According to someone on the other site, Centric has recently reissued the rear Sport Brake hardware kit, part number 117.45040

Centric Parts Disc Brake Hardware Kit 117 45040 | eBay

The picture is incorrect on the listing but supposedly this is the correct kit. Might want to order an extra set just in case these go MIA.

 

That was me. I think I scored a victory with Centric.

Last year I drafted a detailed explanation of the brake part catalog error for 2003-2005 models. I linked to PDFs as proof that there was no "Non-sport " brake parts for those years and explained the the sport brake parts are usually nowhere to be found. I got responses from everyone but Centric. Everyone else blew smoke up my ***. Centric didn't reply at all. The Centric sport hardware came back recently. I'm looking online now and it appears that Centric ( and therefore Stop Tech) now has their catalog right! I was in the middle of writing round 2 of letters and was checking the vendor offerings. Nobody else has changed. May not have been from my effort, but I'm just damn happy to see it.

 

I have an update on this for anyone finding fewer "in stock" choices for NB2 brake parts.

I had several email exchanges with the Beck Arnley product manager who stood her ground on their current brake catalog offerings because "that's what OE Research concluded". Wagner responded a few hours later with essentially the same answer. I went to several Mazda dealerships with online inventory and saw that Mazda's own descriptions were wrong: they have the "normal suspension" pads as standard from 2001 to 2005, rather than 2001-2002. Oye. I can't believe I didn't notice that before. So now I have fired off an email to Mazda corporate. I also mailed a letter that included printouts of their catalog descriptions and brake specifications with highlighting showing the discrepancy. I did address the question, "Why should Mazda make things easier for the aftermarket" and I think I made a convincing argument. This may go nowhere, but after seeing my pad options dwindle 50% over the course of a year on rockauto, I thought it's worth the fight.

 

Awesome job! I was just about to give up and buy the 80.00 set from the dealer.

 

FYI, I got Centric 117.45040 from RockAuto and it turns out its the wrong hardware.



Getting the right hardware is a major pain in the butt.

Still looking for some for my rear Sport Brakes setup.

 

Yep, me too. Same with the front Sport Brake hardware kit from miatamecca.

 

I'm wondering if there's any DIY solution...

 

Wait... these don't look like the non-sport stuff that was on my NB1.

What's the problem with these, exactly?

 

They should look like this :



Tried today the NAPA 83159A... wrong ones :

 

I'm wondering if those Centrics will work, though... The overall shape looks correct.

 

Well they are very different from the OEM. I don't see how they can fit in the bracket with the pad in.

 

This week I installed the 11.75" 949 BBK. I found a set of sport rear calipers and brackets complete that I was planning on buying. Should I just get the m-tuned adapters to run my NA8 calipers with sport rotors instead so I don't have to go through this headache?

 

I wish i had. This is the dumbest **** ever.

 

Yeah, I just ordered the M-tuned kit.

 

What year is it again? Why are we still having this problem? Luckily I still have mine but i'd prefer to use new parts when I do a brake job...