when on the throttle and brake at the same time? Unfortunately, as people have mentioned, stock is as large as you can go with almost any 15" wheel I've seen. A good set of pads, and solid rotors will yield the best braking, slotted if you have issues warping them.

 

[prove_it]

Also the 3g eclipse Master cylinder adds some extra braking power.

 

[GTX]

yes, I do rally this car. Here is what happens: if the car under-steers you brake slightly while on the throttle to put more weight on the front wheels. This requires precision. Booster by default make this not accurate. If you keep left foot too long with vacuum valve slightly open, the booster would loose the power. You need to lift the foot off the brake completely to re-gain it. Sometimes you don't have the time for it. Looks like I either have to add the vacuum pump or experiment with WRX brakes. They fit 15 inch rims and are used on rally sibies.

 

[GTX]

and yes, the booster otherwise works fine and I use Hawk racing pads, which are excellent. Probably would not use them on the street car though.

 

[EMX5636]

I don't think the WRX brakes before they went to the 4 piston would really be any advantage over the stock twin piston VR4 calipers. Rears are lacking a bit IMHO, but you could increase the rear bias a bit with an adjustable proportioning valve. Maybe see if you can fit a set of the BAER/Camaro/Mustang calipers under a set of 15" wheels using the stock rotors? Might have to grind a bit off the calipers, but I don't remember them being much bigger than the OEM calipers size-wise. I think good pads and rotors should net you what you're looking for once you fix the booster issue.

 

[Launch]

No mention of the turboII Mazda 4 pistons caliper? I'll be going to a set once I swap to my 5ug rims

 

[r4pt0x]

Use a vacuum pump, then you can also use a throttle-kicker to get anti-lag with the stock EEPROM ECU (or any evo 7/8/9 ecu).

Lots of modern diesel cars have electrical vacuum pumps, so they are easily available as cheap aftermarket part.


For the brake upgrade:

remove the ABS hydraulic unit, as these old versions have relatively big dampening reservoirs to reduce pulsation at the brake pedal - when braking you always compress these gas reservoirs. Also get rid of the stock proportioning valve and re-configure the brake lines to a front/rear setup, so you can add an adjustable pressure regulator into the single line to the rear brakes.

 

[Paddy1337]

If you come up with a solution you like, please share. Some others ff us have rally cars as well. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif