I have the brackets done, SS lines, and just about all the hardware and I still have lingering questions on this set up. Partly because I would be putting a Chrysler brake system in a GM, in other words, it was never designed for it. But there have been great success stories on here, in other words, nobody has crashed because of them. So I need to hear from you folks.
Here are some questions that I did not find answers on my search:
1. How does your brake pedal feel compared to the old drum set up?
2. How far up does your parking brake handle go when in use? Right now, in my drum set up, it goes up about 60-70 degrees up. Curious if it goes lower or higher or how quick does it react.
3. Has any one used other rotors to prevent the use of washers?
4. What is the size of the copper washer fittings for the front and rear calipers?
5. Have you seen an improvement in braking?
6. Do you trigger the ABS more often in the rear?
7. How does it feel when braking in the wet?
For now, those are the ones off the top of my head, later I may ask more. Any help or answer will greatly be appreciated.
>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
1. i really didn't feel a difference in my pedal, except that they weren't locking up anymore.
2. my handle goes up a little less then half way and is really tight.
3. i haven't heard of anyone finding a different rotor, i'm using washers that i found at advance auto parts that where for spacing wheels out. They where machined washers so they where all the same thickness.
4. I want to say i used 10mm, 3/8 crush washer.
5. i felt a huge differents but when i did my swap i did ss lines all around with drilled and slotted rotors and ebc green stuff pads on all 4 corners.
6. I haven't triggered my abs at all, which is what i thought was one of the main reasons for doing the swap.(so you didnt have your drums locking up anymore.)
7.i don't drive my car in the rain so i have no input...
Now i have heard of people having really good luck in there swaps. Mine was a complete pain in the ass. My ebrake shoes never lined up right, even after putting on brand new ebrake cables (cavalier ones not neon). what was happening was my cables where putting the neon actuator for the shoes too far forward and everytime i would pull the ebrake it was pulling the actuator inwards in the bracket and was tweeking the hell out of my shoes and getting them binded up which was then warping the inside of my rotor.
so what i ended up doing was taking a little piece of 1/4 metal plate and bolting it in place on the backing plate to hold the actuator straight so when i would pull the e brake it would stay in place and would push my shoes evenly straight out. If you have this problem i'll take my wheels back off and get a picture for you. But good luck with the swap, even with the little bit of trouble ive had with them i still love them.
1. Didnt notice a pedal difference.
2. My ebrake only goes up to like 60 degrees
3. I have some aftermarket driilled/slotted rotors for a neon. I still used washers AND a 5/16th spacer.
4. Not sure about the size copper washer
5. Not sure about improvement, since I have 13" Baers in the front.
6. no
7. I Dont drive in the wet lol
~2014 New Z under the knife, same heart different body~
______________________
WHITECAVY no more
2012 numbers - 4SPD AUTOMATIC!!
328 HP
306 TQ
WHITECAVY wrote:1. Didnt notice a pedal difference.
2. My ebrake only goes up to like 60 degrees
3. I have some aftermarket driilled/slotted rotors for a neon. I still used washers AND a 5/16th spacer.
4. Not sure about the size copper washer
5. Not sure about improvement, since I have 13" Baers in the front.
6. no
7. I Dont drive in the wet lol
My answers 1-2 are the same
3 I used doorman mag wheel washer from advance auto parts they are the same thickness
4 not sure on washer size
5 huge increase in braking.
6 no abs
7 drives fine in rain. No difference minus my rears no longer lock up do to getting wet.
1. Firm as it always was, even more confidence inspiring now with the SS lines.
2. I have my PB shoes adjusted to absolute minimum and it locks the rear wheels shortly before the travel limit of the handle. This can be adjusted so they lock sooner.
3. I used rotors I bought from v12motorsports on EBAY... They are slotted only, and I used a brake lathe to turn down the inside lip where the majority of the interference is. cut away most of the guards to clear the rest of the rotors.
