12" brake upgrade from Estate Wagon!

[Spoolin Around]

Just curious, I was scouting the local yard today and saw a real nice 90 estate wagon with the front tire off. Took a look and see that it has the 12" brakes on it. Is this a good upgrade for our GN's? I guess I would need the spindle and caliper correct?

 

[turbofish38]

The spindles and calipers are the only thing you can use on the 12" swap. The big draw back is you have to buy expensive upper control arms(about $500) and use the rotors from a 3rd gen Camaro with the 1LE option.

Eric Fisher

 

[Red Regal T]

Those reasonably priced $560 Hotchkiss upper control arms (made of gold) effectively put the brakes on this conversion for me. However, there is another avenue..........$270 upper arms from Adams. You'll need those spindles and backing plate, so get them. Buy new calipers, they're very cheap. Check the brake section for more info.

 

[Glen]

Another alternative thats becoming popular is the front brakes from a '98 and up s-blazer 2 wheel drive with dual piston calipers. Boneyard priced at $300-$400

 

[ijames]

Glen, tell us (okay, tell me at least ) about this S10 blazer brake setup. What size rotors, what all do you need to swap over, does it change track width or ride height or suffer from bump steer like the BBody setup? Thanks.

 

[Glen]

Go here :
http://www.cardomain.com/member_pages/view_page.pl?page_id=259552&page=9

Also do a search at montecarloss.com do a search in their forums I think it is under chassis.

Essentialy you use the spindles, calipers and rotors

 

[turbofish38]

The Blazer rotors are still 10.5" in diameter. They use a sealed hub and bearing simular to a FWD and are POS from GM. Sounds like lot of money just for dual piston calipers IMO.

Eric Fisher

 

[Glen]

WTFE your call

 

[ijames]

Thanks, Glen. On that link you posted he says that stock rotors are 10.4" (is that what ours are?) and the blazer's are 11", so that's a small step upwards in rotor, plus the dual piston calipers. The top hat style rotors are cheaper than ours and especially the 12" B Body's, but I have heard lots of people complaining about warpage on FWD cars that use them. Hmm, I'll think about it but will probably spring for the Global West arms with delalums and go bbody in January.

 

[turbofish38]

If you go to www.chevy.com and click on the 04 2WD Blazer and scroll down to the specs they have the rotor listed as 10.82 in diameter. They real reason I mentioned the hub and rotor design is the quality of the hubs is marginal and they will crap out after about 50,000 miles and if you buy used you are really taking a chance.

Eric