Does anyone know what's going on with finding remanufactured calipers for the rear end? They seem to have fallen off the face of the earth, both the iron ones and the aluminum. I just rescued an 89 GTA and am looking down the road when I get to the brakes and may or may not need replacements.

Did a search, did quite a few searches actually, but have found no information. No aftermarket parts stores, no online stores, no nothing. Anyone have any insights? TIA

 

No reman outfit can exist without a steady supply of cores to rebuild. The biggest channel of core returns is through auto parts stores. Maybe call your local auto parts stores and ask the manager.

 

Zackly..

You can't reman something unless you have cores. As cars with those old systems vanish into the crusher, their cores go with them. Junkyards sometimes pull the particularly desirable (= valuable; = worth their time to mess with it) things off of cars before they crush the bodies, but brakes aren't often among those, since they're time-consuming and don't bring much $$$, and therefore aren't profitable to jack around with.

If you have a future need for a remanned something or other, best to check availability now and then, snag it when it shows up, and put it on the shelf. Same for rebuild kits, for things you can do yourself. That way you can even rebuild your old ones, if they're worth rebuilding. If not, gift em to your favorite parts store, so they go back to somebody that maybe can revitalize em, and at least keep em in the pool.

Your 89-92 brakes aren't getting all that scarce yet, but will eventually. Might want to start thinking ahead.

 

I have done the research, and there are rebuild parts available at least, and it's not outside my scope of mechanical abilities, so I'll go that route I believe. I'll probably have them powder coated while they are apart as well. It's sad that they are becoming so scarce, though, the whole caliper. I'll keep looking like sofakingdom stated and grab what I can when I can. This project car won't be on the street that soon, so I can take my time.

 

Good. Use time when it's to your advantage.

 

Or, convert to ls1 rear disc brakes like I did.

 

Not a bad idea. Gives you about a 10yr head start on obsolescence. 92 vs 2002.

 

While I can't disagree with cores being needed for rebuild and those diminishing due to age of the platform, there is something else going on too. COVID is disrupting re-man parts supply because plants that do the re-manufacturing had been shut down just like a lot of others. Since people were still buying parts during this time it reduced supply and inventory. Also shipping was disrupted during this time and getting cores back wad delayed. Cores coming in are processed based on market demand. Obviously there is not a lot of Thirdgens getting brakes redone in the mass market. So, even though supply is low, they are probably setting on cores too.

 

Damn Covid! Went to get some remans for my 9 bolt and yeah, multiple auto stores did not have them and could not order them in either, everywhere showing zero. Other than going LS1 backing plates, does anyone have a schematic how to modify your backing plates for a newer caliper - wondering what my options are at this point.

 

A while back, I was having trouble getting rear calipers for a 9 bolt and was on a real time crunch. If you don't mind giving up your parking brake, front calipers almost bolt right on the back. That got me by until I could get the right parts.

 

www.rockauto.com has them...

 

You remove your old parts and install new backing plates

 

this is a 85-86 Borg Warner 9 bolt with 3.70 gear. So just grab 98-02 Camaro backing plates and good to go?

 

Cardone told me if I send in my aluminum PBR calipers from my 89 there was an "80% chance" they could rebuild them. I recently got a reman DS full aluminum caliper from them and I noticed the aluminum caliper was not a core ie it did not have cast with the Australian PBR logo and such, there was no marking on it at all. Someone made new cast aluminum calipers for a while...

The Wagner rebuild kit from Australia is long gone. I've been watching for full rebuild kits for a couple years now. Only the rubbers seem to be available any more. heh-heh he said "rubbers."

The PS rear caliper seems to be gone also.

 

EB Miller of Fly N Bye should have what you need.

Honestly the Iron rear brake calipers were horrible and hardly did much to help slow these cars down...
Switching to the PBR calipers for our cars was a HUGE improvement in braking!!!