I don't know of the actual differences on the cables from the 95-02 and the 03+, but I did my swap a little differently than most, so I figured I would post it up here.
Obviously, start by taking off the wheel. You will see the drum and backing plate assembly.
Pull the drum off and set aside. You might have to use some persuasion with a hammer and pry bar. You will then see the bearing and drum brake assembly.
You will then see the bolts holding the bearing and brake assembly onto the axle.
Start by loosening the nuts on the back side of the bearing first. If you don't do this then you could strip out your Torx/Allen socket. These nuts are 15mm.
Take the brake line out of the rear of the wheel cylinder, using a 12MM flare nut wrench. The dust cap on the bleeder screw at the wheel cylinder makes a great plug to keep fluid from running out of the line and leaking everywhere. After you have the brake assembly free from the axle, use a hammer and GENTLY tap the bearing from the back side to seperate it from the brake backing plate.
IF YOU HAVE ABS, DO NOT BREAK THE SENSOR!!!
Disconnect the emergency brake cable from the brake bar, and using a flat pry bar, press on the clips holding the brake cable into the backing plate. Once everything is free, reinstall the wheel bearings and Jeffie! bracket adapters onto the rear axle. The holes for the caliper brackets go towards the REAR of the car. The bolts supplied by Teh Jeffie! are an 8MM Allen head.
Next, slide your drilled rotor onto your hub and make sure it fits proplerly and sits flush against the hub flange. Use a lugnut or two to snug the rotor down and keep it in place.
Next, install your caliper bracket. Use Loctite on the bolts holding the bracket to Jeffie!'s adapter. Don't forget to install new anti-rattle clips onto the bracket and some caliper grease on the slides to keep everything moving nicely. Then you can put your new brake pads in place
Next, install the caliper and make sure it moves smoothly.
MAKE SURE THE RECESSED NOTCHES IN THE CALIPER PISTON ARE POINTING DIRECTLY UP AND DOWN Not doing so won't let the caliper properly slide into place. Also, the calipers have 2 different sized bolts holding them to the bracket. The larger one will only fit into the lower hole.
DO NOT USE 2 SMALL BOLTS IN THE CALIPER, OR THE CALIPER WILL BE LOOSE AND MOVE AROUND. Then install your brake hose and new banjo bolt/washers.
THIS IS WHERE IT GETS DIFFERENT FOR MY SWAP
I installed the brake hose pointing up and down. I did this for clearance since I routed my brake cables around differently. Using new hoses, I had to grind a small amount off of the hose end opposite of where the fluid comes into the fitting. I then took the dust cap off of the metal brake line, bent them up towards the strut, and screwed the two hoses together.
FOR THE EMERGENCY BRAKE CAABLES, I RELOCATED THE BRACKET.
I drilled a small hole in the stub end of the rear axle and bolted the bracket in place here.
THE BRACKETS WERE TOO THICK TO PROPERLY HOLD THE CABLES IN PLACE, SO I HAD TO GRIND SOME MATERIAL OFF OF THE BACK SIDE OF THE CABLE BRACKET. *!NOT!* THE SIDE WITH THE RECESSED HOLE THAT THE CABLE SITS IN TO.
Once the cable and bracket are attatched to the axle, you can then attatch the cable to the caliper.
After this, have a friend help pump and bleed the brakes. Then check for any rubbing or binding from the rotor. Engage the e-brake a few times to make sure everything is working properly. If everything cheks out fine, bolt the wheels on, lower the car, top off the brake fluid and go for a test drive!!! Go easy at first since the pedal feel is slightly different and a bit more touchy. Then drive around and properly break-in the new pads and rotors. After everything is done your car should look like this...
Your caliper/bracket color, and wheel choice may vary. Hope this helps!!!
Currently #4 in Ecotec Forced Induction horsepower ratings. 505.8 WHP 414WTQ!!!
