Wondering if it is possible to refit the rear disks from a 1994-1996 Impala SS to a 88-91 C1500, and what parts would it take to accomplish the swap (Master cylinder, any ABS or combination valve changes etc). Would this be a cheap way to get four wheel disk brakes on a OBS half-ton Chevy truck.
You'd probably need to swap hubs and carriers at the least..... aren't chevys of that gen 6 bolt?
mndsm wrote: You'd probably need to swap hubs and carriers at the least..... aren't chevys of that gen 6 bolt?
The 1/2 tons are the same 5-lug bolt pattern as the Impala.
In reply to mndsm:
What he said..
Hokay. Been a while since I looked at one.
How about just swapping the rear axle into the truck? Both are the 8.5/8.6" ring gear axle, width should be fairly close. You will have to add leaf spring mounts but that is fairly easy to do.
I see the 6 bolt setups around for sale a lot from the later model trucks (99-06 i think). The mud bog guys swap them out for heavier/stronger axles. I could pick one of those up I guess, and either swap out the axel shafts or have the lug pattern re-drilled to the 5 bolt. I wonder what else would I need to change to make that work (new or upgraded master cylinder, combination valve, new brake lines to the rear calipers etc). Guess it's time for some google-fu..
81cpcamaro wrote: How about just swapping the rear axle into the truck? Both are the 8.5/8.6" ring gear axle, width should be fairly close. You will have to add leaf spring mounts but that is fairly easy to do.
That's a thought, anybody know what the gear ratio was for the SS? Would I have a compatibility issue with the rear ABS system from the truck (which i'm not sure mine has, i'll have to check).
SS should have been a 3.42 IIRC.
Impala SS rear end is slightly narrower as well as needing to add spring pads and such since the B-body is a 4-link/coil spring setup. Probably easier to just add discs to yours.
I've heard of a bolt on caliper carrier that uses S-10 calipers, and Impala rotors for bolt on rear disc conversion.
EDIT: Do some Googling... I think Speedway motors makes the caliper carrier for the S-10 front calipers, and it can be had through O'Reilly's for like $10/piece under some part#. Impala rotors will need the lug holes opened up a bit for the 5/8 stud on the trucks. This will do away with the E-brake though, if you live in a state requiring one or if that matters to you. All in this can be done on a GRM budget for sure. No idea on bias/MC adjustments if needed.
Provided the housing ends and axle offset are the same, should be a plug and play setup. Just have to swap or gut the combination valve and bend up some new hard lines to mate with new flexible lines.
The Speedway motors stuff gives me something to think about, I could put something together with the weld-on caliper brackets or one of the kits. I was hoping to find a bolt-on deal and figured the factory parts might be a cheap way to go with pick-n-pull sourcing.
Bobzilla wrote: SS should have been a 3.42 IIRC.
all SS are 3.08
cop cars were usually 3.42
From what I've seen, 9C1s are mostly, if not all, 3:08s.
opposite on this end, but i think it depends how they wanted to use the car. 3.42 for city cruisers and 3.08 for highway cruisers. either way, all SS are 3.08 factory.
chances are you can unbolt the SS parts or 9c1 parts and bolt them on the truck. but one would have to measure first. or swap a whole rear by welding on spring perches and shock mounts. i'd probably just do the latter and find a car rear with limited slip and the gears you want already and splurge for $13 worth of spring perches from summit.
If I could just swap rears or unbolt the parts, that would be the way i'd like to go. That way I keep an e-brake and sourcing replacement parts is as easy as a trip to autoadvanceoreillyszone.
In reply to 06HHR:
Yes, 99 and up are also a 8.6 instead of a 8.5
Look for the G80 factory locking diff option
Either 3.42 or 3.73
TIGMOTORSPORTS wrote: In reply to 06HHR: Yes, 99 and up are also a 8.6 instead of a 8.5 Look for the G80 factory locking diff option Either 3.42 or 3.73
Would I have to swap axle shafts or could I just have the flanges re-drilled for the 5 lug pattern? It would be nice to have a 3.73 for towing and whatnot. Would make it easier to find the parts too, as there are not a lot of SS Impalas in the junkyards around here.
you could swap to the light duty 6 lug 3/4 ton front rotors and just change the whole truck
Then i'd need a new set of wheels..
It "looks" like i could just bolt on the parts from a later model, backing plates, caliper mounts, etc. Get rotors redrilled for the 5 lug pattern, then it's just a matter of fabbing up new lines to the rear and finding a way to make everything play nice and get the proper F/R balance. Of course, it won't be anywhere near that simple..
i'd bet you could just snag the master and prop valve from the same truck the brake stuff comes from.
gm parts are delightfully interchangeable.
Bobzilla wrote: SS should have been a 3.42 IIRC.
every 94-96 Impala SS- and every other Caprice sedan with the LT1- got 3.08 gears. wagons had a few different ratios, tho.
the craptastical and almost useless (due to being prone to stuck guide pins) discs they put on the 90's B bodies would be a downgrade from the stock drums that are already on the truck- i think they are 12", if my memory is correct. GM didn't think rear discs were a good idea on trucks- they did it for a few years with the new body style starting in '99, but went back to drums eventually- there had to be a good reason for doing that..
while the wheel bolt pattern and centering hole is the same, everything else that is used to bolt the stuff to the rear end is different. they used a different brake mounting flange pattern on the trucks to accommodate the bigger bearings, and i'm sure the offset from the brake mounting flange to the wheel mounting flange is different, too.
I'm DD'ing the truck right now, and i'm also firmly in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mode for awhile. But I do have plans to change/upgrade a few things as time goes on. Vortec/crate motor swap when the stock TBI 350 decides to die, long tube headers and dual exhaust all the way back. Mild lowering, 2" front and back, or a 2/4 setup. Still want to keep it a useable truck, and make it a bit more "fun" until i get a new toy.
Whats wrong with the drums? They are lighter than discs. They have better pedal feel than disc. They cause less drag than disc.
You can get aftermarket shoes to help with braking if that is a concern.
We run rear drums on our LeMons car (78 malibu) and it has some of the best brakes I have ever felt. We are able to outbrake almost everyone!
Why do you want to run discs?
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