I have put off upgrading the brake system on my SE for 2 years and now it's time. I know very little about brakes and am looking for some help getting the best bang for my buck. Currently on the car:

Original rotors. Straight, some spots and wear
Extremely cheap pads. All 8 were less than $10 shipped from rockauto, to hold me over
Original calipers, but one rear caliper leaks fluid and needs to be replaced

What sort of upgrades should I be considering? Any brands that can be recommended? I am looking to autocross the car next month and I do a lot of driving in the mountains, but most driving is still just around town and it needs to be comfortable for that. I'm looking to spend $200-$300

 

I would recommend going to a DOT 4 fluid, reconditioned calipers all around because it's almost
impossible to DIY caliper rebuilds that don't eventually leak. Ceramic pads, I got some centrics
from rockauto that work great, don't fade (even on mtn runs) and generate very little dust. I
would also recommend SS brake lines as well.

The stock brake setup are more than sufficient for autox and mtn drives. Going to DOT 4 will up
the boiling temp and prevent fade due to boiling. The SS lines really help with the feel and
modulation of the brakes.

I know everyone wants to go bigger and beeferier on brakes but at some point enough is
enough. Do the above and bleed em out after every autocross and see how it goes. Thats
my advice.

 

That's good to know. I'll look into the Centric pads and will definitely pick up some DOT4 fluid.

Should I be looking to replace the rotors as well?

 

Would measure thickness of all rotors,there is a minimum thickness spec. If rotors are within specs,get them turned before you put any new pads on. Brakes will work much better,look at your brake hoses closely,cracking,splits,just age alone is good reason to replace them. You need your brakes to work properly for any kind of driving,more so with any type of spirited driving. Restoring your brake system to 100% is a good idea,there are things you can do for improving on brake performance without resorting to bigger brakes. Unless the car is tracked or has big horsepower,optimizing your oe brakes(which are best of all 1st gens) would be the way to go. Can elaborate if desired.

 

Thanks. I'll get the rotors turned after I measure them and check all the lines too. Looks like all I will need to buy is DOT4 fluid, pads, a caliper, and anything else that's broken.

Anyone have experience with StopTech pads? I can get a full set for about $75 on Amazon, which isn't much more than Centric or similar OE replacement pads elsewhere

 

Not sure about StopTech. If you replace a caliper on one side of the axle do the
other as well or you could have brake balance issues. Personally, I would replace
all the calipers, brake master and hoses when switching fluids. You have to do this
going to/from DOT 5 (silicone) but I would error on the side of caution even going
from old DOT 3 to DOT 4. Also when its all disconnected, blow out the hardlines
with compressed air and even shoot some brake cleaner thru there as well.

 

Good point about the calipers. I also believe my brake master may be leaky, but I'm not sure where I'd find a new one...

I saw mazdatrix had a stainless steel brake line set for around $80. That's a little steep combined with the calipers and pads, but maybe there's a cheaper option out there

Edit: Rockauto has a Centric brand master for $49, so I'll add that to my list

 

That's a fair price for brake lines,shop around may find some less expensive . Try to stay with a DOT approved product. Saw what you stated for your budget,repairs to bring brakes up to par would be money well spent. There is a thread here where a member bought a clean lo miles FB that was in an accident for parts,damage was significant,car was in excellent condition prior to accident. Brake line ruptured,driver ok,car totaled. Protect yourself,other cars/drivers on the road,preserve your investment. Fix the brakes properly,not the area on car to cut corners...my 2c

 

I took one more look at my current brake system before placing orders and realized I already have stainless steel lines on the car. I can't believe I never noticed.

I ordered some stuff:
Brake Master - Centric - $49
StopTech Sport Pads (made by Centric) - $72
Rear-left Caliper - $61
Motorcraft DOT3 brake fluid - $15

I'll get the rotors turned too, and I should have significantly better brakes for around $250. Thanks for all the help