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1988 -89 rear caliper swap

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Old 04-01-2023, 05:27 PM
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1988 -89 rear caliper swap

Can the rear calipers from a 1989-92 directly bolt on a 1988- 9 bolt axle with the crappy j65 calipers.Thanks for any help.
Old 04-01-2023, 05:54 PM
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Re: 1988 -89 rear caliper swap

Yes. All it takes is the correct backing plates. From there it all bolts up. There are 2 types: look for the later version.

Can't speak to the parking brake cable, there's various versions of those as well, that I'm not familiar with in detail.
Old 04-01-2023, 09:10 PM
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Re: 1988 -89 rear caliper swap

Check out the info in the following link:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tran...-10-bolts.html

JamesC
Old 04-01-2023, 09:25 PM
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Re: 1988 -89 rear caliper swap

Thanks for the info.Would I have to fabricate the brake lines too?
Old 04-01-2023, 11:04 PM
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Re: 1988 -89 rear caliper swap

Probably. A tiny trivial insignificant matter in the overall scheme of things. You won't have any trouble with it. Piece o cake. Buy the raw material at the corner parts store and bend it with your hands.

The backing plates are where you need to concentrate your focus.
Old 04-02-2023, 01:13 AM
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Axle/Gears: 9-bolt/3.45
Re: 1988 -89 rear caliper swap

Hawk's sells hard lines, soft lines and e-brake cables. The images of the axles are generic and all the same for the various listings, so you have to go by the title of the listing, or you can phone Hawk's for confirmation. The hard lines are for 10-bolts. Probably the only place you're likely to find hard lines for a 9-bolt will be on an old 9-bolt axle. And if you do find a 9-bolt, then get its backing plates too, if it still has them. Otherwise, 10-bolt hardlines will fit a 9-bolt just fine. I have 4thgen LS1 10-bolt hardlines on my 9-bolt with my C6 conversion, and you wouldn't know, if you didn't know.
89-92 Camaro / Firebird Rear Disc Axle Lines - Hawks Third Generation (hawksmotorsports.com)

Those hard lines from Hawk's are most likely made by Inline Tube.
Inline Tube | Preformed Lines, Brake Products, DIY & Restoration Parts

Hawk's also sells backing plates for 9-bolts, so if you can't find factory backing plates, which won't be easy to find, then at least there are these.
82-92 Camaro/Firebird 9 bolt 1LE Backing Plate, Passenger or Driver - Hawks Third Generation (hawksmotorsports.com)

Flynbye is another source for 89-92 rear brake conversion parts for 9-bolts, including backing plates that are probably the same ones Hawk's sells. The page I've linked is specifically for 9-bolt parts, but it states on the homepage that he's closed for a couple more months.
Product Listing (flynbye.com)
Old 04-02-2023, 02:33 PM
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Re: 1988 -89 rear caliper swap

Though I did the swap some years ago, the following write-up may still be useful:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/faq-...iscs-89-a.html

JamesC
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