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Brake Upgrade Basics


mdelorie

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Okay, so.... Lumi needs new brakes.

 

Lumi's a 91... and I'm hearin' some jazz about newer model brakes being better for whatever reasons.

 

Start me out here guys....

 

What are my bolt-on brake options? Both front and back. Go out, get some 96+ or something calipers, pads and discs and they should just bolt right up?

 

I have 4 wheel disc.... although I'm not sure who here doesn't... maybe some of the really low end Luminas?

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You cant just go get 96+ calipers and pads and have thm bolt on in 10 minutes..

 

Get the entire strut knuckle assembly for both sides from a 96+ Monte Carlo (Or Lumina.. Not 100% sure there)

 

THis will give you the ability to use those brakes instead..

 

As for the rear, the brakes are plug n play with the exception of the cable, which rarely works on Ws anyway.. Good luck..

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Get the entire strut knuckle assembly for both sides from a 96+ Monte Carlo (Or Lumina.. Not 100% sure there)

 

MAKE SURE THAT THE ROTORS ARE 11.25 INCHES BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE JUNKYARD!

 

I don't know if the guys at one of my local yard's are just idiots or if GM still had the old brakes in a few '96+, but the first set of strut tower assemblies they gave me were supposedly off a '96 Lumina but still had the old 10.5" brakes.

 

also, all front calipers and pads are the same, from '88 to '99 (excluding '97+ GPs and Regals). they just moved them to accomodate a bigger rotor.

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Get the entire strut knuckle assembly for both sides from a 96+ Monte Carlo (Or Lumina.. Not 100% sure there)

 

MAKE SURE THAT THE ROTORS ARE 11.25 INCHES BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE JUNKYARD!

 

I don't know if the guys at one of my local yard's are just idiots or if GM still had the old brakes in a few '96+, but the first set of strut tower assemblies they gave me were supposedly off a '96 Lumina but still had the old 10.5" brakes.

 

That happened to me too.....

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  • 2 weeks later...

What's the difference with the 97+ Regals and GPs? Can their brakes be swapped over?

 

So, if I were to persue this project, basically all I need are the discs and the knuckles for the fronts. Everything else is the same?

 

Sounds like parts are the easy part here, swapping both knuckles ought to be a freakin' riot of a good time.

 

And rears, plug and play except the parking brake cable. What's the issue there?

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And rears, plug and play except the parking brake cable. What's the issue there?

 

These are the newer style calipers. The brake cable comes in from the back rather than the side like what you have now. Your existing cable isn't really long enough although a few say they have got it to work.

 

Picture298.jpg

 

 

You need the calipers, caliper brackets and the rotors to swap the backs.

 

brakes4.jpg

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yeah, okay... I realized this today as I signed in.

 

I'm entitled to one boo boo. :rolleyes:

 

Dont worry about it, the search function here sucks, and its a headache to find any information in which you are searching anyways. Just do a search for valance, and you will get so many posts about someone just making a joke about the valance causing a tranny to go out or some other hokus pokus. And althou a few members have made comments about it, i guess the mods dont take them serious or something...

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  • 2 weeks later...

I reiterate:

 

What's the difference with the 97+ Regals and GPs? Can their brakes be swapped over?

 

So, if I were to persue this project, basically all I need are the discs and the knuckles for the fronts. Everything else is the same?

 

Also, would 96+ parking brake cables be long enough to make the reach to the new rear calipers? If I'm gonna do this, I might as well go all out.

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