Tested: EBC Brakes Long Term Review
The 1998 Honda CR-V is not really what you would call a performance vehicle. The B20 engine was built before Honda put VTEC on everything and only squirts out 126 hp and 133 lb-ft of torque. This puny engine has to lug around 3100 pounds of CUV plus whatever people or gear have been stuffed into the interior. This puny trucklet is so pathetic it can't even reach 100 MPH (discovered through rigorous, real world testing).
And yet when peeking into the front wheels of this particular CR-V, one would discover slotted brake rotors. Huh?
Actually the explanation for this is quite simple. Back in 2011, this CR-V had normal, run of the mill Honda brakes. And like all cars with 150,000 miles on them, those brakes were nearing the end of their useful life. Upon closer inspection, the rotors were gouged and had a lip worn into the outer edge. The pads were also down to the backing plates. Obviously it was time for new brakes.
Most CR-V owners will go to their nearest dealership or trusted mechanic’s shop and get whatever brake deal is being offered. But this is MotoIQ…why would we put boring old Honda or off-brand parts on one of our cars? Besides that, the plan for this CR-V was to be a useful trucklet. It needed to be able to go off-road, haul people, drive cross country, and tow small trailers. With that in mind, it seemed prudent to install something better than what Honda originally gave the car. Civics and Integras are popular platforms and have a seemingly endless supply of brake options. The CR-V? Not so much. Luckily EBC came to the rescue.
Ignore the Moog swaybar links which were also ordered with the brakes in 2011, but not actually installed until 2014.EBC has their Greenstuff pads available for the CR-V in the 6000 formula. The 6000 series is meant for small trucks and SUVs, claiming shorter stopping distances of up to 15%. EBC notes that they will likely not last as long as a normal OEM replacement pad (the 7000 series is longer lasting if that is your concern), but the braking performance improvement was exactly what we were looking for.
For the rotors, we went with EBC’s URS rotor for the CR-V. The URS rotor is a vaned rotor with directional slots cut into the face. These slots will help evacuate vaporized brake pad material, as well as give more surface area for the rotor to help keep it cool. The slots will also help in off-road situations by pumping away water and mud from the brakes.
The brand new rotors come with a corrosion resistant coating (hence the black color) that will wear off when the new pads are bedded. Compare this with the boring old rotor and the lip around the outer edge. Not only do these parts perform better than stock, they also cost the same as Honda replacement parts and are only slightly more expensive than the local parts store deal. Win-win! However be warned, when ordering parts from an online speed store, such as Summit Racing, for a non-popular vehicle, be prepared to wait up to a month for the rotors to come from a warehouse in the middle of nowhere.