4. Not sure...
5. YES! They are beautiful, and of course, much easier to service.
6. Never, IF the ABS triggers, either the front or back are near the limit of grip, nothing to do with uneven brake bias.
7. Just the same, brakes really well so long as the tires are there.
Buildin' n' Boostin for 08' - Alex Richards
Here are some questions that I did not find answers on my search:
1. How does your brake pedal feel compared to the old drum set up? Superb and solid.
2. How far up does your parking brake handle go when in use? Right now, in my drum set up, it goes up about 60-70 degrees up. Curious if it goes lower or higher or how quick does it react. No ebrake since I'm a moron and don't believe in my own personal safety.
3. Has any one used other rotors to prevent the use of washers? Nope. I had to measure out each washer for both sides so that the rotor would be perfectly centered in the caliper like it should be. Both sides took two different size washers to make it work and EBC rotors is what I used.
4. What is the size of the copper washer fittings for the front and rear calipers? Don't know since I used direct AN to 7/16 adapters for my brake hookups on the calipers.
5. Have you seen an improvement in braking? Now it stops before the dime. Literally.
6. Do you trigger the ABS more often in the rear? ABS deleted for various reasons.
7. How does it feel when braking in the wet? Unfortunately the car does not see rain.
Good luck with your build though.
Misnblu.com
Newbie member since 1999
Thank you Dave and JBO! 
Good to know this. On the different rotors, there was talk of using the Dodge Sprit's rotors... I think they are the same rotors on the Pontiac 6000 STE AWD too.
Any more out there? It is interesting to know your experience on this.
>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
LOL james you just got lazy and didnt want to try and figure out how to get that chopped ebrake cable back in, thats why you dont have ur's hahaahaha
Another question...
-Can I still use J's spare tire?
>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
-One thing brings my attention. I've driven in cars with 4-wheel drums and one thing is for sure, you drive that set up in the wet or the drums get wet and you step on that brake pedal, you will become a Pope with all the praying you'll be doing in hopes not to crash.
-Also disc brakes will brake in a shorter stopping distance than drum brakes.
-Our cars has a horrible (F)63%-64% / (R)33%-34% weight distribution.
With all of this said... I am reading wayyy to frequently that rear discs "cures" the locking up on the rear, that always triggering the ABS. Can someone elaborate on that conclusion?
The ABS only triggers when the sensor detects a wheel rotating slower than the others (impending lock up), or goes to 0mph. So the only way I'm seeing the rear lock happening would be coming from the from effective braking from the disc set up. I would like to read your inputs of this as I'm not seeing the logic.
>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
Mr.Goodwrench-G.T. wrote:-One thing brings my attention. I've driven in cars with 4-wheel drums and one thing is for sure, you drive that set up in the wet or the drums get wet and you step on that brake pedal, you will become a Pope with all the praying you'll be doing in hopes not to crash.
-Also disc brakes will brake in a shorter stopping distance than drum brakes.
-Our cars has a horrible (F)63%-64% / (R)33%-34% weight distribution.
With all of this said... I am reading wayyy to frequently that rear discs "cures" the locking up on the rear, that always triggering the ABS. Can someone elaborate on that conclusion?
The ABS only triggers when the sensor detects a wheel rotating slower than the others (impending lock up), or goes to 0mph. So the only way I'm seeing the rear lock happening would be coming from the from effective braking from the disc set up. I would like to read your inputs of this as I'm not seeing the logic.
I think its a combination of issues, number one, driver error, in haste in a water intrusion issue we press harder on the pedal, until inevitably one of the rears dries out and locks up. The other thought is that our new drum brakes never have a water intrusion issue (I never did anyway) and drum brakes just tend to be a whole lot less linear than disc. Especially when out of adjustment.
I think that is what you should take away from this, disc are a lot more linear and tend to dry out quicker in a hasty wet stop.
Someone ran the numbers on the neon rears and it turns out the proportioning works out to be as near as makes no difference exactly equal as the stock setup, so any additional braking power comes from increased efficiency or surface area.
