Rear disc brake swap on 10 bolt rear end
 

BACKGROUND:

Ok guys, so here is my story. I have a '90 Formula, 305 TBI, T-5 (originally an auto car), and a 10 bolt rear with drum brakes.

I am working on putting a rear end together for the car, I have a Torsen limited slip out of a 99-02 Trans Am, 28-spline axles from summit, for a 90-92 car, all the bearings, seals, shims, ect.

I have a 88 10-bolt rear end that I got with the iron Delco disc brakes, I thought I could use these brakes until my axle shafts showed up and I realized they wouldn't fit in the rotors, so those brakes are out.

PROBLEM:

So my problem is that I'm ready to put a rear end together, but I don't know what I'm going to do about brakes now. What I have for housings: 90 10-bolt with drum brakes, 10 bolt out of an 88 with disc brakes.

Ideally I would like to upgrade to rear discs, but since I thought I had brakes that would work I didn't budget for new rear discs :doh: and now I don't really have a lot of money for parts.

Ideally I'd like to put the PBR rear discs in the car, but definitely can't buy all the parts new I'd need for the swap. I know brakes from an 89-97 camaro, or 90-97 bird would work, but I'm curious what other cars I could possibly get these brakes from. I know some S10s came with PBR brakes, but I'm not sure on the years. I'd like to just get everything I need off a donor car, including backing plates.

Plan B is to re-use my drum brakes for the time being, and upgrade to discs down the road when the budget is there, but that kind of came crashing down when I noticed how radically different the backing plate mount to the axles were.

So I'm looking for advice on what I can scavenge PBR brakes off of, or how I may be able to fit my drum brakes onto a disc rear for a short time (this season, until winter comes). Also, since the car is now a T-5 a parking brake will be a necessity.

I appreciate any advice that can get me laying 11s sooner :driving:

Thanks,
Matt

Re: Rear disc brake swap on 10 bolt rear end
 

Well I'm impatient & I just bought LT-1 rear brakes of eBay

Re: Rear disc brake swap on 10 bolt rear end
 

Well done!

Re: Rear disc brake swap on 10 bolt rear end
 

Just realized I haven't updated this. Got in my box of PBR rear disc brakes. Bolted the backing plates onto the housing. Friday, May 2nd I dropped the axle housing and a few big boxes full of parts off at my dad's friends shop to put the rear end together. I should have the built rear end back in about a week.

I still need to order a long list of parts before it goes in the car, but I need a day off to do that. First I need to figure out my car insurance because, apparently, since my car is titled to me, but registered & insured to my mother, if I have a comprehensive claim, like creaming a deer, I may not be covered. So I either need my own insurance or to transfer the title into my mom's name.

So after I straighten out the insurance fiasco, I still need a brake proportioning valve, brake lines, e-brake calbes, speedometer gears & sensor, and eventually need to wire in the clutch safety switch.

Re: Rear disc brake swap on 10 bolt rear end
 

Also, May 12th I'm supposed to start my new job, so funds for car parts will be plentyfull & I can shift this slow & painful car build into... MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE!!!!

Re: Rear disc brake swap on 10 bolt rear end
 

Will the LT1 rear disc brakes work on a 3rd gen with a stock rear end? I'm not to savvy when it comes to brake conversions so please excuse my lack of knowledge on this subject.

Re: Rear disc brake swap on 10 bolt rear end
 

Yes. 89-97 will work.

Re: Rear disc brake swap on 10 bolt rear end
 

LT1 rear disc brakes are the same as 90-92 rear disc brakes

Re: Rear disc brake swap on 10 bolt rear end
 

I'm bad at keeping this up to date, lol.

So Wednesday night I got confirmation that my rear end would be done thrusday or Friday, so Thursday after work I removed the axle & transmission.

Friday was my brothers birthday so I didn't make it to the garage, Saturday I split the transmission and did the speedometer gears, installed the 4 wheel disc proportioning valve and installed a new clutch master cylinder.

Sunday I made hard brake lines for the rear end and did some wiring that I've been putting off (clutch safety switch & reverse lights)

Monday the rear end went back into the car, put the torque arm in the mount & seated the springs.

Today is Tuesday, I tightened all the control arm bolts, connected the rear brake hydraulics, driveshaft, ect.

Went to put the ebrake cables I bought on & they don't want to fit. I bought cables for a 90-92 since I thought they were the same as the 93-97 rear brakes but the end won't slip over the arm on the caliper... Getting close tho. Ebrake or not, I'll be driving the car tonight

:driving:

Re: Rear disc brake swap on 10 bolt rear end
 

89-92.

JamesC

Re: Rear disc brake swap on 10 bolt rear end
 

89-92 for Camaro
90-92 for Firebird if I'm not mistaken.

Re: Rear disc brake swap on 10 bolt rear end
 

Any thirdgen equipped with J65 brakes, 89-92, got PBR's.

JamesC

Re: Rear disc brake swap on 10 bolt rear end
 

The firebird officially has posi-traction and four wheel disc brakes :)

The speedometer works, but is 5 mph high at 55

Re: Rear disc brake swap on 10 bolt rear end
 

Pics!

Re: Rear disc brake swap on 10 bolt rear end
 

I'll have to see what I have for pics. I tend to forget to stop & take pictures. I have a few on my phone of when the old rear and the transmission came out, but that may be it...

Re: Rear disc brake swap on 10 bolt rear end
 

No problem, I understand you very well, most of the times I'm to busy to take pictures too.

Re: Rear disc brake swap on 10 bolt rear end
 

Here's all the pics I took...

Old rear end is out (Thursday Afternoon)
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.n...31465194_n.jpg


Transmission is out (Thrusday Night)
"I can see my pressure plate from here"
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.n...25164324_n.jpg


Transmission is apart, changing speedometer gears (Saturday afternoon)
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.n...80390069_n.jpg

Drove the car to work this morning, still a little air in the brakes, but for the most part it drives well, switched cars with dad at lunch & he had the car inspected at the dealership he works at :)

Got home from work, picked up the few remaining tools scattered around the garage, then went for a ride to "test" the posi on the wet roads :driving: