Better brake calipers for Miata

I have a 1995 Miata I would like to upgrade the braking system. My car is used for summer DD and autox. but I don't want to buy a big brake kit . I would love to do it with brake pad replacement but I don't know what to get . See the problem is the front's lockup vary easy so I can't late brake I've been told to get inexpensive pads for the front then the fronts won't grip as much and the back will and even out the braking but cheep pads means long stopping distance and I don't want that. I want to be able to late brake . I had Porterfield pads on my X1/9. I had the same grade on all 4 corners and loved them. Witch leads me to another question is there any other Mazda brake calipers that would bolt on the 95 Miata for instance If someone wear to tell me the brake caliper and bracket from an an RX7 bolt on or even if it wear just the rear caliper from something else that has a bigger piston . On the X1/9's you can take the front caliper and put on the back. The front has a bigger piston so you put the bigger piston caliper on the back more clamping means less chance of front lockup. If there is a different rear I can put on I want it to have the integrated emergence brake.

I'm assuming you have a copy of How To Build a High Performance Miata, as there's a bunch of info in there. But here's a step-by-step recipe.

If you want more rear bias, the first and most effective thing to do is install a proportioning valve.
https://www.flyinmiata.com/complete-adjustable-brake-proportioning-kit.html

Second option, get a set of rear calipers from a 2001-05 Sport. They have slightly bigger pistons and will move the bias to the back. You can keep your existing pads and rotors.

Third option, get the caliper brackets to go with those Sport calipers and go to the matching 10.9" rotors. You'll need the pads and rotors from these brakes as well.

Best option for stock rotor sizes is the FM Little Big Brake Kit. Better (stiffer, lighter) calipers, proportioning valve, larger rear caliper pistons and you can select your rotor size to match various stock options.
https://www.flyinmiata.com/flyin-miata-four-wheel-little-big-brake-kit.html

Thanks for the fast response Keith . No I don't have the How To Build a High Performance Miata. Can a proportioning valve be installed without any permanent changes to the factory lines? I have a perfect R package car and don't want to do any thing to it that can't be put back exactly the way it came from the factory.

Get some high performance pads. I have hawk hp+ on mine and other than dusting and squeaking they are fantastic!

RCRX19 wrote: Thanks for the fast response Keith . No I don't have the How To Build a High Performance Miata. Can a proportioning valve be installed without any permanent changes to the factory lines? I have a perfect R package car and don't want to do any thing to it that can't be put back exactly the way it came from the factory.

My white car's an R as well Honestly, they're not unique snowflakes, go ahead and modify irreparably. The R has a lot of problems in stock form. Such as brake bias.

That said, the prop valve kit I linked to is a bolt-on and requires no permanent modifications.

do the '01-'05 Sport rear calipers bolt right up, other than a likely pad change? my rear calipers could probably use a rebuild (driver's side parking brake sticks if I look at it funny) but if I could find some NB Sport package calipers for it and it was a simple swap I'd be pretty tempted to

I have a '97 and the only brake mods are Hawk pads (HPS front and HP+ rear). The right pad combo does wonders and balances out the factory bias nicely.

Slyp_Dawg wrote: do the '01-'05 Sport rear calipers bolt right up, other than a likely pad change? my rear calipers could probably use a rebuild (driver's side parking brake sticks if I look at it funny) but if I could find some NB Sport package calipers for it and it was a simple swap I'd be pretty tempted to

If you change only the calipers, then you will keep your current pads.

If you change the calipers, brackets and rotors to the larger diameter, then you'll need Sport pads.

Both bolt up.

Are there any other more junk yard options out there? I've heard rumors of 350z calipers and VW rotors or some such thing. Surely there must be something between factory parts for a couple hundred dollars and an FM kit for $1000.

Fm Little Big Brake kit is in the "in between" range.

From what i've seen (as in read, not actually used myself), the other junkyard upgrades have their own share of issues. (Corrado kits with seriously strange pad wear)

I recently went to a full Sport brake setup, and i honestly wish i hadn't. Pad selection sucks.

If i were to do it again, i'd run a Wilwood front kit and 1.8 calipers on rear with Sport brackets and rotors.

What are the differences in the 1.8 setup?

1.8 is the "normal" brakes from 94-02. Smaller rotors, smaller caliper piston area i believe.

Junkyard_Dog wrote: Are there any other more junk yard options out there? I've heard rumors of 350z calipers and VW rotors or some such thing. Surely there must be something between factory parts for a couple hundred dollars and an FM kit for $1000.

If you just want Wilwoods on the front without going to expensive rotors, here's your option: https://www.flyinmiata.com/flyin-miata-little-big-brake-kit-front-only.html.

1990-93 (usually called 1.6 brakes) and 1994-02 (usually called 1.8) share the same piston sizes but use different size pads and rotors.

2001-05 brakes are usually called Sport, because they originally showed up on the Sport package cars. Larger pistons, larger MC, larger rotors, bigger (and surprisingly expensive) pads.

Kits based on the Corrado rotors made sense back in 1998, when we sold them. The rotors were inexpensive. Their biggest problem was clearance for wheels, the rotors pushed the calipers outboard. Now that Mazda has come out with their own 11" (10.6", actually) front rotor, it doesn't make as much sense. Thus the Little Big Brake Kit, which reuses factory rotor sizes for lower consumable costs.

I've heard of MINI brakes being adapted, but never pursued it.