Buildin' n' Boostin for 08' - Alex Richards
I dont see why ou would want those rotors and not just use a solid space or find a different way to space the rotor that rotor weighs the same as my vented setup rotor
For the possibilty in avoiding the use of spacers all together. This is a thicker solid rotor than the Neon's.
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-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
I never had to use spacers...
I would just get them turned where they hit like I suggested.... Much safer.
Buildin' n' Boostin for 08' - Alex Richards
Quote:
1. How does your brake pedal feel compared to the old drum set up?
2. How far up does your parking brake handle go when in use? Right now, in my drum set up, it goes up about 60-70 degrees up. Curious if it goes lower or higher or how quick does it react.
3. Has any one used other rotors to prevent the use of washers?
4. What is the size of the copper washer fittings for the front and rear calipers?
5. Have you seen an improvement in braking?
6. Do you trigger the ABS more often in the rear?
7. How does it feel when braking in the wet?
1) Since I did the Wilwood fronts at the same time, there is little travel before it catches
2) Never could get the e-brake to work properly
3) Nope. Sporting 1/8" thick grade 8 washers behind the rotor
4) 10mmx1.25 metric banjo bolt with a 10mm banjo for the rears (2004 m/y calipers)
5) yup
6) No ABS, so the rears lock under hard braking.
7) potato
^ Thank you.
Alex Richards wrote:I never had to use spacers...
I would just get them turned where they hit like I suggested.... Much safer.
I don't have a machine shop that will do that. Also By doing that, does it leave the parking brake shoe "semi floating" so to speak as the lip is shaved and not there?
>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
No need for a machine shop, just take it to anywhere that turns brake rotors or drums and they can mount it on their lathe and mill it down, thats what I did.
Buildin' n' Boostin for 08' - Alex Richards
Really? Those machines has capability to cut off that lip? I thought they can only trim a flat surface?
Also by doing that, does it leave the parking brake shoe "semi floating" so to speak as the lip is shaved and not there?
Would you have a picture of how it turned out, or mounted on, you have me curious on this? lol
>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
Mr.Goodwrench-G.T. wrote:Really? Those machines has capability to cut off that lip? I thought they can only trim a flat surface?
Also by doing that, does it leave the parking brake shoe "semi floating" so to speak as the lip is shaved and not there?
Would you have a picture of how it turned out, or mounted on, you have me curious on this? lol
Yes they do, its like any other brake rotor you just get it on the lip, touch the bit, go 15 or 20 thousandths in, and run the cross feed across the lip to cut it down.
The parking brake shoes do not matter...think about it... if we space the rotor away from the hub it moves those shoes closer to the edge of the drum anyway, so this is a better way to do it anyway since it leaves the shoes more centered in the drum. There is an extra probably .125" on each side of the shoes, so there is plenty of room.
I dont have pictures, but its simple... It works... and its better than putting washers on studs... that scares me..
Buildin' n' Boostin for 08' - Alex Richards
^Very good point that I didn't even think about. I will have to see about this. It is that I really didn't like the idea on the use of these spacers, and with the shaved lip, it looks like i may be able to avoid it all together.
Another question I have:
-When you installed this brake setup, did you get any creeks or any type noise, being that this is not a GM engineered piece?
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-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
I'm going to be doing this swap shortly. Mainly for looks and I hate working on drum brakes. I have 130k on my factory rear brakes. They still work great.
Currently I have a J sitting in my garage (not mine) that has neon rear disc swap. I drove the car about 40 miles, and felt no difference in normal driving. Pedal was the same, braking the same. Good thing in my eyes.
The ebrake on this car is using the factory J cable and that you can tell a big difference over mine. Very stiff/hard to pull up, and does not come up much. This I like.
I have never had a issue with factory drums locking up on any J I have owned. I wonder if alot of the people with this issue has leaking wheel cylinders.
FU Tuning