Currently 3rd quickest Ecotec on the .org - 10.949 @ 131.50 MPH!!!
awesome. I didn't get a chance to check fittings today but is there anyway you could measure a good length cable from the axle brake line connection to the caliper banjo? should be able to get some full SS lines made up for this to ditch the hard lines with adapter.
Might be able to measure tomorrow. If anyone has any questions feel free to PM me or reply in this thread.
Currently #4 in Ecotec Forced Induction horsepower ratings. 505.8 WHP 414WTQ!!!
Currently 3rd quickest Ecotec on the .org - 10.949 @ 131.50 MPH!!!
It looks like you still have an awful lot of slack in the Ebrake cable, my trouble was I had NO slack... still waiting for Ryan's explination on making the 95-02 cables work correctly... Good write up as well
It looks like I have alot of slack, but the E-Brake still works great.
Currently #4 in Ecotec Forced Induction horsepower ratings. 505.8 WHP 414WTQ!!!
Currently 3rd quickest Ecotec on the .org - 10.949 @ 131.50 MPH!!!
very nice man, i shoulda took more pics of my swap and solution to the 03-05 cable problem.
2010 Lonestar Bash 2nd place J-Body Street Class
Nice, will be looking at this one for reference when the time comes to do mine.
Very nice write up Roofy
I want some full on side shots now!!
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Very nice write up, good thinking on the e-brake cable, will use this for reference on mine also!
I've got a bit more wisdom to add to this from the rust belt. If you live up here. Good luck getting the bolt that hold the hub out. Lots of cheater bar and stuff. Also. Good luck getting the hubs out of the backer plates, Just by new hubs because the ones you have a really rusty anyways and you will crack at least 1 abs housing getting them out. Also when you go to buy new hubs rent the flare tool and get 10mm flare nuts because you will at the very least break the brake line off inside the flare nut if not strip the hex flats on the nut (I did one, and yes I was using a 12mm flare nut wrench). But once you get the hubs off its easy as pie to whip these bitches out.
Oh, you need 1/4" tubing for bleeding the brakes not 3/16 like normal because the bleeder screws on the saturn are HUGE.
1994 Saturn SL2 Home Coming Edition: backup car
2002 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport Coupe: In a Junk Yard
1995 Mazda Miata R-package Class=STR
Sponsored by:
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WPI Class of '12 Mechanical Engineering
WPI SAE Risk and Sustainability Management Officer
I took the 15mm nuts on the back of the hub bolts loose before I did anything with the actual bolts. Makes it alot easier once you loosen those up first.
Currently #4 in Ecotec Forced Induction horsepower ratings. 505.8 WHP 414WTQ!!!
Currently 3rd quickest Ecotec on the .org - 10.949 @ 131.50 MPH!!!
I did that too. They only get so lose though.
1994 Saturn SL2 Home Coming Edition: backup car
2002 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport Coupe: In a Junk Yard
1995 Mazda Miata R-package Class=STR
Sponsored by:
Kronos Performance
WPI Class of '12 Mechanical Engineering
WPI SAE Risk and Sustainability Management Officer
Roofy wrote:I took the 15mm nuts on the back of the hub bolts loose before I did anything with the actual bolts. Makes it alot easier once you loosen those up first.
this. i learned the hard way and had to drill most of mine out back when i took mine all apart a couple years ago...
and of course, ALWAYS use a lot of pb blaster on all these bolts, spray like 20 mins before you even start working on them LOL
nice write-up roofius.
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I am going to be doing this swap on my 2004. Can i just use the e-brake bracket the way it comes from Saturn on the caliper? Or am I going to have to do all that custom drilling like you did with yours?
Also any word about a steel braided brake line for the rear calipers?
