Rear disc brake conversion (Integra-style calipers and rotors via Scarebird adapter)

Rear disc brake conversion (Integra-style calipers and rotors via Scarebird adapter)

Brakes Rear drum-to-disc conversion Verified Modification Required

Compatibility Overview

Source Vehicle

Integra

Generation: DC2

Target Vehicle

Civic CRX

Generation: EF

Years: 1988-1991

Installation Difficulty

Easy Basic tools
Moderate Some experience
Difficult Skilled work
Expert Professional

Reference

D14A1 specs → LEB-H5 specs → B18A1 specs → D16A6 specs → B18C2 specs → B18C7 specs → D15A3 specs → D16A8 specs → D16W4 specs → EA specs → EB specs → EC specs → ED specs → EE specs → EF specs → EG specs → EM specs → EN specs → ER specs → ES specs → ET specs → REB ECU →
The hub and staked spindle nut are reused; the drum, shoes, backing plate, and drum-specific cable and hose are discarded. The adapter kit ships with 12x1.25 mm x 20mm bolts (bracket to spindle face, 40 LB-FT) and 12x1.25 mm x 25mm bolts (caliper bracket to adapter, 55 LB-FT), all with high-temperature thread locker; the hub bolts torque to 139 LB-FT. Loaded refurbished calipers (e.g. Callahan) include the bleeder, banjo fitting, and parking-brake bracket. The factory hydraulics carry over unchanged -- the OEM 1725 CRX proportioning valve and 13/16 master cylinder gave good front-to-rear balance in testing. The correctly sized parking brake cables come off a 1990-91 Honda CRX Si; the Integra and Civic ones are too long, and CRX Si cable ends fit the Integra-style calipers.
A Scarebird adapter bracket bolts to the CRX's drum backing-plate mounting face and relocates the late-model rear disc caliper onto the original spindle. Because replacement calipers vary in bracket spacing, the rotor must be centered in the caliper (within 1mm) by adding hardened washers as shims between the adapter and the caliper bracket. The parking brake cable end typically needs a light trim to pass through the retainer eyelet. Larger caliper and rotor combinations may also require cutting: fitting Integra Type R calipers with EP3 Civic Si rotors called for notching the trailing arms so the caliper body and brake lines would clear.

Important Caveats

  • • The Scarebird bracket positions the caliper at a different clock angle than the factory spindle does; this appears harmless on the 9.5-inch conversion but matters for larger setups.
  • • With Integra Type R calipers and EP3 rotors, the trailing arms had to be notched so the caliper body and brake lines would clear.
  • • The kit ships with no instructions; identifying the correct parking brake cables, brake lines, and small hardware is largely trial and error.
  • • Route stainless steel lines with full chassis clearance -- a line that contacts a frame rail can chafe through and fail under hard braking.
  • • This is a non-OEM, safety-critical modification; verify local vehicle compliance and engineering certification before road or track use.

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Community Verification

1
user verified this swap
By rallyrcr via Honda-Tech
Added 1 day ago

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