Fiero Store 84-87 Brake kit (Page 1/2)
Ernie86GT JUL 29, 12:30 AM
Has anyone installed the Fiero Store 84-87 Brake kit?
I have an 86 GT with an archie v8 kit, I really think I need more than stock brakes, and I am thinking of buying it.
lou_dias JUL 29, 10:05 AM
Brakes don't care how big your engine is.
The only time you need bigger brakes is if you increase the rotating mass of your wheel-tire combination.
theogre JUL 29, 10:26 AM
Is a "ripoff" ½ ass, and ½ copy, of a Bogus "Brake upgrade" covered in my Cave, Brake Upgrade
Is Not a "bolt-on" kit no matter how TFS claims. Many problems but some problems change on just how you install this "upgrade."

IF Car is Stick Trans then very likely Not needed a brake upgrade to drive on the street normally but Fixing OE w/ Premium Pads From AZ Wagner etc and "Pro Grade" hoses. Raybestos PG Plus and others use newer SAE J1401 hose but Other still have "cheap" old rubber that weaker. See http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/129208.html
IF Car is Auto Trans then can be bigger problems and fixing OE Brake system may not be enough because V8 w/ Auto In Drive may over power the rear brakes even at idle. AT in Drive Does Not Unload the axles at any time and sometimes the rear wheels will try to spin when stopped, worse w/ wet or icy roads.

So You may need brake upgrades but Most "upgrades" with parts from other cars have similar problems and many have no P'brake function which is illegal in many places.
If you wreck w/ crap brakes more so w/ crap brake "upgrades," cops/DA could be the least of your headaches... Can find other problems like getting sued in civil court, void Car Insurance policy, etc, w/ crap brake "upgrades."

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave

theogre JUL 29, 10:57 AM

quote
Originally posted by lou_dias:
Brakes don't care how big your engine is.
The only time you need bigger brakes is if you increase the rotating mass of your wheel-tire combination.

Nope.
Besides Stick vs AT above...
When you increase Total Mass of a car the brake distance will increase too.
Worse go over GVWR for a vehicle the Brakes, Suspension, and other parts will have problems to the point any part can fail w/ little or no warning.
If you drive like an ID10t and speed, aggressive driving, etc, then even the best "brake upgrade" from Willwood and other real experts won't help. Between that and outright Insurance Fraud is why Many have Dash Cams now as the price of them have dropped a lot in past year or 3. (You can even get GPS and other features built into them < $100.)

V8 and just the driver might put the car over GVRW all the time. Put 2 adults and stuff in the trunk etc even more so. That can cause same legal issues w/o crap brake "upgrades" because your car is Overweight/Overloaded. GVWR is Max Legal Weight for the vehicle and whatever in it and no aftermarket "upgrades" will charge this labeled in the vehicle and publish by GM and all car makers for cops, car insurance co's and others to use. Cops don't make you drive a car thru a Weight Station but can still ticket an overweight car or have bigger problems after a wreck.

[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 07-29-2019).]

lou_dias JUL 29, 03:07 PM
you increase the total mass of the car when you ride with a passenger...I have yet to see a V8 swap add up to more mass than a passenger...
trust me when I say adding 5 lbs to each wheel will hurt your braking more than always having a ride-along...which is usually what happens when people "upgrade" to 17 or 18 inch wheels...

adding weight to your rear wheels also decreases your acceleration but that's another topic for another thread...so I digress...

[This message has been edited by lou_dias (edited 07-29-2019).]

Ernie86GT JUL 29, 04:38 PM
Thanks Mr. Ogre, that was very informative. I will look into better brake pads.
Blacktree JUL 31, 01:05 PM
I'm going to disagree with the Ogre. IMO, the solid rotors on the front '84-87 brakes are a joke. Putting better pads on the stock '84-87 brakes will only cause the puny little rotors to overheat faster. Those rotors are already notorious for warping. Overheating them will only make the warping worse. Part of this is because the front rotors are actually THINNER than the rear rotors, which IMO is absolutely stupid. And of course, the fact that they aren't vented.

That said, swapping in a good alternative can be tricky. I tried the Grand Am setup (which is what the Fiero Store sells). And it leads you down a rabbit hole of brake mods. Because if you just install the front brake upgrade, then the brake bias will be too front-heavy. So then you have to upgrade the rear brakes. Depending on where you live, that may require finding calipers that retain parking brake functionality, which can be a hassle. After you do all that, you may find that the master cylinder is the wrong size, or the brake booster needs to be beefier. And round and round we go...

IMO, the best brake upgrade for the '84-87 Fiero is one that uses the '88 Fiero master cylinder and calipers (front and rear), with vented rotors. I'm not sure if any vendors still sell such a kit. Maybe someone knows?
Ernie86GT JUL 31, 09:25 PM
Can a 88 Fiero brake system as a whole be installed in my 86? I assume it won't just bolt up. But if the entire 88 system could be transplanted, it would solve all of the problems in one felled swoop.
lou_dias AUG 01, 11:05 AM
The 82 Corvette brake master cylinder is a huge upgrade.
Also, the Fiero store sells a 4 disk cross-drilled brake kit.
You could also always add something to adjust brake bias. Personally I feel the Fiero is overly biased in the front as it is.
olejoedad AUG 01, 02:01 PM
Grand Am vented rotors and calipers all around with the proper larger bore M/C is documented to have 50% more clamping force than the stock system.

Other than changing the front hubs, studs and trimming a bit from the front knuckle it is a bolt on upgrade.

Ogre points out the legal aspects that should be taken into account when deciding how to modify your automobile.