Up until recently I was under the impression that my 240 had drum brakes, which contributed to the "smoother" braking feeling it has when compared to newer cars. Then I read that it has disc brakes, just like my mom's S40 and the Hondas I used for Driver's Ed. I was wondering, why do the 240 brakes not grab on as tightly as many of the newer cars with disc brakes seem to do?

When I was learning how to drive, the Civic I used always seemed to come to a sudden and jerky stop. I wasn't as gentle back then, but on the whole all cars with disc brakes seem to brake and stop a lot faster than the 240s seem to do. Are there any significant differences in the disc brakes between cars or makes?
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'89 244 GL -- 109,030 miles (see profile for info on car)

Brake feel and 'grabbiness' or smoothness are highly dependent on the kind of pads you use and maybe even the brand of rotors. My son's 81 had quite touchy brakes. When I drove it right after using my dtr's 83, I'd nose-dive it every time. Now with new ATE rotors and PBR Deluxe pads it's very smooth and easy to modulate.
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Bob (son's 81-244GL B21F, dtr's 83-244DL B23F, 'my' 94-944 B230FD; plus grocery-getter Dodge minivan, hobbycar 77 MGB, and numerous old motorcycles)

I replaced the master cylinder on my '85 245. Now the pedal sits at the top and stops the car on a dime. If you want to go to the next phase, put some drilled or slotted rotors on there, and BAM! That car will stop! Plus, the drilled rotors make a cool whirring noise when you hit the brakes.
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1982 242 GLT 245k mi: 1985 245 205k mi.

hi there, i havent done any measurements but my 240s brakes are great they bring the speedo down quicker than most cars i have driven. maybe you are having some brake issues. plus they have a saftey setup built into the system. just bought the wife a accord coupe v6, i will give them brakes a test or two tomorrow and see how they stand up. good luck

Remember that Civics are light cars.

The smooth feeling comes from the high quality components used in the braking system that allow you to modulate the braking force better at the pedal than on most other cars - ie. more feel. Go out and really stomp on your brakes - I think you'll be surprised!

A 240 may not brake as fast some newer cars, but it should be in the same ballpark. IMO - it sounds like something isn't right with your brakes. Is the pedal soft? If so, then you should consider bleeding your brakes. After bleeding, the pedal should be almost rock hard and should stop the car on the proverbial dime....

Overall 240's have excellent brakes. The four piston front calipers are top of the line! Like something you'd see on a Porsche. Most cars have two piston front calipers. 240's also have 4 wheel disc brakes which were rare on cars in the 80's and early 90's.


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90 244DL 1/4 million miles - original engine/drivetrain :)

I noticed the same thing when I upgraded the calipers on the 240Z I used to own. They were originally floating single piston calipers, but fortunately the four piston calipers from many '80's Toyota pickups fit perfectly.... Simply upgrading the calipers alone improved the brake usability immensely. I could hold braking *exactly* at the point where the tires were just beginning to skitter the tiniest bit.
Not to mention, the rotor diameter on the Volvos isn't bad at all. Larger diameter means more leverage, and better modulation. Just think about how many Volvo owners upgrade to larger diameter rotors, then swing by any Civic bulletin board; there's a huge demand for this stuff. Or better yet, just peek at stock Civic rotors, they look like CD's! The cars aren't *that* light; about 70-80% of the weight of a 240. Maybe it's just that the 240's aren't as heavy as the reputation implies.

"240's also have 4 wheel disc brakes which were rare on cars in the 80's and early 90's."

They were introduced in 1967, on the 140 series.


And KeplerNiko should have a Bentley 240 manual by now. Lots of basic info on brakes & such. Well worth having for the interested 240 owner, IMO.

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Bruce Young
'93 940-NA (current) — 240s (one V8) — 140s — 122s — since '63.

From Wikipedia ...
Experiments with disc-style brakes began in England in the 1890s the first ever automobile disc brakes were patented by Frederick William Lanchester in his Birmingham factory in 1902, even though his innovation was only widely adopted over half a century later. The first designs resembling modern disc brakes began to appear in Britain in the late 1940s and early 1950s

even more ....
Disc brake history

Even fewer cars had 4 wheel disc brakes in 1967!!



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90 244DL 1/4 million miles - original engine/drivetrain :)

Volvos had front disk brakes since about 1963 and rear disks since the 140s
came out in 66 or 67. The biggest difference is probably in the booster.
American cars and some others have so much boost that it requires a very light
touch. Volvo brakes are a bit more realistic, requiring pressure more in tune
with the amount of panic in the stop.
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George Downs Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!