My $100 dollar rear disk setup on my 65 Skylark.

My $100 dollar rear disk setup on my 65 Skylark. PICS ADDED

Hello all, I went through both pages looking for a similar thread using these parts to make a super cheap yet reliable rear disk setup that retains an e-brake and I couldn't find one. Here is a super easy solution that I did for my 65 Skylark. All your parts will be available in a junk yard and replacements at any auto store. So lets start things off with what I used.

The donor brakes came from a 2001 v6 Camaro. They can be from any Camaro/Firebird 98-02 v6 or v8. Both models have the same brakes regardless of engine. You'll need to pull the backing plates which house the e-brake hardware, calipers, rotors, and e-brake cables.
I don't have pics of the tear down of the Camaro rear end but it is super easy to breakdown.

Once you've identified your patient, make sure you have enough room to work under and around the car unless you pulled the whole rear to take home.

Jack stands in appropriate locations for stability after jacking the car up.

Remove wheels

Remove brake calipers, they are held onto the mount with 2 bolts. Can't recall the size at the moment. Want to say a 14mm. Remove the brake line from the hardline side that connects to the caliper. Put in your keep pile.

Remove rotor and set in your keep pile if reusable. Note how the inside of the rotors back side is the "drum" brake.

Now you'll have to get inside the vehicle to disconnect the brake cable from the handle. It is pretty straight forward once you remove the center console. You'll then have to pull it through to the outside of the car.

Once loose you can easily disconnect from the rear brake "hook" on the wheel cylinder.

Once you have all that out of the way your ready to break down the rear end to get those backing plates off.

You pop the cover off the diff.

Rotate the carrier till you see the retaining bolt that holds the shaft going through the spider gears.

Loosen and remove the bolt most of the way, it doesn't need to come all the way out.

Slide the shaft out of the spider gears and set it aside. Careful when rotating the carrier now as the spider gears will fall out.

After the shaft is out, you can now press the axles inward just a bit to get the c-clips out. Have a magnet handy as on mine they just fell into the housing as soon as I pressed on the axles.

Once the c-clips are out you can remove the axles.

Once the axles are out, you can undue the four bolts and nuts holding the backing plate on.

The backing plate with the drum e-brake will come off as one as it is one unit.

Done with that rear.

To Be Continued in a couple hours when I get home.......................

Part 2

With your Buick in the air safely or the rear on the ground, start by removing the wheels.

Next remove the drum "hat"

Now since my car is 65 I have the 8.2" with the bolt in axles. I have no need to open the diff cover on this rear because of the bolt in axles. Note, you do not need to disassemble the shoes and all the brake hardware behind the drum "hat". It all comes off as one. Note, my diff had been recently opened so I already drained the fluid. If yours is full best to drain it and do a diff service while your at it.

Start by removing the 4 bolts that hold the axle to the axle tubes by using a 14mm socket and a short extension on your driver. Note, you may need some PB Blaster or equal penetrating lubricant.

Once the four bolts are removed you can try to give the axle a pull, it may or may not come out easily. On mine I had to use the drum "hat" on the wheel studs backwards so I could give it a tap with the hammer. Only on one side though, the other side came out with a pull.

Once you pull the axle out, go ahead and slide the drum hardware off as a whole.

You will then take the backing plate/e-brake assembly you set aside from the donor rear end and put it on the axle of the Buick rear end. Note, replace the axle flange seal.

When you slide the axle back in, get it close to all the way on and start the bolts through the flange, gasket, and backing plate so it lines up.

After you have bolts and nuts started press or tap the axles all the way in.

Snug the bolts down so the new backing plate/ebrake is flush against the axle flange.

You will then see the snag I was talking about earlier, the e-brake lever that controls the wheel cylinder for e-brake shoe hits the shock mount. Therefore you cannot use the e-brake.

My solution here is to mark where the lever is hitting and then remove the assembly to give room to notch the shock mount. I then will box other portions of the mount to get strength back where it may have been lost.

I have not yet performed this part of the swap and will get pics as soon as I do. Once that is finished you just need to make your new brake lines to fit the calipers hoses and your ready to go. After all is torqued down that is.

If anyone has questions let me know.

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Very interesting. What kind of rear wheels are you running? I ask because many rear disc setups, like a '79 Trans Am won't work with a 15" chrome Buick wheel without modificiations.

 

Interesting- now, for the $64k question. Will the whole magilla fit under a '68 Skylark? Maybe I could upgrade the rear brakes and get a posi all in one fell swoop?!?

 

Pictures please!

 

Following with much interest.

:TU:

 

I'll get the pics up in a bit. And finish the write up. To answer a question, I think 15" will fit. I do not have a 15" to check but I know people with 98-02 fbodies that run 15" drag wheels. Only thing is a slight grinding on the caliper and your golden. Look for updates later today.

