How To: Camaro Rear Disc Brake Swap to G-body Axle

[ssn696]

Problem #1 solved. It turns out that the Camaro hard lines have an inboard fitting that matches the G body hose end block thread (although a metric tubing wrench fits the hex flats better than an SAE wrench). After about two hours, I have rebent and tweaked the Camaro hard lines to fit the G-body axle. Now I just need to weld on two line clamps and two hose tabs. Done.

The two shiny spots are where I drilled and ground off the OEM line clamps.

 

[ssn696]

Problem #3 resolution: make adapters for the hooks on the parking brake arms. Turns out the aftermarket e-brake cables have an end that is too small for the 'hook'. But, if I make an adapter out of 1/8 plate, I can still use my $10 bargain cables plus resolve the 180-degree installation problem.
Nest issue to solve - designing a bracket to hold the cable. Solution: the sway bar bolts on the lower control arms offer a place to put a bracket that keep the cable away from the tire. One bolt is 4" and the other 9-1/2" - I can make a bracket that fits between them and weld a 90-degree tab where it lines up best with the cable.

In the sketch, the adapter is designed from the larger OEM cable end. The smaller one to the left is the aftermarket end.

 

[ssn696]

Problem #5: I forgot that the rotor is thicker than the drum at the hub. I need another 1/4" of lug stud to restore the proper thread engagement.

LSCustom's video even pointed this out. Details....

 

[Flyers9928]

mmmmm nuggets! Now I'm hungry !!! Great thread btw.

 

[axisg]

good write up. FWIW the brake upgrade saved my *ss yesterday. In pretty heavy traffic I was doing appx 80kph / 50 mph ( which is the speed limit for that area ) heading west. Light turned yellow and and I goosed it a little just to get thru the intersection safely before the red light. Suddenly the dumptruck I had just seen approaching from my right ( heading south ) rolled thru his red light and turned right into my lane. Realizing his error he hammered the brakes and stopped the dumptruck but was still in my lane. I had a straight truck to my left and a dumptruck dead ahead leaving me nowhere to go. I laid into the brakes hard and stopped with only about 4 feet to spare. If it was still the stock brakes I would have slid right into the front wheel of his truck. It was just so quick and such a simple mistake. I spilled my water on my pants and my phone went flying. Def had a few choice words but it made me thankful ! Same damn intersection where I got tboned a few years back in the workvan too !

 

[ssn696]

Glad you (and your ride) survived unscathed. Good to know that this silly struggle to figure out how to do this with no instructions may be worth it. You're driving this rig now - how did you deal with the PB cables? Pictures?

 

[liquidh8]

I still have to fabricate a bracket for the ebrake cable myself, I'll tackle that in June when the car is painted.

 

[ssn696]

With luck, I'll have something for you to follow. Will you keep the pedal or go with a handbrake?

 

[liquidh8]

I am still using the pedal. I need the real estate in the console (whatever one I use) for other things.

 

[axisg]

Glad you (and your ride) survived unscathed. Good to know that this silly struggle to figure out how to do this with no instructions may be worth it. You're driving this rig now - how did you deal with the PB cables? Pictures?

Honestly because my car is auto I don't have the PB hooked up. I also clocked the backing plates so my calipers face forward for a little extra clearance and so I wouldn't have to relocate the shocks. IIRC that means my PB lines would have to pull from the back of the car and over the axle.
However we have used the writeup below to set up the brakes on 2 other friends Gbody cars as they both run stick. Its pretty easy and only requires some flat bar. We did a little more cut and weld just because we had the tools and to beef up the bracket a little but more or less followed the writeup and they work good. Its been many years but IIRC we used the stock gbody PB lines on one car and Wbody ( impala ) lines on the other one from the joint just under the drivers seat because it already had the clip on the end to hook right up to the lever.

http://www.elcaminocentral.com/showthread.php?t=58834