Right Stuff Rear Disc Brakes & Buick Wheels

Discussion in 'The whoa and the sway.' started by knucklebusted, Dec 24, 2010.

  1. TheSilverBuick

    TheSilverBuick In the Middle of No Where

    I'll probably break the rear axles or come across a smokin deal on 15x8's before I think about swapping rotors. But thanks for offering.
     
  2. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    OK, I looked at your other thread. You cheated and used the 5x5 wheels. All bets are off! HAHA!

    Looking at your caliper, it appears safe to wail on the pin bosses as there is a lot of metal there in any case.

    I like your megasquirt. How difficult was that to hook up? Did you have a thread on that?
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2011
  3. TheSilverBuick

    TheSilverBuick In the Middle of No Where

    [hi-jack]

    I thought it was easy, but I don't fear wires. It adds something like 20 wires which I put into a separate harness. DIYAutotune.com has a universal wiring harness that has labels on the wires (such as TPS, CLT, IAC, etc), then the relay board they have and cable to the Megasquirt unit. Very simple.

    All the wires are contained into those two harness going out the back of the intake. They go right to the relay board on the firewall. The fuel plumbing is tougher, IMO, but not too difficult.
    [​IMG][​IMG]

    If you have other questions, you can probably ask on my project thread, so as not to hi-jack your's too much.
    http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=208168

    [/hi-jack]
     
  4. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    Well, it has been several months and I've got the rear swapped, the brakes bleed and it all seems to be working well.

    What worked in this case:

    The TSM rotors turned down to 11.00" and a 3mm spacer per side cleared the factory non-WG wheels.

    I used Corvette lug bolts to give me a safety margin on the thicker rotors and spacer.

    I would suggest not welding the flex line axle tabs until the rear is under the car. Mine are hitting my 3" exhaust pipes on bumps. I'll be cutting them off and repositioning shortly.

    I swapped the master cylinder for a RightStuff disc/disc unit, replaced the front master line with the hold-off valve with a straight line, retained the 70 distribution block and my 70 has no residual pressure valve in the rear.

    Full, hard panic stops result in the slightest tire/road scrubbing sound but it is so light I'm going to have to get someone to watch as I drive by to see if it is front or rear. It feels like it stops very hard but that's subjective.

    Another member here that is local to me is going to let me try his 15x8 wheels for fit to see if they will clear the wheel wells and let me ditch the spacers!

    Pictures once I get it all cleaned up and the final touches done.

    I'm no expert but I'll answer any questions anyone might have that is contemplating this, such as would I go this route again? Yes, but I'd know a 15x7 non-WG was going to be a problem from the beginning.
     
  5. Freakazoid

    Freakazoid Gold Level Contributor

    Had the same problem, First time I installed the kit with remanufactured calipers there was no rubbing. While doing the frame off I installed new calipers. Then mine rubbed in the same place as yours. Except it also had drag marks along the top outer edge of the caliper. same contact point on the rim as yours. So I cut .008 off the outside of each rotors and little as possible off the inside with the brake lathe. Rotors were warped any way after 3 years of driving. Also took a bit off the outer pad surface, not much, with sand paper on a flat surface, about 1/32" to 1/16". This moved the caliper in away from the rim. I dont understand why it did not rub with the reman calipers. Casting variation ?
     
  6. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    Where they the exact same type of calipers? I suspect manufacturing variances, such as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc castings either grow or shrink due to sand loss in the cast.

    What rotors did you use that did work? I had the 79 Trans Am but they hats are too short, at least for this application.
     
  7. Nothingface5384

    Nothingface5384 Detail To Oil - Car Care

    still amazes me my lil 14x6s and 15x 18s cleared, I'll get pics this weekend if you still want them
    i'll take a closer look at both sets of rims to see if there was any scuffing lines like youres have.
    opnly thing i know thats different from my car is I have 30 spline moser axles...they had it with the chevy diamneter flange../..so had to get a shop to lath the axle flanges so the rotors would fit on the axle
     
  8. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    Yes, I'd love to see some pics and/or have some measurements. It has to be the calipers are more compact or the rotors have a much deeper hat height. I almost too a pair of front rotors and had them milled down because I know they clear a 15" Buick wheel and they already have the proper pattern.
     
  9. Freakazoid

    Freakazoid Gold Level Contributor

    TSM kit, George said their explorer rotors I think. with the Cadillac caliper.
     

    Attached Files:

  10. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    Did you hang a Buick chrome wheel on it yet?
     
  11. Freakazoid

    Freakazoid Gold Level Contributor

    Yes. Same wheels that came off before the frame off resto. 15 x 8. I see we dont have the same kit but I had the same problem.
    Did you actuate the park brake lever to adjust the brakes. that also moves the caliper in away from the wheel.

    Check out post #12. Actually read the entire thread. Some good stuff.
    http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=221636
     
  12. Stampy

    Stampy Well-Known Member

    So I battled all day today with my Right Stuff rear discs. Mine are rubbing pretty seriously at the little ears, and in a weird spot in the middle of the body of the caliper. Took a lot of material off with the grinder, but I am still having issues. I am close though, close enough that I bet I can get the clearance I need by elongating the bracket holes and dropping the caliper a little closer to the rotor. I will try to post pictures of my success/failure.
     
  13. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    I was reluctant to grind too much on the caliper so I bought some TSM rotors because they have a deeper hat height. I also elongated the holes and had the rotors turned down to 11" so I could drop the caliper even more. In the end I also put a 3mm spacer in between the rotor and wheel to get the safety margin I felt I needed.
     
  14. Stampy

    Stampy Well-Known Member

    I am leaning towards the spacer now too. Wishing I had gone a different route. Has anyone talked to The Right Stuff about this?
     
  15. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    I did. Their out is 'most 15" wheels' in the description. Another thing you will find with the RS kit, you can't bleed the calipers mounted. You must remove the bolts, tip them up until the bleed screw is horizontal and then bleed them. I don't know why they didn't make the brackets work with the calipers in the proper position or source a caliper that has a higher mounted bleed screw? Maybe the shock is in the way.

    Personally, I'd have rather had the drum-in-hat parking brake but these were so much cheaper that I figured I'd give them a shot. Once setup, they do work very well.
     
  16. Freakazoid

    Freakazoid Gold Level Contributor

    I think the caliper has to mount there for the Original park brake cablr too reach ?
    I dont see the wheel rub as too big a set back unless it locks up the wheel bad with the lugs torqued to specs.. {1} If you have too, grind the caliper in the area where it hits. George posted a photo above I think.{2} Turn the rotor, More on the outer side to move the caliper in. {3}Or remove some material off the outer Pad to move the caliper in. {4} Do all the above.
    JUST AN IDEA...
     
  17. Nothingface5384

    Nothingface5384 Detail To Oil - Car Care

    forgot to take pics for the 14x6? black steel rims i have has no marking of interference with anything from the rear disc conversion and neither does my 15x8 forged al crager ss rims

    Mike
     
  18. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    I'm very interested in what it takes to make it work as I had all sorts of challenges with 15" wheels.
     

Share This Page