which is it? im leaning toward something like the grand am or beretta swap..which years are most compatible w/ an 85? which set has more braking power while supporting either the stock 2.8 or a 3.4 pr? sorry for so many ?s, but im very interested and very ansy (sp?) to get rid of the factory brakes..
oh, almost forgot..1 more question..is it possible or has anyone done a brake swap using 92 Z28 rotors? because i can get a front set for free..
I did the beretta swap to the rear on my car to get rid of the annoying e-brake setup with the fiero. It already brakes a little better. I plan on finishing the swap in the front this summer. I would say it's probably your best bet for budget. I would go with the front beretta calipers and rotors in front and rear, and a blazer master cylinder. In order to do the swap in the front, you need to either lathe down your front rotors so that you're left with just the hub (not sure on the size...just needs to be a tight fit with the beretta rotors). If you don't wanna do this, west coast fiero sells new front hubs that you can use. If you want to keep an e-brake, go with the lebaron setup.
calipers for the beretta swap are less that $20 a piece, haven't priced the rotors yet, and brake pads were like $20 for a set.
If you don't plan on hard core racing with high hp, the beretta swap will be plenty good enough.
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01:02 AM
Neolithic Shadow Member
Posts: 354 From: Tucson, Az, USA Registered: Mar 2008
I've read that the full size Blazer MC produced a higher but much stiffer pedal so I used the '93 two wheel drive S10 Blazer MC with my Grand Am upgrade. Also used stainless steel brake lines from the Fiero Store. The pedal is near stock height and feel. Stops great.
I also bought the West Coast Fiero front hubs. They worked but had different wheel studs installed. I wanted longer studs to give more area for the lug nuts to grab onto so I bought the long ones listed for the Fiero. Turns out the WCF studs have a larger diameter than the stock Fiero ones so the longer replacements did not work. After searching the parts catalog I found a suitable replacement that is both bigger and longer. (searching for part number..)
Picture is left to right, long Fiero replacement, WCF stud as shipped, new bigger/longer stud.
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09:57 AM
Neolithic Shadow Member
Posts: 354 From: Tucson, Az, USA Registered: Mar 2008
cool idea Hudini. but would the bigger MC form WCF work with the beretta swap, or was the blazer MC just cheaper? and i can see how those longer studs would come in handy
The S10 Blazer MC is not bigger, that's why the pedal feel is similar to the Fiero. It's just properly matched with the Beretta calipers to produce the desired effect and it fits the Fiero without modification. No downside that I've encountered.
EDIT: Still have not found the part number. I know I posted this somewhere in the past, just got to find it. Also, if you look closely at the bigger/longer stud I used, it has a longer shoulder area where the stud goes through the hub. This shoulder will protrude though the Beretta rotor which means it centers the rotor on the hub. So even though the hub is machined slightly smaller than the rotor and has some play, with these studs the play is gone.
[This message has been edited by Hudini (edited 04-15-2008).]
I put the Grand Am setup on the rear of my car, big improvement, but the old ones probably weren't working properly. If I had a manual trans, I'd look at one of the options that allows you to keep an e-brake, I think a few people were working on that? The Grand Am setup is probably the cheapest upgrade.
The Grand Am/Beretta upgrade is the cheapest. If you want the ebrake, you send a PM to DPWood and get the conversion brackets, and then order the Caddy Seville rear calipers from Rock Auto. I wee bit more expensive than the Grand Am calipers, but it makes a perfectly balanced and fully functional rear set.
Arn
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08:59 PM
Apr 16th, 2008
Neolithic Shadow Member
Posts: 354 From: Tucson, Az, USA Registered: Mar 2008
Arns85GT, so i can get the caddy seville calipers and they'll fit on the beretta rotors fine, or the grand am or both? but wow you guys are a lot of help, THANKS!!
1990 beretta calipers are bolt ons too. If you get at Advanced Auto you don't need loaded, you just need to buy pads...the unloaded calipers come with bushings, and bolts. Auto Zone is kinda a rip off. For the same price you don't get bushings or anything. I think the calipers were $18 a piece at Advanced Auto.
Parts number at Advanced Auto for remanufactured calipers are Left:184684 Right:184685
They come with all mounting hardware for $17.98 a piece. Advanced also has loaded for $53.48 a piece.
One problem with them though...online they say $50 core a piece...They were like $20 a piece when I got them?!? Something you should ask when you call.
[This message has been edited by 85fiero_fanat (edited 04-16-2008).]
The real issue is not the front Grand Am calipers, which are cheap enough in most places and work front and back. The larger issue is the Caddy calipers if you want to retain an ebrake. Alot of the supply houses charge way too much for the Caddy calipers. Rock Auto charges less than half of what the supply places in Canada charge. FYI
The real issue is not the front Grand Am calipers, which are cheap enough in most places and work front and back. The larger issue is the Caddy calipers if you want to retain an ebrake. Alot of the supply houses charge way too much for the Caddy calipers. Rock Auto charges less than half of what the supply places in Canada charge. FYI
Arn
What year Caddy calipers work? Thanks! Brit
------------------ What really matters is the size of your Flux Capacitor...
As I recall it is 84 to 87 model years for Seville, El Dorado, Toronado, and one other
If am hearing everyone right, I can do the following. Put GA Calipers in the front, Caddy 84-87 in rear and GA discs all around? Also, do I need to mod the E Cables in the new set up? Thanks! Brit
------------------ What really matters is the size of your Flux Capacitor...
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04:57 PM
Neolithic Shadow Member
Posts: 354 From: Tucson, Az, USA Registered: Mar 2008
Actually the ebrake cables work, but, I found the left hand rear cable was a bit short. The Pontiac 6000 left rear cable does the job and they are cheap enough.
Do the GA rotors have to be machined or will they fit as is? How difficult is this? Thanks! Brit
The GA rotors don't have to be machined. The Fiero front hub does, to take off the brake part, so it's just a hub to slip the GA rotor over. You can get a kit with every thing you need to convert the front brakes from the Fiero Store. The kit contains modified Fiero front hubs, GA rotors, GA calipers, pads, new front bearings and grease seals. It's the easiest way to do the mod.
