Rear Drum Brakes to Disc Brakes

[Goodfellow]

Is it possible to convert the rear drum brakes to disc on a 97 Bonneville SSEi. Had a hard time finding it on the forum, may be because it cant be done; just a stab in the dark.

[MattStrike]

Possible? Yes, but there aren't any 'bolt on' existing parts unless you can find a Pontiac 6000 STE, which still is not 100% bolt on.

But you need a few custom parts; and nobody here has done this yet. There is also some work that needs to be done to select the correct size rotor and pads/calipers to match the weight of the vehicle. And to select the correct proportioning valves.

I was looking at using the calipers, pads and discs from a '00+ with a custom adapter plate. But the adapter plate pushes the wheel further out, and may cause clearance issues in the wheel well, and It's not very high on my list of things to do.

[00Beast]

It has not been done yet. Not really worth it for ~20% of your braking. Make sure the drums are in good condition and properly adjusted, and work on the front brakes.

[Goodfellow]

what do you mean adjusted. Did the rear brakes on my car last year and didnt do any adjustment to the drum. What do you mean adjustment to the drum?

Are we talking about the distance between the drum and the shoes?

[00Beast]

Adjusting the shoes for the proper amount of drag, and to make sure when you push the pedal they actually cause braking effort. The star wheel on the bottom is responsible for that.

[Goodfellow]

ya did that, so i am good. got me worried there

[00Beast]

The brakes also are supposed to self-adjust when you apply the parking brake or step on the brakes in reverse, provided the adjusters move freely and aren't rusted up, like many are now...

[MattStrike]

The brakes also are supposed to self-adjust when you apply the parking brake or step on the brakes in reverse, provided the adjusters move freely and aren't rusted up, like many are now...

This.

The '92+ auto-adjusters are also a better design than the '86-'91 were and don't suffer from a certain mechanical wear out..

[jfields86]

http://www.avsontheweb.com/little-shop- ... rsion-kit/ check it out.

[RJolly87]

http://www.avsontheweb.com/little-shop-of-horrors-88-00-gm-fullsize-rear-disc-brake-conversion-kit/ check it out.

1st off, that kit is not compatible with this application (so much so that I suspect this may be spam)
2nd off, it's considered poor forum etiquette to scare up a post from a thread that is 4 years dead.

[MattStrike]

Even worse yet, I've managed to put together a bolt on rear disc brake setup for less than half that now.

[95naSTA]

Matt, how did you end up dialing in the rear bias?

[jfields86]

Why would it not work? Is a 97 bonneville not an 88-00gm fullsize? Just trying to be helpful..

[RJolly87]

Why would it not work? Is a 97 bonneville not an 88-00gm fullsize? Just trying to be helpful..

Full size car, yes.

But when you scroll down to the details, you are met with this:

Fits the following:

88-99 Chevrolet C1500 Pickup
95-00 Chevrolet C1500 Suburban
95-99 GMC C1500 Suburban
99-00 Cadillac Escalade
88-98 GMC C1500 Pickup Sierra
95-00 Chevrolet Tahoe
95-00 GMC Yukon, Denali, XL 1500
A rear disc brake conversion that doesn't break the bank. Installation is simple, requires no welding, and it's not neccessary to pull out the axle shafts. Serviceable parts are also available individually. This kit is compatible with GM 1988-1999 pickups and 1995-2000 SUV's with light duty 5 lug rear ends. Even if it is listed above, if it is not the 10" drum size or does not have the correct flange measurements then the kit will not fit.

2 completely different animals.

[MattStrike]

Matt, how did you end up dialing in the rear bias?

Right now the rears lock up about the same time as the fronts; not dialed in yet, but I got a good set of pads for the front to get to this point. I'm working on the next larger size rotor setup now. I do have an adjustable proportioning valve too now in case that's still not enough.