Bigger front or Rear disc???

[TRFanatic]

Hello all,

I'm hoping for some feedback from those who have upgraded the braking of their TR.
My question is do you recommend going to larger front discs or going to rear discs?? I will probably only be able to do one right now. My car is used on the street only.
I also plan to drop the car slightly and change the wheels in the future (17's?). I want my car to handle and stop well.
Also, supplier recommendations?? Cost??

Thanks alot for your time,

Ravi

 

[Glen]

Larger front. The front does the majority of the braking, consider wieght transfer during braking and spirited driving and you will get the picture. Now the question is how big do you wanna go. Baer makes a 12" and 13" using stock spindles as well as 13" using the B body spindle while using custom upper control arms. If you are handy with tools you can do the job at home and save abunch.

 

[TRFanatic]

thanks

Thanks Glen for the info. Handy with tools I am not. I have been reading some other posts regarding other brand brakes, I think BAER is much more expensive than the others.

Ravi

 

[Slow91z]

Baer is the best and you have to pay for the best...Plus you have to go with a 17" wheel.

link--->SSBC

These guys have a nice duel piston kit that fits in a 15" wheel...your get more stopping power without the expensive kits, and you keep your 15" wheel if you want to.

Course Baer is the best, but SSBC has quality products.

 

[TRFanatic]

info

Robert Adams's 12" kit?? Anyone tried it?? How much??

Thanks

Ravi

 

[Glen]

I'm not a big fan of the upper control arms, something about metal to metal contact doesn't sit well with me, even when one is a copper/brass medium. There are those around here that use them and say they like them, but, they haven't posted anything after a year of everyday driving and what happens to the bushing as far as wear is concerned. They are greasable but with no grease seal, to me, that is an invitation to dirt and wear.

The rotor is off a 1LE camaro and uses a mid size caliper. Definitely a step up in the braking department, but for the money I would look at Baers 12" or 13" brake using the stock spindle, to save alittle. It is another step up from the mid size caliper but a difference you will notice.

To me, the SSBC twin piston caliper is a big chunk of ugly and not what I would call a cheap alternative.

 

[Slow91z]

Wow I have always liked SSBC products...and I think they are attrative also, although that is not my main consern.

 

[Glen]

Thats just MY opinion of the SSBC replacement caliper for the GM caliper.

They do have other choices but that one seems to be the one people are asking about around here. I am sure their products work as intend and are a viable alternative to Baer, I just think, that particular caliper is butt ugly

It's a large hunk of aluminum and what pics I have seen mounted behind wheels leaves me wondering WTF ....... but you can get them in all the rice burners favorite colors

Edited out incorrect statement

 

[Slow91z]

Uh they say that it's a direct bolt on...nothing about control arms or anything.

 

[Glen]

I had based my statement on various articles read about the caliper and there own website about being a 'KIT', my fault for not doing more research.

U R right though, their website states that the Quick Change Caliper with 38 mm pistons are availabe for the G body as a direct bolt on and must use 15" wheels. $395 a pair w/pads

 

[I eat Z06]

Glen what company were you talking about with the upper control bars not having a busing seal?

Nick

 

[Glen]

UB Machine, which is what Robert Adams sells in his kits. At UB Machines website under their listing for control arms at the bottom of the page is a parts list and no seals are listed.

Where the zerk fitting is looks to be sealed but not the inner portion on the shaft, ?. I was mistaken on the caliper so I might be here also...... these arms are made for roundy rounders not really for the street so I don't see why they would seal it.

Another alternative is '99 and up 2 wheel drive Blazer. Spindle an all. Dual piston caliper, sperate hub and disc. It's a cast iron caliper... but what the heck, should be able to pick the whole thing up from the bone yard. Direct bolt on

 

[I eat Z06]

I have Hotchkis upper control arms. They help the car ride much better than it used to. Kit also came with bigger F body brakes and spindles. It does seem to stop quicker, than the cross drilled/slotted stock size rotors that were on the car. But my buddy put them on, so I never got to see if they are sealed or not. Time to make a phone call for me.

Nick

 

[Glen]

Unless they changed them, the hotchkis arms aren't servicable once assembled. They have to be taken apart to grease them, no zerk fitting. Now if you are handy with some tools and feel like taking them apart you can make them greasable.

 

[TRFanatic]

info

Sorry for the newbie questions guys-- but are you saying that some of the big front brake conversions require suspension mods and some don't?? If that is the case then you also have to factor in the cost of the suspension stuff as well right??

Thanks,

Ravi

 

[TRFanatic]

By the way--How big is the disc on the 2wheel drive Blazer??

 

[I eat Z06]

Would I want to make them greasable?

Nick

 

[Glen]

If they are not squeakin' then I wouldn't bother. But, if you wish, you could disassemble the arm and drill a hole for a zerk fitting and put some grooves in it to spread the grease.

 

[Glen]

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

This has pics of the 98+ S type Blazer 2 wheel drive with dual piston caliper. It is installed on an earlier model s-10, but it is the same as ours.

 

[I eat Z06]

Thanks glen. I was thinking, what if you bought a kit fron Baer 12" or 13" and a rear disc conversion. They might give a few bucks off, since you are buying so much stuff. Save 100 bucks or so.

Nick