8th-Gen Civic Big Brake Conversion (RSX Rotors with DC5/TSX Type-S Brembo Calipers)

Confirm the full parts list before starting so caliper and rotor choices are compatible. The setup uses RSX rotors as the larger rotor. Select the calipers you plan to run: DC5 RSX Type-S Brembos or TSX Type-S Brembos. If you go with the Brembo calipers, they will not sit correctly over a standard rotor, so plan on S2000 rotors or spacers to gain the needed offset. Honda OEM S2000 rotors are the toughest option; Brembo or Mountain blanks are acceptable substitutes. Have a set of 350Z pads on hand, since that is the pad shape these calipers accept.

Loosen the front lug nuts, raise the front of the car, and support it securely on jack stands before removing the wheels. Never rely on the jack alone while working under the car. With the wheels off, remove the factory caliper, bracket, and rotor to expose the hub.

If the rotor is seized to the hub, use the threaded pusher holes located between the wheel studs. Thread a 10mm metric bolt into each hole and turn them in gradually and evenly; as they bottom against the hub they push the rotor free. Advance the bolts a little at a time so the rotor comes off square. A dedicated puller set works too, but the two-bolt method needs nothing more than a pair of correctly sized bolts.

The larger rotor and caliper will foul the factory backing plate, so the heat/dust shield must be cut back for clearance. This is the only fabrication the conversion requires. Test-fit the new rotor, mark where the shield contacts, trim it, and repeat until the rotor spins without rubbing. Deburr the cut edge.

Fit the upgraded rotors onto the cleaned hub. In the documented build the rotors came off a 2004 RSX base model as part of a hardware exchange: the Civic Si's own calipers and rotors were moved onto the RSX, and the RSX rotors came back onto the Si. However you source them, make sure the rotor seats flat against the hub face with no debris trapped behind it.

Load the 350Z pads into the Brembo calipers and bolt the calipers into position over the new rotors. Verify the caliper is centered over the rotor and that the pads contact the full friction face. Reconnect the brake line to each caliper.

These Brembo calipers have two bleeder screws each, one at the front and one at the rear of the caliper, and both must be bled to purge all air. At each screw: open the bleeder and pump the pedal until fluid flows, close the bleeder, then pump the pedal until it firms up. With the pedal held down, crack the bleeder to release the trapped air, then close it. Repeat until only clean, air-free fluid comes out. Finally, tap around the caliper body to dislodge any air pockets that ordinary bleeding leaves behind, and bleed once more. Confirm a firm pedal before the car touches the ground.