gt disc brake removal Options

[Fuzzyfo]

hey everyone, hope you are all okay and enjoying the new year! I have a 1994 celica st and would like to convert the drum brakes to the gt disc brakes. I have the doner car and everything, but im not mechanically savvy on how to remove the dics and what not. I know i should take it to the mechanic and have it removed by an expert but, im all up for learning and would like to do it myself. I couldnt find anything in the stickys according to this manner, so i ask you fine people on how its done. Thanksssss!

[Galcobar]

The how-to for brake swaps is available via the home page of 6gc: http://www.6gc.net/howto/convert_rear_drums_to_discs

I disagree with a few points on this how-to, however. For one, don't reuse the O-ring between the hub and the backing plate, get a new one. I prefer the thread on this subject over at Celicatech. The part numbers aren't going to be correct, but since you're pulling the parts off another car that doesn't really matter. http://www.celicatech.com/forums/showthrea...-condensed-info!

To pull the disc brakes off of the donor car, you'll want the parking brake cables, the backing plates and all the attached parking brake hardware, the calipers, the caliper brackets (aka torque plates), and the soft brake fluid lines.

You can grab all of the pieces by unbolting the spindles from the suspension, but then you have to deal with much heavier bolts which are much more likely to be seized -- and you'd still want to disassemble the parts from the spindles in order to clean and lubricate them.

The easiest way I've found to do this is to pull the rotor first. If it's stuck, there's a threaded hole you can screw a bolt into in order to back the rotor off of the hub. Toyota, in its usual subtle brilliance, matched that bolt hole to the bolt which holds the caliper onto the caliper bracket.

Next, unbolt the parking brake cable from behind the backing plate. The parking brake cables are slightly different between the connector to the actual parking brake assembly. You could convert the drum lines with a Dremel but it's easier to simply obtain the cables appropriate to the disc. Get under the car where the cables meets the e-brake handle and detach them from the plate you'll find there. Each cable must be turned 90 degrees, so it is in a straight line with the bracket's length and the slot cut into the upper portion of the bracket. The posts at the end of the cable can then be pushed up, with the cable sliding through the slot. A diagram is included in the Celicatech thread. Then work your way backwards, undoing the cable guides on either side; you'll have to pull the exhaust heat shields to access all of them.

Third, use a flare wrench (aka line wrench) disconnect the soft brake line from the hard brake line off of the body. If you're concerned about keeping the hard brake line from being damaged, it might be easier to unbolt the soft brake line from the caliper first. Then use a flathead screwdriver or a pair of ducknose pliers to remove the clip holding the line in the bracket on the strut. Once the clip is removed you can pull the line free. From there you can use the flare wrench to hold the hard line while you twist the soft line off of it. If you're not worried about the hard line, just unbolt it, then unclip the line from the bracket and feed it through, leaving it attached to the caliper.

Fourth, unbolt the two bolts holding the caliper bracket to the backing plate (behind the backing plate). This will allow you to lift the caliper and caliper bracket off in one go.

Finally, unbolt the hub from the spindle. The hub has holes in it to let you use a socket. The hub is what holds the backing plate onto the spindle.

You should now have: the backing plate with all parking brake hardware attached; the parking brake cable; the caliper mounted on the bracket, and; the soft brake line.