SUSP : rear disc conversion

[timmy0tool]

this DIY was made almost a year ago. i just realized i never posted it here so here we go.

for the longest time i wanted to do this swap on my 92 accord LX. after much debate, i finally decided to do it and got my hands on a set of rear discs complete with everything that i needed. it was all for $240 from a local junkyard.



here are some pics i took as i installed them on halloween day. the installation is very straightforward (bolt-on). total installation time was 8hrs by myself. that included bleeding, e-brake cable adjustment, and test drive.

prior to installation


off the car


side by side comparison


finished product


for sale: 180k miles


for your enlightenment, i replaced the whole trailing arm, knuckle, and upper arm. i used the original LX soft lines and EX e-brake cables. ABS sensors were discarded. one section of the exhaust heatshield was removed to access the e-brake lines. one portion of the exhaust pipe was unbolted but not removed. the proportioning valve was NOT touched. for now, i don't feel that it's necessary to swap it out. so far so good. the braking is much more positive but it just started to rain and i wasn't able to test it out fully. i'll keep you guys posted.

with shoes on


with shoes on up close


NOTE: i am not responsible for your actions. extreme care is necessary when dealing with suspension and brakes.

[accord885]

hmm.. id love to do that... just have to find some read disks now...
good job.!

[mixmatch]

is it just me or are the upper control arms on the disc brake setup smaller and more curvy than the ones on the drum brakes?

do you feel any difference in the handling along with the brakes? or is it just the better feel of the brakes you get out of it?

[timmy0tool]

accord885: yeah finding the rear suspension set was hard. i went to a lot of junkyards, and oddly enough the closest one to me had it. it's out there; you just need to look for it. good luck!

mixmatch: the upper arms are exactly the same. it may look smaller in the pics because of the angle. handling-wise, it might have gotten sloppy since the bushings on the set were beat and a bit aged from sitting in the sun. it should handle the same since it's essential the same part. the braking is affected though. it's like night and day! my drums sucked in the first place anyway. i couldn't lock them when i yanked it while driving. with the discs, i slide all day long . like i said, the feel of the pedal became positive. braking as a whole improved dramatically.

NOTE: this was on the stock pads that were already on the caliper as it came from the junkyard. i didn't even resurface the rotors.

[ironman85]

did you have to remove the rust from the disks? or did simply braking get rid of it? my local junk yard has a pair of rear disks from a '95ex but i havn't gotten them yet cause they're rusted.

[timmy0tool]

Originally posted by ironman85
did you have to remove the rust from the disks? or did simply braking get rid of it? my local junk yard has a pair of rear disks from a '95ex but i havn't gotten them yet cause they're rusted.

typically you supposed to have the rotors turned just to make sure, but i didn't have to. i just slapped them on. and yes simply braking got rid of the surface rust. it really depends on how bad the rust is. over here in cali, it rarely rains so the rust wasn't that bad. i even used the pads that came on the calipers.

on top of the actual assembly and rotors, you should check the caliper piston seals, bushings, and brake lines when you get your set though. make sure they are in good condition before placing them on your car.

[wed3k]

good stuff, makes me want to change out my front and rear brakes.

[olivrooom]

Hey Tim, I'm too lazy to do mine. I've had the whole setup in my garage since September of last year. Wanna come over and do them for me. I'll pay you in parts... one-pieces and folding mirrors? Hahaha! I'm partially serious. Hit me up, bro! Peace!

[91cord]

does it matter what year accord or can you get the discs of a 90-97 accord like all the other suspension parts?

[timmy0tool]

Originally posted by 91cord
does it matter what year accord or can you get the discs of a 90-97 accord like all the other suspension parts?

all 90-97 rear suspension bolts right up. be aware that some DX/LX cars did not have holes in the cross member for the OEM rear swaybar brackets. so you might not be able to run an OEM rear swaybar. this is just a heads up. my LX did not have the holes for the sway bar brackets so i was not able to run an OEM swaybar. i purchased the suspension techniques rear swaybar to compensate (since ST doesn't use the stock bracket locations). having the rear sway bar makes a HUGE difference. the difference is even more apparent if you are used to not having one at all (DX/LX owners).

other than that detail, all suspension components from the trailing arm to the upper arm to the brake lines, are all the same for accords 90-97.

[alphainspire]

so are you still using the stock proportioning valve?

[Weezo182]

lucky me my cb7 is already rear disk

[too.slow.CB7]

a buddy of mine had bought some rear discs off of a 92 accord for his 90.... he bought a V6 CD accord so he just gave them to me to put on my 90 CB7..... the guy he got them from cut the brake lines on the disc..... do i need to buy new brake lines or can i use the lines from the drum system...... -justin-

[timmy0tool]

alphainspire: yeah i'm still running on the stock prop valve. it's been almost a year already and it's still performing well. i had to brake really hard on the freeway twice this year and i locked up my tires everytime, leaving the freeway's groove mark on my tires (at the same time, i'm lucky i didn't hit anyone else). i'm running on 215/45/17's so that pretty much tells you that my brakes are adequate enough to not need another prop valve; maybe not yet . you can't lose on upgrading to a 40/40 though.

Weezo182: lucky you! i'm one of the many DX/LX and 90-91 EX owners who have to deal with drums in the rear. well not for me anymore .

too.slow.CB7: kudos on getting a set! now hopefully you have the e-brake lines/cables attached since you NEED those. the soft brake lines can be replaced with the lines on the drum system. there is also a secondary soft line on the disc trailing arm (which goes directly to the caliper) and hopefully you have those intact (most likely you do anyways since most people cut the primary line). just make sure you have the e-brake lines/cables as the drum system is not interchangeable.

[alphainspire]

timm0tool: thanks for the info regarding the prop valve.

I did my swap on Saturday and everything went smoothly. I bought the 40/40 prop valve just in case but I didnt swap it out.

The swap wasnt that hard, took me and some friends about three hours to do.

I already had stainless steel brake lines, so I swapped out the rears with a new set of brake lines as well. I couldnt use the steel brake lines from the drums because there is an extra hose that runs to the caliper. So I purchased an EX set and just used the rears.

As far as performance, I would say now that the braking is much more linear. Before with the drums, I felt as though the front brakes were doing a bit more work to stop the car. Now it feels as though the rears are doing a little more braking then before.

Pedal feel is good as well, Im gonna stay with the stock prop valve for now.

No more silly drums for me!