Upgrading brakes on '92 GTP

[crazyd]

Just saw this thread where a guy with a 2000 Impala put C5 Corvette calipers on it.

http://www.w-body.com/showthread.php/53204-2G-quot-Big-Brake-quot-Upgrades/page2

 

I have a spare set of C5 calipers in my garage (doesn't everybody??) and would love to use them on my '92. If I upgraded to Gen2 front spindles, which I've been planning to do for the past year already, would there be a bracket that would work to mount a C5 caliper?

 

Thanks,

DD

[jman093]

You're not upgrading to Gen 2 spindles on a first gen unless you manage to get a whole 2nd gen subframe in there.

[crazyd]

Crap, I meant 1.5 gen.

[jman093]

Gen 1 and Gen 1.5 are identical up front. You would need the entire Gen2/3 front suspension: subframe, sway bars, control arms, knuckles/hubs, strut assemblies, etc. Or you would need custom control arms made from scratch that would accept a Gen 1/1.5 subframe and sway bars and the Gen 2/3 knuckle.

[crazyd]

No problem. Is all that a direct bolt-in? The Gen2 is an aluminum subframe too isn't it? Or was that Gen3?

[jman093]

Gen 3 is aluminum and what I call "Gen 2.5" cars, 00-05 Impala and Monte Carlo, is also aluminum. Other Gen 2 cars are steel. Gen 2.5/3 subframes are mostly identical. It's probably not a simple bolt-on. The only person I know of to swap one is Miko K. It's somewhere in his 32 page build thread in Member's Rides.

[l67ss]

Gen 1 and Gen 1.5 are identical up front. You would need the entire Gen2/3 front suspension: subframe, sway bars, control arms, knuckles/hubs, strut assemblies, etc. Or you would need custom control arms made from scratch that would accept a Gen 1/1.5 subframe and sway bars and the Gen 2/3 knuckle.

 

96-99 1.5 brakes would b an upgrade as theyre bigger

[crazyd]

Okay so the upgrade I originally had in mind was the 95/96 upgrade that supports the larger rotor on a different strut/knuckle assembly, with the same caliper. Then use that as a baseline for further bracket upgrades to support a better caliper. They're not totally identical.

[jman093]

Some later gen 1's had the larger brakes too, so I don't consider them a gen 1.5 thing. I know my old 96 GTP and my brother's 96 SE have larger brakes. Larger or not, the C5 swap is gonna require all Gen 2/3 stuff.

Edited July 13, 2014 by jman093

[RobertISaar]

late 95+ cars got the 11.25" front rotors while the earlier versions got the 10.5" stuff.

[Schurkey]

The NUMBER ONE most important thing to "upgrade" on Gen 1 brakes isn't really an upgrade at all. It's making sure that the power booster is actually working as designed.

 

Many of the "poor braking" complaints tie directly back to partially-failed vacuum power boosters.

 

If the booster is working properly, there really isn't much of a braking problem with the first generation W-bodies. Of course, those vehicles with the primitive ABS that don't use a vacuum power booster would be exceptions.

[l67ss]

The NUMBER ONE most important thing to "upgrade" on Gen 1 brakes isn't really an upgrade at all. It's making sure that the power booster is actually working as designed.

 

Many of the "poor braking" complaints tie directly back to partially-failed vacuum power boosters.

 

If the booster is working properly, there really isn't much of a braking problem with the first generation W-bodies. Of course, those vehicles with the primitive ABS that don't use a vacuum power booster would be exceptions.

 

But even then the booster would b the issue, vaccum or not