[PMI]

Has anyone fitted the larger 1997/98 rear brakes on a '96 or earlier?

About 3/4 of my rear brakes are shot (need both rotors, one caliper, handbrake shoes are separating, expanders rusted, one cable is sticking etc...) Doing all that work, I might as well upgrade to the bigger brakes if they will bolt on (planning to keep the hubs). The parts are pretty cheap, and either way I will spend over a day putting them on...

I have never been happy with the rear brakes, and doing all this work to end up with the same thing seems like a waste. Any references, previous threads, or comments are welcome.

 

[Marks900SE]

Is that the only difference between 96 and later brakes? Or are the fronts different also?

 

[PMI]

Is that the only difference between 96 and later brakes? Or are the fronts different also?

Yes but not as much, and they are not the issue, lots of braking power there. It's the rears that were too small.

 

[ragtopcav]

I didn't realise the later brakes were significantly bigger on the rears, the later ones do have the same 2 piston calliper do they not? if this is the case and the rotor is bigger then then calliper carrier will need to be changed too.

 

[PMI]

I didn't realise the later brakes were significantly bigger on the rears, the later ones do have the same 2 piston calliper do they not? if this is the case and the rotor is bigger then then calliper carrier will need to be changed too.

The rear brakes from '97 on have larger diameter rotors and pads, and different calipers. The caliper design is the same. The caliper is fixed, dual 35 mm piston.

Since the caliper sits about 1/2 inch further out from the center of the wheel, the mounting plate, which also houses the parking brake and covers the back side of the rotor, is also larger diameter. If it all just bolts on, it's an obvious upgrade.

I don't see a separate "carrier" or any kind of mounting bracket, but I did not take the mounting plate off the car, normally you don't have to do that to work on the brakes. To get the plate off, the hub and wheel sensor have to come off, so do the brake hard lines. that's a lot of wrenching w/o a lift and power tools just for a look.

The fronts are also bigger. The rotor is a bit wider (by 4 mm), but it is also thicker. Caliper design is the same again, single-piston caliper with two slide pins. Pads and caliper pistons are bigger (57 mm piston compared to 54 on the old brake)

I was hoping to find someone who did it already.