I'm looking to convert my 87 Z28 5 speed rear brakes from drum to disc. I don't want to change the rear axle so the question I have can you get a conversion kit for it or should I look for another rear axle already with disc brakes on it to swap the parts? How difficult is this going to be and has anyone done this before?

 

I'm wondering the same thing....

 

The drum to disc conversion has been done many times. Perhaps the easiest way is the following from Ed Miller:

http://www.flynbye.com/catalog/i182.html

or

https://www.thirdgen.org/ls1reardisc

Perhaps some general help:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/faq-...iscs-89-a.html

Concerning master cylinders, combination valves, and parking brake cables:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tran...-10-bolts.html

Since most questions have been asked and answered many times, I search is generally a good idea.

Best of luck with your projects,

JamesC

 

Honestly swapping the axle out for a 9-bolt with discs isn't all that complicated, I'm happy with mine. Plus if you have some work to do with/in the gas tank it gives a good opportunity.

 

Ya I'm thinking the axle swap might be the way to go considering I'm going to replace rear suspension also.

 

When you swapped the rear axle did you have to change the offset on the rear rims?

 

What I put in it was a 9-bolt Borg-Warner out of a slightly newer IROC. My back wheels are 15x8's and the fronts are 15x4's, so I have different backspacing and everything to begin with (lol). I'm pretty sure though that the IROCs had a different offset for the back though, there's probably a thread on here somewhere that would give you that info. Sorry I can't be of more help than that, I didn't run into those problems because of my wheel/tire choice, haha.

 

However, a cool little bonus is that the same brake pads go on the 9-bolt as are what are on the front end of my car, makes brake jobs pretty simple.

 

I had an 87 axle in my Camaro, and recently purchased a 96 or 97 axle. I didn't want to be that wide, so I swapped the PBR brakes from the donor axle over to my third gen axle. Here is my experience:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/brak...pbr-brake.html

 

concider if you might want to go to corvette or forth gen wheels later on.if so the best thing to do is swap in a 93-02 rear.thats what i did.btw the 1998-2002 rears have the best brakes.

 

Good Point. I dig the IROC wheels, and am sticking with them personally. That is why I wanted to stick with the third gen rear end. I have kept the 4th gen axle though,and will toss it behind everything in the shed. It is in great shape. If I choose to go to different wheels in the future, it will be an easy swap back over to that diff.