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Brake upgrade - parts needed


GTP091

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I'm going to start collecting parts for front coilovers. I found a good donor car at the JY and I was wondering what years added the larger rotors and calipers?? The donor car looks to be a 95 lumina Z34. Would be nice to pull the entire strut assembly from the vehicle as one unit to get a rust free start. I would like to get it powder coated and do this right from the get-go. Anybody know the years of cars that got the bigger brakes up front?? I also have new front hubs I'd like to swap over are they the same size?

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95-00 on the luminas got the bigger front brakes for sure, and you will need the entire strut/knuckle assembly anyway as the caliper bracket is welded on. You didn't mention anything about bigger rear brakes, but the 94+ cars got bigger and better rear brakes. You would just need the new caliper and rotor for that.

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I'm not to concerned about the rears just yet. Just the fronts. I mainly wanted to get the strut assemblies as they are in real good condition. thanks for the info. Now to go back and separate the ball joint and tie rod. I also would need to compress the spring in the JY while I'm there to leave it behind along with the strut; as I wouldn't be reusing them. I'm going in to new territory here. Does the brake hose attach without any problems?? Any tips on not getting hit in the face with the spring??

Edited by GTP091
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Just undo the ball joint, undo the 3 bolts under the hood, and undo the 1 or 2 large bolts down in the knuckle assembly, and take them all with you. Easy to compress the spring and remove the strut outside of the car.

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Not ALL 95s had the bigger brakes.

 

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Is the car on the ground or in the air???

Edited by Crazy K
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Once the luminas and the monte carlos switched over to the gen 1.5 body style in 95 I thought they all got the bigger brakes, or am I mistaken? I know it was a late 95 thing on the other w-bodies.

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Good to know. This all being said what is the size of the rotor on the upgraded brakes?? I would rather not remove the front wheel to get an accurate measurement. Do the tie rods separate easy? In all my many years of messing around with cars I've never separated a ball joint or tie rod. I assume I'll need a tie rod separator and a BFH, or I could just look it up in my service manual... I've already dropped the rear sub-frame bolts and undid the strut tower nuts to inspect the suspension components more closely.

 

I was thinking of removing the strut cartridge and the spring at the JY because they will charge me for them and I 'd rather not pay for parts I will never use.

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All you need to do to separate the TR end is take the nut off and hit the side of the knuckle right where the TR goes though. A couple really good whacks with a big hammer it'll pop right out. same thing with the ball joint, hit right next to it with the BFH to loosen it up, and use a separator to help pull it out.

 

And I believe the rotors are 11.5" on the bigger brakes. Or was it 11.75... well either way if they're over 11 inches it's the big ones under 11 is the small ones.

Edited by alec_b
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I was under the impression ALL 1.5 gens got the bigger front brakes while it was a mid-year change on 95 1st gens (Buick Olds Pontiac).

 

Sorry... you have a bad impression. :P

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I went to get all the stuff today and that 95 lumina was gone. RIP little buddy... I did find a 96 regal made into a taxi cab It's a four door but probably the same right?? The front end parts on this thing are brand new likely because it's a taxi and has to get frequent brake jobs. The calipers, rotors, and pads are all new so this is a good score, seeing as pick n' pull is 50% off this weekend. I pulled the caliper bolts off and I could tell they were just put on. I measured the rotor after pulling the caliper and it was 11.25" and a 93 GP there measured at 10.25". Should be a piece of cake to get the strut assembly off. I think I'll leave the hubs and ball joints behind, not sure how long ago they were replaced.

Edited by GTP091
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