bigger booster/master why

[1chrisapple]

Ok so i have aspire/rio swap and decent brakes.but the pedal is still kinda stiff to push so if i swap to say the aspire booster/master will it be easier or the escort gt one.
I like soft pedal fro brakes.just ease your foot on pedal to atop would be nice.thnx for everyones input in advance.

[FestYboy]

easier on the foot, but more difficult to modulate the pressure.... it's a trade off. aspire booster and Miata booster, seem to be the way to go here if you're looking for less effort.
also, a different grade of pad can change the pedal feel as well.

[bravekozak]

Thanks for reminding me to change the bushings on my clutch/brake pedal assembly before I re-install the dash. I bought the bushings on the last Four Green group buy. I don't know if it will make any difference, but I intend to find out. A little nano grease won't hurt either. My brake pedal is stiff. I changed to stainless brake lines, new master cylinder. and silicone brake fluid. I hate mushy pedals. I want to know I can stop (scarred for life from a previous brake failure).

I wonder how many members have ever driven a vehicle without factory power brakes?

[Festy46]

I wonder how many members have ever driven a vehicle without factory power brakes?

What's that can mounted on the back of my master cylinder and why did they mold the word "Power" into my brake pedal rubber pad? Screeeeeeeech!! "Almost bumped my head on the windshield. Them thar power brakes sure do stop quick". That's kinda how my first experience was, going from manual to power brakes.

[Advancedynamix]

Larger diameter master cylinder will require a shorter stroke to operate the brakes, but it will require more pressure from your foot. Some people prefer brakes that require more pedal pressure, I am one of those people. A larger diameter booster will typically provide more leverage. So, in theory, if you match a larger diameter master with a larger diameter booster, then pedal effort ( the pressure required to operate the brakes) will remain the same, but pedal throw ( the distance you need to press the pedal) will decrease.
I use a miata m/c and booster on Tweak. Pedal effort is similar to stock, throw is slightly shorter and it is very easy to modulate. I use aspire auto front brakes and stock festiva rears. This car will out brake most exotic sports cars with ease.

[1chrisapple]

awesome guys I think I may just try a booster first and then if don't like it go with a master to

[Bert]

I wonder how many members have ever driven a vehicle without factory power brakes?

Just like power assist steering, manual brakes are direct and you really get a good feel for the condition of your braking system. On large vehicles like the "Armstrong brake and steering" 69 F350 Custom Camper I borrowed many years ago you really get a leg and upper body work out when you want to do something positive or fast. I do recall having to use a second foot on the brake pedal once in awhile. Minis of the 60s didn't have any power assist amenities and those brakes worked great providing there were no leaks. They were single chamber M/C before 1968 and you either had full brakes or no brakes!

[Bert]

........ My brake pedal is stiff. I changed to stainless brake lines, new master cylinder. and silicone brake fluid. I hate mushy pedals. I want to know I can stop (scarred for life from a previous brake failure).

Second Festy I bought had brakes that required the effort of 2 men and boy to stop the car. Turned out to be thoroughly corroded/frozen sliders in the calipers (the pair of cylindrical ones that are enclosed by rubber boots). Wire-wheeled, sanded and greased before reassembly I near put my head through the windshield first time out following that. Take a look at yours; they might surprise you! Especially if water got in there over the years and the oil or grease disappeared.
I too have experienced catastrophic brake loss in a Mini Cooper and wound up passing a semi trailer at high speed via the ditch route and then sweating bullets all the way home with nothing but manual gears and a lousy handbrake. I'm told that dual braking systems were mandated in the late 60s in order to address this but I've had pedals suddenly go right to the floor anyway since. Moving back to Ontario in 82 I shattered a front brake drum on a 'laden to the hilt' 68 Chev 1/2 ton while crossing the mountains on the Hope/Princeton Hwy. That was the most hair-raising run I've ever made and the sleepless dark hours I spent stopped on a truck "runaway lane" didn't give me any comfort either once I saw the fresh tracks of other vehicles that had had to use the emergency incline road too. Handbrakes quickly overheat and fade and 3 speed autos are mostly useless as down-shifts to slow down fully loaded vehicles.

[Zanzer]

Some people prefer brakes that require more pedal pressure, I am one of those people.

I use a miata m/c and booster on Tweak. Pedal effort is similar to stock, throw is slightly shorter and it is very easy to modulate. This car will out brake most exotic sports cars with ease.

^^ These!


I have the NB Miata booster/mc on my 93 and I'm still running all Festiva brakes front and rear. I love the feel because it's still firm (I absolutely hate a squishy brake pedal, even if if it will stop on a dime) but the travel is less. It's very easy to modulate, feedback is quick from pedal inputs. The Miata upgrade easily cut my stopping distance in half but I still feel like the system could use about 20% more. I think with a couple of small upgrades I have planned this car will stop as good as my Mazdaspeed3....if not better. The Miata setup is the best 50 bucks I've spent on this car to date.

[Advancedynamix]

^^ These!


I have the NB Miata booster/mc on my 93 and I'm still running all Festiva brakes front and rear. I love the feel because it's still firm (I absolutely hate a squishy brake pedal, even if if it will stop on a dime) but the travel is less. It's very easy to modulate, feedback is quick from pedal inputs. The Miata upgrade easily cut my stopping distance in half but I still feel like the system could use about 20% more. I think with a couple of small upgrades I have planned this car will stop as good as my Mazdaspeed3....if not better. The Miata setup is the best 50 bucks I've spent on this car to date.

The single most beneficial thing about using aspire front calipers is the ability to buy real performance pads. Stay away from cheap ceramic pads as they seem to glaze easily. I use Performance Friction sport compound pads, and they are a real life saver on the track, but require some heat to work properly. Pads make all the difference.

[Zanzer]

I'm sticking with the Festy bolt pattern on my white 93 because I don't want to give up my wheels. The Miata upgrade was a huge improvement though so it's shouldn't take much to squeeze out a little more


I wish AutoZone still carried PF pads. Since they went mostly "house brand" stuff I have to order them online now :[

[Advancedynamix]

For street driving, with no substantial weight in the car ( or behind it) my stock brakes work very well. I often think about the posts I read on here about how dangerous stock brakes are and I can't help but think that these comments must be caused by worn out our rusty components in the systems. I have driven my 89l on the track with 200k miles on the brakes ( not the original pads) and I felt the brakes were more than adequate. I wouldn't call the stock brakes impressive by any means, but they do what I ask of them. Just for a comparison, I typically burn a set of standard replacement pads off a mini Cooper S in 45 minutes on the track driving at a moderate pace, the festiva pads hold up much better.
Of coarse, the festiva doesn't require the kind of braking that the mini does, it will hold most lines with a bit of trial and a downshift. Lol.

[1chrisapple]

yea I mean they work good just takes a little more leg power to push than I like. they are rio and aspire brakes also.

[fastivaca]

I use a miata m/c and booster on Tweak.

What year? Would this be better than the Aspire booster? I'm thinking of the upgrade for the project car. It will have Aspire brakes all round.

[Zanzer]

I believe Charlie uses the NA booster/mc (89-97) on his and I used the NB (98-04) on mine. He and I talked it over via some texts and I think we came to the conclusion that the NB was more of a direct bolt-in due to the line fittings being in the same locations as a stock Festiva mc vs one on each side for the NA mc.


I can't comment on how it is compared to the Aspire booster/mc but I am extremely happy with the results. So much so that I plan on buying another booster/mc very soon for another one of my 93's that's getting ready to go back on the road.