Wilwood rear brakes & C-clip elmin on a stock housing question

[1986 Buick GX1]

I could be wrong. But the clips stay in place and the eliminators are in case they brake?

I always thought the eliminators were a more positive retention device that didn't use the C-clips so they couldn't break??
We used them on our mini rod pulling tractor because the custom Mark Williams axles didn't have C-clip grooves.
Maybe some aftermarket axles aren't available with the grooves?

 

[ttypewhite]

Notch the caliper bracket so that it can slip over the axle tube and bolt it to the back side of the flange. For this to work you would need to be able to remove enough spacer in the caliper bracket to compensate. If the spacers are greater than the width of the caliper bracket plus the axle flange then you can make it work.

Thanks Mike, I was doing some research online and saw exactly what you said with pictures. I'm going to give it a shot tonight.

The simple way to solve the tire rub problem is different rims with less back spacing.

That's not a option for me. I have a lot of money wrapped up in my rims to go that route, and that's not including my Pro Stars I use when I go to the track...

I could be wrong. But the clips stay in place and the eliminators are in case they brake?

The C-clip eliminators eliminate the clip at the end of the axle in the carrier. I don't have to open the diff cover to remove the axles. The 4 bolts holding in the C-clip eliminators is all that is needed once the calipers and rotor is taken off.

 

[No disintegrations]

That's fine. I respectfully wonder about axle spline engagement and will they hit the diff cross pin? I guess I will understand when you finished.

 

[ttypewhite]

Took a 2nd shot at making this right last night. I tore the rearend back down, took some measurements of the axle tube and my bracket for the calipers to see if I have enough room to make this work. I cut the caliper bracket enough so it would slide over the axle tube and be mounted on the reverse side and have things the way they were before the disc brake conversion. So I went from this:



To this. (had the glass bead it afterwards because I scratched these to hell cutting, mounting and putting it in the vice)



Did a test fit and put my rims back on and everything is good again except the caliper distance. By putting the bracket on the opposite side of the housing it changed my mounting point, so I shimmed the bracket the distance I lost and loctite the bolts back in. I will complete the job tonight and take it out for a spin. Had to paint the bracket and rearend housing before I called it quits last night and I also got to get 4 longer grade 8 bolts to mount the calipers back on the brackets with the extra half inch I picked up by shimming the bracket.

 

[ttypewhite]

Just a update. I shimmed the rear caliper after clearancing them to be mounted on the other side of the rear end housing, bled the brakes and am now driving the car again. The pedal goes down a bit further for engagement, but stops very well and aggressive. I will bleed the system again later down the road. Right now I just want to drive the car again and put down the wrench.

 

[Big Mike]

Great info! This is what I was looking for a long time.

 

[haywire4130]

Did you use residual pressure valves on the rear? I wouldnt think theyd be necessary since you are running c clip elims, the axle shouldnt walk to push the pads away from the rotor but may be worth a call to wilwood?

 

[ttypewhite]

Did you use residual pressure valves on the rear? I wouldnt think theyd be necessary since you are running c clip elims, the axle shouldnt walk to push the pads away from the rotor but may be worth a call to wilwood?

No I didn't use any residual pressure valves on the rear. I have been driving it for awhile now with no issues, and I have on the brakes pretty aggressively too.