As part of my car refurbishment for racing in SCCA’s Spec Miata class, I thought I’d start with a new set of rotors and pads. I chose CarboTech rotors and pads based on readings from various Miata sites and also Dave Wheeler’s Spec Miata Constructors Guide.
This job took a lot longer than I thought it would. The fronts weren’t too bad as the caliper assemblies are pretty familiar from pad replacements I’ve done on other cars. The rear rotors were a different story though.
I found the caliper assemblies to be a real pain to deal with the parking brake cable attached. I probably should have disconnected these to make things easier but didn’t. I also found it a bit tricky getting the pads and clips in place for mounting. On several occasions, I had clips flying through my garage.
The biggest surprise I found during this job was a bent pin on one of the front calipers. This has got me thinking I should rebuild or replace the front and rear calipers. The front brakes are obviously critical to stopping, so it makes sense to start racing with the calipers in a known good state.
Rear Rotor and Caliper
A common brake upgrade for Spec Miata is replacement of the standard rubber brake lines with braided stainless steel brake lines. Upgraded lines are both safer and are said to give better brake response. While working on the rotors, I took the opportunity to upgrade all the brake lines.
Front Rotor with Stainless Steel Brake Line
Changing out the brake lines didn’t add much extra time to the job though I will need to bleed all four brakes before I hit the road again. While I’m at it, I’ll be replacing all of the brake fluid with ATE Super Blue. Super Blue has a higher temperature threshold than standard brake fluid and also absorbs less water. These are both important properties for going racing.
