Front Brake upgrade confusion

[Reride]

After searching the front brake up grade for my '92 CS I'm confused. I found threads that say all that is needed is the rotors, calipers, and front strut assembly from a '96+ CS and others that it can't be done because of a-arm issues.....Which is true?

[55trucker]

You will need the '96 strut (the later strut relocates the caliper further away from the centre of rotation), the caliper is the same item....(example ..AC DELCO 18FR713), the rotors will need to be replaced with the larger 11 1/4" items.

The control arms are the same item.

[Reride]

Thanks for the info, Steve. Is it only the '96 strut or '96+? do you know if the cartridge is the same or not? I would assume if the calipers are the same then the pads would be the same also.

Edited March 30, 2013 by Reride

[White93z34]

By "strut" he was referring to the entire knuckle assembly. But yes, the only difference between the 88-95 and 96-01 is the caliper bracket mounting points. You can use the same strut cartridge, caliper, bracket, wheel bearings and brake pads.

 

However if you still have the original oil filled struts you should buy new strut cartridges before starting since those cannot be transferred over.

[55trucker]

^ Chris......keep in mind that with this particular strut design there is no *knuckle* to speak of, the *spindle* assembly bolts into the lower strut through the frontside of the opening for the hub/bearing.

[55trucker]

Thanks for the info, Steve. Is it only the '96 strut or '96+? do you know if the cartridge is the same or not? I would assume if the calipers are the same then the pads would be the same also.

 

96 for the GP, 96 -97 for the Cutlass, the Lumina/Monte Carlo used this same strut design up to '01.

Edited March 30, 2013 by 55trucker

[Reride]

Thanks again Steve. I'll be searching the boneyards tomorrow!

[jman093]

the caliper is the same item....

 

the only difference...is the caliper bracket mounting points. You can use the same strut cartridge, caliper...

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but aren't 96+ the only ones with the dual piston calipers? My 96 GTP and my dad's 96 Z34 are dual piston, but I would have sworn my old 93 Euro was a single piston.

[White93z34]

All 88-01 (1g) w-body front calipers are dual piston.

[Reride]

Well it has taken a couple of weeks of searching but I finally found the '96 strut assemblies I need for the front brake up-grade. I got the struts with hubs, abutment brackets, calipers, wheel sensors, and rotors for $80.00 each side... and I found another HUD for one of my LQ1 cars..., unfortunately the HUD dash was in far to bad shape to use. All in all, it was a very good weekend for searching the j/y!!!!

[intern8tion9l]

All this talk about calling knuckles struts and then saying knuckles don't exist and throwing the word spindle in there just made me

[55trucker]

Well.....the strut really isn't a knuckle..is it?....it's a strut, it only moves in two directions on the same plane..right?

[White93z34]

According to the GM parts manuals I have it is called a knuckle

[GnatGoSplat]

Generically, people call that part a "spindle", but GM service manuals (at least of the W-body era) never use that word. They use "knuckle". I've never heard anyone use the word knuckle in a generic sense, I thought it's just a GM term for spindle. A lot of us call it a knuckle just because that's what GM calls it.

[55trucker]

not meaning to get off Rerides topic....

 

^ Yeah, true, my GM service manual as well refers to the strut as a *knuckle*, it just seems to me a misnomer that was laid on it by some *knuckle*head at GM, who had the manual printed up that way.....

[White93z34]

a spindle is just that, It is what older cars have that don't have sealed hub assemblies have. But i think we might be getting a little way away from the topic at hand.... six of one, half a dozen of the other :lol: