Cal Club Autocross Forums

Ok, need to replace pads. Don't know what is currently on the car, likely some cheap brake shop pad installed by the previous owner.

Problem: Major front end lockup this last year.

I have always run Hawk HPS's on the Integra (and my other cars, as there about the same price, last as longer and have less dust than the typical cheep auto parts store brands.)

'95 Miata has no ABS. I apparently can't slow it without locking right front tire on course, whether turning right or left. If turning left, then I lock the left one too. Street driving is typically ok, I have locked (you get used to the ABS ) them once or twice when an idiot cut me off.

HPS's going to be enough, or do I need to look at more pad in the back (or less in the front) to change bias?

Thanks for suggestions in advance.

HP+ in front and HP Black in back ... maybe HPS in front and HP+ in back?

Do you use the same size as our '99?

We might have some slightly used pads we can sell to u

I tried HPS up front and HP+ in the rear on mine as I was having exactly the same issue.

Trouble was, if you didn't brake in a straight line, the rear end just went flying away from you! Amazingly loose on trail braking.

Then Henry bought the car and has been tweaking it and seems to have the issues largely fixed, so you might want to talk to him.

Go to the top of this page and refresh until our sponsor C2Racers appears. Steve has the same car and I'm sure he can supply you with pads that are appropriate.

Craig, if you are looking for the HPS Front/HP+ Rear Combo, we do have those in stock and it would be $107.00 + tax.

George Schilling wrote:Go to the top of this page and refresh until our sponsor C2Racers appears. Steve has the same car and I'm sure he can supply you with pads that are appropriate.

Thank you George. I gone thru quite a few pad types trying to find the best balance. Call me and we can go over them.

Steve Coe

Mako Koiwai wrote:HP+ in front and HP Black in back ... maybe HPS in front and HP+ in back?

Do you use the same size as our '99?

We might have some slightly used pads we can sell to u

Those are *way* too aggressive for a non-ABS car. (Edited to add: this is a comment on the HP+ / HP Black combo.)

I'd love to hear what Steve Coe suggests...

Mike

I would agree. I think our combo is OEM Mazda pads with Hawk+.

My '94 non-ABS car also had this problem. It was *mostly* remedied by 13" 710s and better technique.

I tried Porterfield R4S pads front and rear; R4S front and R4 rear; brake bias valve; making sure front sway bar didn't bind—it did and freeing it didn't change anything. In the end, I went with R4S pads all around and the "Miata two-step" braking technique: initial pedal pressure, pause, more pedal pressure. The slight delay allows the weight transfer to settle and the tires to set before adding more braking force.

Tires also make a difference!

The Spec Miata guys found out that preload in the front sway bar can cause lock up.
If you don't have a set of adj front sway bar end links, get them. That fixed 30% of my lock up.
Then experiment with the pads we like talked about.
Steve

5 bucks says if you put the car on scales when you're in the car the right front has less weight on it then the left front. Fix that and most of the lock up problems go away.

once a tire is flat spotted it tends to lock up there prematurely, so it may still lock the right wheel even after you "fix" the problem until you put new tires on it.

Two suggestions:

Stock Mazda front pads.

Fix the front swaybar: properly fitted mounting bushings (NO bushings are right our of the box, causing the bar to bind) and proper, adjustable endlinks. Also, you may have too much front bar.

Steve Lepper wrote:Two suggestions:

Stock Mazda front pads.

Fix the front swaybar: properly fitted mounting bushings (NO bushings are right our of the box, causing the bar to bind) and proper, adjustable endlinks. Also, you may have too much front bar.

Good things to know. Wish I'd asked you about four years ago!