2000 Buick Regal GSE - "Gods Grocery Getter is powered by an L67 3800" -
333WHP
12.900 @ 109.91mph 2.166 60Ft (Fastest 1/4)
13.374 @ 110.01mph 2.467 60Ft (Fastest Trap)
2004 Chevy Cavalier - 15.7 @ 90mph (Semi-Modded)
I love Texas cars....no rust at all...bolts come right out
sorry guys i feel for ya
Hahah. I sprayed my bolts down a day in advance before I took mine out. Rust is like natures wrench challenge. Ridiculous..
This only caught my attention from the Mr. Quick's 5x100 Saturn swap. The idea of mounting the ebrake cable bracket on the rear axle isn't ideal. Excuse my engineering terms but when you apply the handbrake while the cable is held onto the axle, it will actually slightly pull on the caliper itself putting strain on the pins and forcing the pads to not sit strait on the rotor while it pulling the ebrake leveler. The reason it should the bracket is mounted on the caliper is so all those forces are within the caliper assembly and cancel each other out so the only thing that moves are the parts that were designed to.
1993 Pontiac Sunbird 3400V6
PingPong wrote:This only caught my attention from the Mr. Quick's 5x100 Saturn swap. The idea of mounting the ebrake cable bracket on the rear axle isn't ideal. Excuse my engineering terms but when you apply the handbrake while the cable is held onto the axle, it will actually slightly pull on the caliper itself putting strain on the pins and forcing the pads to not sit strait on the rotor while it pulling the ebrake leveler. The reason it should the bracket is mounted on the caliper is so all those forces are within the caliper assembly and cancel each other out so the only thing that moves are the parts that were designed to.
This makes good sense, which is why the recommended answer to the 03-05 issue is to simply change out the cables to the 95-02 ones. However, a lot of people around here will go with the cheaper route.
PingPong wrote:This only caught my attention from the Mr. Quick's 5x100 Saturn swap. The idea of mounting the ebrake cable bracket on the rear axle isn't ideal. Excuse my engineering terms but when you apply the handbrake while the cable is held onto the axle, it will actually slightly pull on the caliper itself putting strain on the pins and forcing the pads to not sit strait on the rotor while it pulling the ebrake leveler. The reason it should the bracket is mounted on the caliper is so all those forces are within the caliper assembly and cancel each other out so the only thing that moves are the parts that were designed to.
That is a valid point, but since I'm only using the e-brake when stationary, it's not a big concern to me.
My setup is still working great and i haven't had any problems.
Currently #4 in Ecotec Forced Induction horsepower ratings. 505.8 WHP 414WTQ!!!
Currently 3rd quickest Ecotec on the .org - 10.949 @ 131.50 MPH!!!
Couldn't a different bracket be made to mount to the stock location on the caliper and be longer so it sits further back to take up the needed slack. Wouldnt imagine it be too difficult.
"Oil Leak ? What oil Leak ? Oh, Thats Just The Sweat From All The HorsePower!!"
DSMskyline wrote:Couldn't a different bracket be made to mount to the stock location on the caliper and be longer so it sits further back to take up the needed slack. Wouldnt imagine it be too difficult.
This is certainly a possibility. If someone is willing to take the measurements off their cable, I could design a bracket with the offset.
^^Well played, and I'd pay for said bracket assuming it would be cheaper than swapping lines, I'd rather have the bracket on the caliper personally.
Though Roofy's setup is what I intend to do if no bracket is designed before I get my brakes ready to install.
^^ Yes could someone make the E-brake brackets? I have a 2004 and have all the parts I need for this swap besides the Saturn E-brake brackets. Haven't had any luck at the junkyard. Also I know even if I get the stock Saturn e-brake brackets.. not a perfect setup for the 2003+ cars.
2000 Buick Regal GSE - "Gods Grocery Getter is powered by an L67 3800" -
333WHP
12.900 @ 109.91mph 2.166 60Ft (Fastest 1/4)
13.374 @ 110.01mph 2.467 60Ft (Fastest Trap)
2004 Chevy Cavalier - 15.7 @ 90mph (Semi-Modded)