---------- Post added at 10:23 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:18 AM ----------

With slight modification 15" wheels will work. Just slight grinding of the caliper heat fins for most 15" wheels is enough from what i've seen.

Fit? Maybe, but it would take some fabbing as the shock mounts are different, LCA's are spaced different, Spring perches probably spaced different and it is a tq arm style so there are no upper control arm brackets. More trouble than it's worth since the rear is especially weak being only a 7.5 in diff.

Pics coming soon. I have some completed ones, but nothing of the teardown. I'll try to get some later.

 

Pics are up..

 

Did you consider swapping sides so the calipers face the front of the car? Maybe this would solve the parking brake location problem?

 

I tried but then the lever wouldn't hook to the cable correctly to engage the parking brake. I would have to figure out a new way to run the cable to the backside of the rear end. I feel comfortable cutting and rewelding the brace there.

 

this isnt new..its been around since 99...and 15 inch wheels will never fit..no matter what ya grind..ive done this swp at least 15 times..

 

Maybe not but I didn't see it posted. I'm sure there ARE people who haven't seen it yet. Yes 15" drag wheels will fit with grinding. Stock Buick wheels I don't know.

 

I took mine off a Olds Bravada and from the looks of it the parking brake set up will work with the Buick cable. I hope so!

 

Reviving an older thread as I am strongly considering this conversion. My apologies in advance as I tend to "over think" things.

I found a posting on another board that shows the parts pulled from a donor car (see attached). I also posted a picture of the area on the "caliper mounting bracket" I am concerned with (also attached - see red arrows). So it seems obvious that as a part of this conversion the axle and original drum backing plate come off, and the drum plate is replaced with the caliper mounting bracket when the axle is put back in.



My question/concern is the thickness of the "new" caliper mounting bracket (between the red arrows in the picture) as compared to the thickness of the original backing plate. In the stock configuration, the bearing is "sandwiched" between the axle housing and the axle retaining plate and the outer casing of the bearing does not spin. If the casing were to spin, I would think that would cause excess heat and possibly premature failure. If the additional thickness of the caliper mounting bracket pushes the axle bearing out, possibly allowing it to spin freely, should something like a washer be inserted to stop it?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts,

 

OH so many places to go with this comment, but if you are looking for affirmation Joe you've got it! :laugh:

Scott

 

Anybody? o No:

 

I took an extra set of backing plates and cut them out the same as the end of the axle and used them for bearing retainers. I then cut off one corner of my bracket (made it a "c") so it would fit over the axle and I dont have to pull the axle and bearings to remove the caliper bracket. The axle doesnt know the backing plate was cut as it is in the same spot holding the bearing in. I have looked at many brackets that have only three bolts holding them on. The only thing now I have to do is mill off 1/4" of the pad where the caliper mounts so it will let the rotor sit center of the caliper. I am still in the hope it works state right now.i also have a different mounting plate as mine is off a 94 camaro. Ill try and get pictures.

 

Thanks for the response Richie.

It looks like you and I are on the same path. Maybe you read the article in Car Craft too? My donor was a '96 Camaro.
Here is what I have so far:



I mounted the caliper forward facing (opposite side from the Camaro) since I didn't think the shock would clear if the caliper was rear facing. I don't see how to get the parking system to work this way, so I was thinking I would have to eliminate it.

The reason the '98-'02 conversion interested me is the much cleaner parking brake setup, and that it can be functional. The newer calipers also don't have that crazy vibration dampener.

 

Ill pm you my # and we can converse. If you look at Lowflylark's build of his 64, he uses the same setup but went with some shim he made and didnt cut the bracket. i do not see where it would be a problem cutting it like we did.I just have to cut some off the caliper pad or shim out the rotor to center the rotor in the caliper. here's a link to Brians build,about 3/4 the way down the page.. http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?213961-1964-Buick-Skylark-Convertible-mild-custom-project

 

I haven't checked this thread in a while. While I haven't bolted my axles down and spun it around yet I cannot yet tell you how the bearing will be affected if at all. During mock up though it did not look any different than before. I'll have to take some measurements with the drum plate and the disk plate. My rotors were centered with the pads during mock up if that's anything. To have the Ebrake work I am notching the shock mount on the axle tube. If you were to swap sides then in would maybe work, but you would then have to run a cable behind the axle tube and up over it since the lever would now be facing the other side.

 

Joe, what rear are you using..year and type? the 96 camaro type brakes has interference on buick style rears with bolt in axles..it changes the spacing and one pad drags, and if you over tighten it, the bearing retainer is loaded with pressure, and causes bearing failure

on chevy tyoe rears that have c clips, it isnt an issue..the 98 camaros stuff is no issue either...i have a rear,i'll take a pic...