drilled discs = crack prone; grooved discs are better

Mk2.5 16" wheel option are 10.6" front and 10.9" rear – just use brackets and discs for Mk1

Rear calipers handbrakes are starting to die of corrosion .. new they are 225 GBP each. Note in the winter the hand brake cables can freeze making it seem you have a duff caliper.

"A complete caliper seal kit - Part No. A15 019F2E, described as GAYE2646ZB Boot Kit RR Caliper, Cost £48.64 (Outrageous!) (This is for a 1.6 - don't know if 1.8 is same/similar) It includes all the rubber in and on the brake caliper - seals, boots, even bleed screw cap, and some red grease for both rear calipers. (Not hoses, obviously)." John Cookson

The Allen key you need to adjust the rear caliper manual adjusters is actually 4mm

Pads and discs were AP Lockheed and hence decent quality, no problems with fade or judder despite hard driving (as hard as possible with 114 bhp anyway!)

Rear Discs: £60.96 for the pair

Rear Pads: £29.07 for the set of four.

Front Discs: £77.50 for the pair

Front Pads: £27.31 for the set of four

'91 had 9.5" front and 9.1" rears

1.6 brand new calipers for £220 all in.(Mazda Bits, Newtownards, N.Ireland) also do recon calipers for £120 each on exchange

"Auto Express published the results of an in depth test of the breaking distances (from 40 mph) of 50 top selling cars in the UK, including the MX5 (Mk2 without ABS)

The 5 managed to achieve the stunning places of 47th out of 50 in the dry and 46th in the wet, being beaten by the likes of Skoda, Proton, Deawoo, as well as all the people carriers and off-roaders.

Main criticisms were lack of ABS and the feeling that the fronts were biting, way before the rears were working hard. Interestingly enough, it seems unlikely that it was a fault on the particular test car because they did a similar test last year with almost identical results.

The Audi TT Quattro, the overall winner, has a breaking distance of 16.25 metres, a Toyota Yaris at 16.92 metres, the 5's distance at 20.89 metres is bit worrying. The likes of Mondeo, Astra and even the Renault Espace can stop in under 18 metres, the 5 is a long way behind (or ahead as the case may be !)" Richard Foster

I'm running CARBOTECH Panthers on the front right now and CARBOTECH "F"s on the rear. They've got three two day events on them now and show hardly any wear. They are clean and act like Porsche brakes! I don't know of any dealer that handles them...gotta' go direct I believe.

I've got Carbotech "F's" on all corners and I like them. I think that they are a little better than the Porterfield R4S that I had before. No fade on track events.

I like the new Hawk HP Street pads. Decent price, Good grip, not too much dust, and I didn't get any fade last time I was on the track.

I have the Porterfield Carbon Metallics from DA- they work as advertised, little slippery when cold, especially when they were new. Pretty darn fade resistant, at least 2.5x better than stock,

The Porterfield Sport brake pads are a good to have item running at the track. But these pads need a little more time to break in then normal street pad. But unlike the hawk they do not have to be super hot to start working. Also they do not wear a deep grove into the rotors like hawks did in only one track session. And on the track they seem to work as well as the hawk pads, but they don't eat into the rotors like the hawks did.

I had a very good result from Pagid pads. I was able to pull over -1.0G during a brake test that was feature in a local magazine here in Thailand. Stock pads rarely go above -0.8G.

DP21002 = front 1.8 brake pads in 'Green stuff' .. this is the Kevlar based pads and is good for standard cars and light wieght high power cars (e.g. Caterham 7 at 750kg or less).. used in Ginetta G15 race series etc.
It has a good consistant feel that never faded with me .. but never really bit (unlike the Metalmasters .. but then they turned into bricks for road use afterwards) .. it should have bitten apparently when it got hot enough
(about 450C) ..fade quoted at 550C by which time it crumbles to nothing.. which is obviously where I got it .. 40miles track use quoted.. and I did 80 on the last track day... cost 47 GBP from local motor factor. Now modified with metallic matrix so should last better and be more like Metalmaster without the post track bricks

DP31002 = front 1.8 brake pads in 'Red stuff' .. this is semi-metallic (like the PBR/Axiss Metalmaster) material .. not road recommended .. for use in over 200hp cars only or heavy 1.5 ton road cars.. quoted fade temperature of 750C .. need warming up on first application ..need 3-400 miles of running in during which time they are a bit 'long' in the pedal... cost 59.95 GBP from local motor factor.

DP?1002 = front 1.8 brake pads in "Yellow stuff" ... not made yet .. 900C fade .. and wear out quickly if not used hard enough to get up to temperature. Unlikely to be needed by anyone except hard core track only
racers..

4. EBC red stuff all around.

Definitely needed warmed up which is disconcerting for the first couple of good brakes. Not significantly better on the track than the greens, wore out and squealed about the same – stick with the greens for the lack of warm up.

