I just purchased an 88 BW 9 bolt with disc brakes and I wanted to know if the '89 PBR setup will bolt on in place of the current iron caliper setup with little to no modification. If so can anyone provide me with part numbers?

 

They'll bolt-up with no fab work but you'll have to swap backing plates.... this means removing the axles. Its not hard but tends to scare people. I did the exact opposite I bought a Dana 44 rear that thats setup to use 89-up brakes but couldnt afford/find the actual brakes so I swapped the backing plates to use my 88' style brakes.

EDIT: If you have a 88 9-bolt but want to throw on 89 brakes from a 10-bolt you'll have to drill new holes in the backing plates. But if you're buying all the parts new you should be able to find a PBR setup for a 9-bolt.

 

Not to start a war here, but NO they don't "bolt up". The iron calipers will not work with the '89 PBR backing plates. (9 bolts only came with the PBRs in the '89 year.)

As 88TPI stated, you'd have to get the correct backing plates, but you also need the correct rear rotors and obviously the new style calipers. The rotors don't interchange. You'd need new e-brake cables and the hard and soft brake lines as they too are different...

SO, here's your shopping list:

backing plates (I have those)
calipers
caliper carriers
rotors
e-brake cables
hard axle brake lines
soft brake lines


PM me for more info.

Ed

 

I was aware of the backing plates,calipers and rotors being different,I just wanted to make sure that I wouldn't have to do any custom fab work. I was also planning to use SS brake lines as well but I was not aware that I'd have to change the hard lines on the axle nor the caliper carriers. The calipers and rotors can be sourced from NAPA,etc. but what about the plates and carriers?

 

You can reuse the 88 brake hard brake lines, it is just the soft brake hoses that you need to replace. Everything else is correct.

Having just put a set of 89 calipers on my 4th gen rear but having used the original hard brake lines off the old rear (The only part I could reuse) I can certainly testify.

 

Well, doesn't all that "stuff just bolt up"?

 

But the '88s have a leading and trailing caliper design and the '89s have both calipers trailing. It was my understanding that this made a diference but I may have been mistaken.



Ha! Yep, sure does.


Ed

 

'Goose, the caliper carriers "may" come with the calipers if you buy them from Napa but I don't know. If not I'd look into Ebay, that's where I got my last set of PBRs. I have those backing plates available if you need them. Contact me off board.

But there's no "custom" work involved, just nuts and bolts.


Ed

 

Well I just got lucky! My local Pontiac dealer has a pair of the PBR caliper cradles! They're on hold waiting for me to pick them up in the morning. Everything else from NAPA and all I need are the backing plates!

 

Sent you a PM..

You're in Monroe, huh? I'm pretty close over in Fort Mill.


Ed

 

Actually we've met before. My son and I came to your house one Sunday to pick up a pair of black armrests and a set of black seatbelts. It would be no problem repeating the process for the plates. I sent you an email about picking them up also.

 

That's an easy fix by slightly bending the 88 hard lines. I stress SLIGHTLY and EASILY so you do not brake the lines. The copper lines are not that hard to bend and they match up with a few inches difference. We aren't talking a total reroute bend, but along the lines of a angle of difference in the neighborhood of 5 degrees. I think our total bend was barely even noticable, though our routing of the soft hoses wasn't quite as easy.

One more time, be easy on the lines so you do not brake them. Also make 100 percent sure they do not rub against anything once on the car.

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for leaking lines if you bend the lines too much or too hard.

Us poorer budget minded people save every penny, especially when pbrs are only a way point to the holy grail of 13" rotors.

 

Copper?

 

Sorry, Im not sure they are copper anymore. Hard Brake lines use to be not that long ago. Hard metal alloy?
lol

 

Oh, sorry there Mike. I forget things. I replied to ya.


Ed

 

Picture of 1989 9-bolt rear PBR brakes with thr trailing caliper & 11.655 rotors.