Car hit 235,000 miles today... and I finally added Akebono 4 piston calipers up front...

first year fx

first year fx

Member
Car
2003 FX35 AWD DG
Name
David
I bought my '03 FX new just over 14 years ago... I was thinking about getting rid of it recently but because it is worth nothing I decided to keep it... I felt like it was time to improve the braking so I threw on some 4 piston Akebonos up front, slotted and cross drill rotors front and back and all I can say is OMG I should have done this 135,000 miles ago when this was first discovered... it is so cheap to do now I could not resist. The front rebuilt and powder coated calipers were $105 each, the front rotors were $130 each, the rear calipers were $45 each and the rear rotors were $80 each... what a difference in stopping power!!!
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So nice to see car still running with all those miles, and totally agree with the brake upgrade. With some experimenting, pads are a really big deal for this setup too. I found what works after a few tries. And rears are not really a needed upgrade. They balance just fine with the upped fronts.
Have you had to maintain anything more than you’d like? Valve covers?

Keep her on the road and go for 300k!
 
The only thing that has been problematic is the rear cross-member bushing... which failed, I had a poly bushing put in... then a few years later the rear diff hanger snapped which damaged the drive shaft... not sure if anyone else has had that issue?
 
My ‘03 FX35 with 230,000 miles had the valve cover leaks, terminal fan belt squeal at start up, 3 different belts, new factory shocks and struts were necessary, front rotors warped, the tailgate opener died, and the drivers seat control was wonky and only worked intermittently.

But at that point, it had earned a few repairs. I’m not grinching.

I sold it to my next door neighbor when I got my 2013 to replace it. Today I heard a rear bearing going out.
 
Certainly nice to hear that these cars still runs and being upgraded. My 03 FX45 is at 220K miles.
 
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first year fx said:
I bought my '03 FX new just over 14 years ago... I was thinking about getting rid of it recently but because it is worth nothing I decided to keep it... I felt like it was time to improve the braking so I threw on some 4 piston Akebonos up front, slotted and cross drill rotors front and back and all I can say is OMG I should have done this 135,000 miles ago when this was first discovered... it is so cheap to do now I could not resist. The front rebuilt and powder coated calipers were $105 each, the front rotors were $130 each, the rear calipers were $45 each and the rear rotors were $80 each... what a difference in stopping power!!!
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Where did you find that parts at those prices? I’m at 123k and would love to swap
 
at autozone, oreilly, and etc.. just look up stock reman brake calipers for the vehicles that came equipped with the akebonos. it's less than $80 with core for each front one and most of them come with a ltd lifetime warranty. you can paint them or buy the red painted ones for a little more. i think you'll have to go into the store to see if they have the painted ones as special order. the down side of stock bbk is the addition of rotating mass. imo, just add some good aggressive pads and call it a day..
 
1bad_fx45 said:
at autozone, oreilly, and etc.. just look up stock reman brake calipers for the vehicles that came equipped with the akebonos. it's less than $80 with core for each front one and most of them come with a ltd lifetime warranty.
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$80 with core? Will they accept the shitty OEM brakes as core? Or only other AKEBONO BBK's? And if not, I guess it'll be more $$$ without a core swap?
 
I am having belt issues. They are cracked, and noisy. Dealership says they can break at any minute, but that was 3 months ago. I looked at a youtube video about changing them, and have a friend that could do it, but need to buy the belts. Any suggestions? They are the two belts in front of engine, not sure if they are V-belts or Serpentine? 04 FX35 263,500mi.

Replaced Drive Shaft and Rotors at 225k miles (another 100k miles w/ shaft change). My rotors/calipers are NOT shiny lol. Not sure if its cause they aren't new or not, but I would change. Gasket covers are leaking, but slow leak, and that's been going on over a year. I take the car in for routine checks, changes, etc follow the sticker to pretty much law. I am all ears folks.
 
DatMan said:
$80 with core? Will they accept the shitty OEM brakes as core? Or only other AKEBONO BBK's? And if not, I guess it'll be more $$$ without a core swap?
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yes, they will. they won't check if your old cores matched the ones that came in the boxes. if it's heavy and looks like a caliper, they'll credit you back the core charge.
 
NupeFX35 said:
I am having belt issues. They are cracked, and noisy. Dealership says they can break at any minute, but that was 3 months ago. I looked at a youtube video about changing them, and have a friend that could do it, but need to buy the belts. Any suggestions? They are the two belts in front of engine, not sure if they are V-belts or Serpentine? 04 FX35 263,500mi.

Replaced Drive Shaft and Rotors at 225k miles (another 100k miles w/ shaft change). My rotors/calipers are NOT shiny lol. Not sure if its cause they aren't new or not, but I would change. Gasket covers are leaking, but slow leak, and that's been going on over a year. I take the car in for routine checks, changes, etc follow the sticker to pretty much law. I am all ears folks.
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get both belts as they're not too expensive and you might as well do them both while you're at it. any parts places should be able to give you the right ones. you may also need to replace the belt tensioner pulleys too if they haven't been changed before. otherwise, you may get squeaking noises with the new belts...
 
1bad_fx45 said:
yes, they will. they won't check if your old cores matched the ones that came in the boxes. if it's heavy and looks like a caliper, they'll credit you back the core charge.
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Is this the Caliper? Looks like a 3rd party unit that is made just like the AKEBONO's... Either way, it'll work and would be nice to paint! I'd wanna get my hands on a set... Hmmmm... Maybe a nice 1 day thing to do in the states this summer!
 
Yeah, I went and bought the belts, and turns out the tensioner pulleys were the problem. Bad bearing in one of them. Also discovered that the radiator is leaking ("coolant leak somewhere" in dealership lingo). Autozone quoted me a new radiator, and gave some tips on how to change it as well. Likely a 2 hour job.

I am also interested in the brakes situation. My FX isn't tuned up or anything, but I have 22" lexani's and rusty pads/calipers etc is not sexy.
 
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