5. Now on FM big brakes on front

You really only notice this above 70-80 mph, then they pull speed down far more competently; at 100 mph plus they really work. Also did notice the ability to stop very quickly at car park speeds once – in supermarket at walking speeds it almost seemed as if the rear wheels were off the deck from the severe rocking motion I managed.

.. and stopping distances by someone else .. in US .. from 60 mph .. stock = 184ft, Moss brakes/discs etc = 182 ft .. and Willwood Big Brakes = 160 ft .. which goes to prove they are worth it ....

This is only 3 channel on all cars so far (2000) .. 4 channel is better as the back wheels can then be on different surfaces and you still get braking .. with 3 channels you lose the rear brakes if you brake with one side of the car on gravel/grass verge…

Frank Devocht has retro fitted ABS from a 1.8 into a 1.6 while doing the rear diff upgrade ..see non UK/US owners sites.

A tweak for standard brakes is to fit the ABS pressure control valve (PCV). This put the bias further to the rear as the fronts lockup easier with harder springs/pads. Mazda want $385 for a new one!

The FM big brakes will fit with a number of 15" wheels. Most are 15x7, various manufacturers. I believe just about every Borbet wheel fits, for example, also Rota Circuit 8's. 15x6.5, 11.5 lbs each, 38mm offset

15x7 panasports do *not* fit

Big brakes kit

15 lbs for the stock 1.6 system, 17 for the FM kit, and 24 for the Baer. FM Rotors 11" Brembo

AP has done cars in UK (Alister Wattie at circa £2k)

AP kits in Aussie land $1700 but with 8mm offsets for 15" rims

FM kit for ~$1k

Change it every year … 2 years max as it absorbs water to corrode system and boil leading to no brakes and big bills.

Grade New BP Wet Boiling Point (min levels)
Dot 3 240C 150C
Dot 4 265C 165C
Dot 5.1 272C 184C
ATE 280C 200C (Ate Super Blue Racing/Type 200 (this is not a synthetic brake fluid))

"I received a request for brake upgrade info from a list member. Here is the information for those of you who would like to economically upgrade their '90-'93 brakes to the '94+ brake system. These are costs from Mazda Competition (so not UK use…). If you are not a member, go out and get two time slips at an Autocross or drag strip and submit them - the cost is considerably lower compared to the dealer and you do not have to search salvage yards....
All of the following are 94+ parts:
Front rotors - $45 each (compare to $54 each at dealer)
Rear rotors - $33.65 each (compare to $94 each at dealer)
Rear caliper brackets - $47.30 each (compare to $80 each at the dealer)
Front caliper brackets - I didn't ask because I got stupid and paid $125 for
the pair from a dealer a year ago. I *estimate* $40 each from Mazda Comp.
Hawk HP+ brake pads - $44.25/front and $44.25 rear. Compare to $140 at Moss
Motors and $129 at Racing Beat.
You will need two sets of rear brake hardware (springs and clips) at a cost of $7 per side (Pep Boys, I forgot to order them from Mazda Comp). The brake hardware for the rear calipers is NOT interchangeable between pre and post '94 models. The front brake hardware IS interchangeable between pre and post '94 models .
Front dust shields will have to be bent back to clear the larger disk (10" vs 9.3"). Rear dust shields will need to have four slots cut into them with a hacksaw (about 3 minutes per side; very easy to cut) to allow the stamped steel to be bent back to clear the larger disks (about 1/2" larger in diameter).

"I have taken the prop. valve out of my car and the fronts still lock up first, so the rears are still not doing their share of the work. So, taking that a step farther, when we put on bigger brakes in front, the rears do even less work and the fronts can still fade to soon" Brant Bauman ..

NB the ABS proportional valve has a higher rate for the rear brakes and has been used with success in putting more load on the rear wheels.

"ABS valve verus non-ABS valve.

'92 US Mazda workshop manual shows only 1 set of valve specs
A 427psi A' 427 +/-28 psi B 995psi B' 597 +/-43 psi.
'95 US workshop manual shows 2

Non-ABS A 427psi A' 427 +/-43 psi B 850psi B' 597 +/-57psi.
ABS A 569psi A' 569 +/-43 psi B 850psi B' 683+/-57 psi.
’00 UK Mazda supplement gave just 1 set of specs.
A 569psi A' 569 +/-43 psi B 850psi B' 683 +/-57 psi.

The 2 valves (my '92 and 2000 ABS) are essentially the same as far as ports go, lines just plug in, but are very different in detail. you couldn't mistake them. " Steve Willington

I have tried this replacement and it does give more dusting to the rear brakes .. but I think you need more .. not had the time/neck to gut my old one and try it straight through.