82 Camaro 3.08 posi with disc brakes.

[Racin Jason]

I just parted out my 82 Z-28. I kept the rear end in hopes of using it in the monza. I'll be using S-10 axles, stock monza housing, and the camaro posi unit.My main concern is the brake backing plates. Is it possible to 4 wheel disc this thing with factory pieces and slight mods.?? I read somewhere online that it can be done but ther was no details. I also kept the master cylinder and prop valve.

[barebonesracecars]

I'm not sure it can be done with factory parts, mostly because of the inner fender wells. Not enough clearance there, and they are structural so they can't be cut out.

When I did this, I checked around at a couple of yards looking at different vehicles, but everything I saw was going to cause problems. I ended up here:

http://www.scarebird.com/4436.html

He builds custom disc brake brackets for several vehicles. At the time, the closest thing he had for us was an S-10 bracket, which I bought. They work but are definitely not a bolt on. I described the entire modification process to the owner, Mark Janis, but got no indication from him that he was interested in making custom brackets for us.

However, Dick (hammerdown) contacted them later about these, and Mark made up a set that makes the conversion a bolt-on. They use Cadillac calipers and rotors. I don't see them listed on his website, but surely he still has the dimensions.

You will also need an adjustable proportioning valve, and do the S-10 conversion to keep your bolt patterns the same. Rear discs probably won't fit a 13" wheel.

That's where I would recommend you start. There is a pic of the rear end in My Garage.

[Racin Jason]

Hey Barebones, bad news... the carrier is a posi but its a 3.42. I'm pretty sure the monza housing is a 2.94 -2 series. I thought it was a 3.08 but its stamped right on the ring gear. I looked at the photo in your garage and the calipers look the same. They got that long e-brake lever. What size are those rotors? I may have kept this rear end for nothing. Oh well. Thanks.

[77 Spyder]

I think 2 series carriers are more common than the 3 series, so you should be able to find a 2 series posi for your monza gears. I have been looking for a 3 series for a few weeks, & I keep finding 2 series, or at least the ones that are 28 spline.

Too bad the gears are different, you could have just gone with the 3.42 gears.

[barebonesracecars]

You can still use the entire Camaro carrier and gears in your housing (asumming, of course, that it is a 7.5"). You will have to turn down the pinion shaft or use the conversion bearing.

A 3:42 makes a good street gear. I've always thought anything between 3:08 and 3:55 was a good compromise bewteen brute acceleration and mileage for a hopped-up street car.

[SunbirdMan]

I just parted out my 82 Z-28. I kept the rear end in hopes of using it in the monza. I'll be using S-10 axles, stock monza housing, and the camaro posi unit.My main concern is the brake backing plates. Is it possible to 4 wheel disc this thing with factory pieces and slight mods.?? I read somewhere online that it can be done but ther was no details. I also kept the master cylinder and prop valve.

Disclaimer: The following is not learned from personal experience but is recalled from memory of internet postings:

The s10 axle flange is too large to fit inside the Camaro rotor. It needs to be turned down slightly.( I'm a tightwad so I'd get out my angle grinder and do a hack job.) There seems to be an issue with the backing plates but I'm not sure what it is. Some guys have done it because I recall it being posted that the passengerside caliper has interference problems regarding the parking brake cable. As you know, the backing plates are not mirror images of each other, which puts the passengerside caliper forward of the axle. The solution has something to do with the hardware from a cadillac caliper.
Also, I've heard that the early 80's fbody 4 disc proportioning valve is no good. The rear brakes barely even work. I've read about this at www.thirdgen.org brake forum. The later GTA prop valve that had the Borg Warner 9bolt is the one to use.

[vega_man_larry]

Here is another option if you want to keep the Camaro rear. Cut it down to dimensions that are "wider" than the stock H body axel housing. This way you can solve the caliper interference issues with the unibody. This is what I did to get Caddy disc brakes to work on my car. My rear track width is a couple inches wider than stock. I also flipped the emergency brake brackets side to side to keep them from hitting the unibody. I did need to buy custom axles - but I had them machined to fit the Firebird rotor hat that works with my brake setup. I had the axles drilled to accept metric studs. Moser did the axels and they came loaded (with bearings and studs) for around $300. You could keep your Camaro housing after narrowing it and transfer the stock suspension mounting points or go to a later suspension setup. Then you run 4.5 inch offset wheels and it all fits within the stock wheel wells.

Larry

[Racin Jason]

Hello everybody, thanks for all the information. Hey Barebones, thats the only thing stopping me from putting the 3.42 posi unit in the Monza axle housing is the pinion size difference. That would be great if I can still use the 3.42 ratio. Yes it is a 7.5 ring gear.I re-read the FAQ at H-Body.org and it says there might be a problem with the numbers they listed for the pinion bearing conversion. If I can find out the right stuff to use I will go that route for sure. On to the brakes. Wow, what a mess! Does anybody know if the axle flange hole pattern is the same from 82 F-body to 79 H-body. I also could weld shut and re-drill the holes in the backing plates if they are not the same, then I can reverse the pass. side backing plate/caliper. Im a tightwad too Sunbird man, I want to get everything I can out of this axle. I can get pics of all the parts involved if anybody needs. Its so much easier to post pics here, thanks Colin. Thanks for all the input guys, with all this help, I have a shot.

[geartwister39]

i also need the correct part # for the conversion bearing ! thanks

[barebonesracecars]

Well then, you can use the entire carrier and gears from your 7.5" Camaro rear in your H-body.

Guys have differing opinions on the conversion bearing vs. machining the pinion, but both appear to work ok.

I don't have the bearing part number, since I machined my pinion instead.

Which bolt pattern are you asking about? The backing plate or the axle itself? I doubt the backing plates will be the same pattern. I also think you will have trouble 'reversing' one of the plates....as I understand it, on the F-body, one caliper is in front of the axle, while one is behind, correct? I think reversing it (it won't bolt on that way, I don't believe) will cause your caliper bleeder to be on the bottom. You would need a 'left' or 'right' caliper....I'm asumming of course that they are both identical on the F-body.

Maybe I'm picturing this in my mind all wrong, but I think you're going to have some challenges using the F-body brake stuff. Also, watch your inner-fender-to-caliper clearance. I don't know about Larry's Vega, but mounting the calipers in the stock positions (approx. 2 o'clock on the driver's side, and 10 o'clock on the passenger) will cause the park brake mechanism to hit the inner fender wells, even with the levers reversed.

I modified my brackets to mount the calipers at about 5 and 7 o'clock, respectively. The bleeders are still at the top this way.

[heinz057]

timkin numbers 16143 bearing 16283 race 8610 seal

[barebonesracecars]

Ah, I found the numbers.

These are BRG part numbers:

Timkin bearing #16143 = (BRG part # BR42687)
Timkin race #16283 = (BRG part # BR16283)

Thanks, Heinz.

The U-joint numbers are Dana #5-3022X or NAPA #372.

[geartwister39]

killer..thanks for the info now to get some parts