Hey guys, I need help sourcing 1988 brake calipers, I tried the fiero store, they don't have any in stock and I can't find any anywhere! I would like a new/rebuilt pair. Any ideas??
I would do it, but it looks like you have to send in yours to buy those, I don't want to send mine anywhere, I just want some remanufactured ones that I can buy, I don't care about an extra core charge.
I would do it, but it looks like you have to send in yours to buy those, I don't want to send mine anywhere, I just want some remanufactured ones that I can buy, I don't care about an extra core charge.
They're just covering their bases; so many people aren't sending in their cores for the Fiero calipers to be rebuilt that eventually they won't be able to sell them, due to no product.
This is the first I've heard about preemptive cores - but, I can't say I blame them.
They're just covering their bases; so many people aren't sending in their cores for the Fiero calipers to be rebuilt that eventually they won't be able to sell them, due to no product.
This is the first I've heard about preemptive cores - but, I can't say I blame them.
I totally agree and understand, but Its my only car, and can't have it down for awhile. It's what I get for dailying a fiero I guess lol. But still haven't found any! I can't even find cores to send somewhere, it's absurd.
Originally posted by Benn2002: I totally agree and understand, but Its my only car, and can't have it down for awhile. It's what I get for dailying a fiero I guess lol. But still haven't found any! I can't even find cores to send somewhere, it's absurd.
If you need to have a rear caliper off for a while, you can swap one of the more common 88 front calipers to the rear. Bolts right on, same piston diameter (no bias issues) and it will work just like stock, but you won't have the parking brake (which might not be working anyway). Quite a few people run 88 front calipers on all 4 corners.
Any possibility for upgrading our way out of this situation? I don't mind buying a set here in 2023, but if it's this hard now, imagine in 2028. I'm sure the person who originally designed the equipment was clever, but surely someone with a modern education could come up with a bracket that lets us use some ubiquitous caliper and maintain parking brake functionality?
Any possibility for upgrading our way out of this situation? I don't mind buying a set here in 2023, but if it's this hard now, imagine in 2028. I'm sure the person who originally designed the equipment was clever, but surely someone with a modern education could come up with a bracket that lets us use some ubiquitous caliper and maintain parking brake functionality?
The fundamental issue is that the Fiero brake system was designed completely different than every other car on the road, including their rear brake caliper size. The Fiero started life as a parts bin car with a Chevette front suspension in the front and a Citation front suspension moved to the rear (without rotating it 180 degrees). The calipers they chose to use at the very start were essentially the same size front/rear as they were both based on front calipers. When the 88s came along, they kept the caliper pistons the same front and rear and that is what makes the Fiero brakes different than all other cars.
Most cars run a larger piston area caliper in the front than the rear to get a gross bias adjustment. This means that nearly all rear calipers from other makes/models have a smaller piston area than the stock 88 Fiero rear caliper (48mm). You can find oodles of alternative rear calipers with parking brakes around the 38mm size, but that would cause a rear brake reduction of over 30% and no one who understands brake systems would want that.
The universe of rear brake calipers that have 48 mm pistons (or slightly larger) is very, very small. Of that group the ones with a compatible parking brake setup is infinitesimal.
I have a huge database of rotor and calipers from all makes/models and have spent hundreds of hours looking for the unicorn and haven't found something I would be happy with yet. Every couple of years I go down the rabbit hole and add more rotors and calipers to my database as new models come out every year. Maybe someday the right caliper will be made...
Until then, every 88 Fiero enthusiast should have a spare set (or two) of calipers on the shelf for future maintenance needs.
Originally posted by fieroguru: The universe of rear brake calipers that have 48 mm pistons (or slightly larger) is very, very small. Of that group the ones with a compatible parking brake setup is infinitesimal.
I have a huge database of rotor and calipers from all makes/models and have spent hundreds of hours looking for the unicorn and haven't found something I would be happy with yet. Every couple of years I go down the rabbit hole and add more rotors and calipers to my database as new models come out every year. Maybe someday the right caliper will be made...
