Rear disc swap keeps breaking caliper bolts

those calipers are 79 eldorado, with the ebrake lever. you can get calipers for the front of a 80's chevy truck if you dont want the ebrake levers.
 
K204DR said:
those calipers are 79 eldorado, with the ebrake lever. you can get calipers for the front of a 80's chevy truck if you dont want the ebrake levers.
Click to expand...

I gotcha. Even though I'm going to replace everything, I'm assuming I just need new calipers. They should have the rubber oring/bushing in the bolt hole, right? The bolts are probably the exact same?

Now I gotta figure out what the rotors came off of LOL I'm hoping a later 2nd gen

EDIT: I looked up that hardware kit. Looks like it comes with the orings for each hole, and the spacers. I just went and bought extra spacers last night damn it LOL I guess I'll just replace the one caliper, all the pads, replace the orings, and turn down or get new rotors depending on cost.
 
Last edited:
I looked up the calipers too. The Eldorado calipers must have had some modernization, because they don't look much like mine LOL
 
Probably best to replace both calipers... The one has an obvious break, but the other one likely has mounting holes which are out of round from banging against the bolts until the bolts break...

Just my 2 cents...
 
Shainer said:
Well post up some pics when you get it put together right.
Click to expand...

Chris Tobin said:
Probably best to replace both calipers... The one has an obvious break, but the other one likely has mounting holes which are out of round from banging against the bolts until the bolts break...

Just my 2 cents...
Click to expand...

Yeah, have to do one at a time. They're 60+ a piece. Got a ujoint needing replaced tomorrow, trans pan and gasket, lots of random **** falling apart after sitting for 5 months.
 
Dk where you got your price, but check out napa. They have pretty good prices on semi loaded, and loaded calipers. Both come with hardware.
 
madmikeismad said:
Yeah, have to do one at a time. They're 60+ a piece. Got a ujoint needing replaced tomorrow, trans pan and gasket, lots of random **** falling apart after sitting for 5 months.
Click to expand...

I feel your pain man!!! I want soooo bad to finish my truck, but the funds are not there to get it done...
 
the calipers come with new bolts and hardware, so no need to buy all that if you're getting calipers.
 
camarokiller said:
Dk where you got your price, but check out napa. They have pretty good prices on semi loaded, and loaded calipers. Both come with hardware.
Click to expand...

These calipers are expensive for what they are. I'm surprised they only wanted $60. Service brake, and limited applications mean they charge for them.
 
madmikeismad said:
I looked up the calipers too. The Eldorado calipers must have had some modernization, because they don't look much like mine LOL
Click to expand...

Per TSM they are

76 - 78 El - Dorado rear calipers with parking brakes, pads, and mounting screws.

They are asking $320 for a loaded pair...

Part No. 3120 New (Not Rebuilt) Calipers with parking brakes $320.00 pair

Looking on rockauto, the 79's are exactly what I had installed. The 78's look the same, and even appear to have the boss' for the service brake spring assembly and the service brake nut there... just don't show the spring installed for some reason.
 
Last edited:
camarokiller said:
Dk where you got your price, but check out napa. They have pretty good prices on semi loaded, and loaded calipers. Both come with hardware.
Click to expand...

Oreillys and autozone. I don't usually use napa because they're more expensive, but if they come with everything, I'll go that route.

Chris Tobin said:
I feel your pain man!!! I want soooo bad to finish my truck, but the funds are not there to get it done...
Click to expand...

If it hadn't sat for so long for the engine/trans rebuilds, I doubt most of this stuff would be falling apart. I've never had a car that likes to go unused.

And I'm just hoping its the ujoint, might be the output bearing or something worse in the tcase.

K204DR said:
the calipers come with new bolts and hardware, so no need to buy all that if you're getting calipers.
Click to expand...

That's good news, I'll have to make sure though, wasn't mentioned on the website.

Shainer said:
These calipers are expensive for what they are. I'm surprised they only wanted $60. Service brake, and limited applications mean they charge for them.
Click to expand...

60 for the unloaded ones at oreillys lol limited applications? Weren't these things used on every single chevy between 1943 and 1997? LOL
 
Shainer said:
Per TSM they are

76 - 78 El - Dorado rear calipers with parking brakes, pads, and mounting screws.

They are asking $320 for a loaded pair...

Part No. 3120 New (Not Rebuilt) Calipers with parking brakes $320.00 pair
Click to expand...

phuck that. I'll get a pinion brake and a pair of boots with pads on the bottom first.
 
madmikeismad said:
phuck that. I'll get a pinion brake and a pair of boots with pads on the bottom first.
Click to expand...

I looked into that setup as well. Didn't feel like trying to figure out how I was going to get the cable to work. Then I looked at line locks... then I said phuck it. Put the drums back on, tuned the self adjusting start wheels with a triangle file and never had a problem with them again. I was towing a lot, and needed something that could hold the trailer if I got out to open a gate or something. That was 5-6 years ago.
 
Shainer said:
I looked into that setup as well. Didn't feel like trying to figure out how I was going to get the cable to work. Then I looked at line locks... then I said phuck it. Put the drums back on, tuned the self adjusting start wheels with a triangle file and never had a problem with them again. I was towing a lot, and needed something that could hold the trailer if I got out to open a gate or something. That was 5-6 years ago.
Click to expand...

I swapped because the drums had trouble locking up on wet roads lol, and future ease of maintenance. That bit me in the ass. The cable is easy. I never hooked mine up, but all you need is the cable end and the crimper. I was just gonna have a brake shop do it.

EDIT: Or did you mean the cable to a pinion brake?
 
Last edited:
Shainer said:
Cable to pinion. Actually I wanted it up on the transfer case to keep it out of the crud I drive through. I know I could get the cables made. I just ran out of give a sh!t.
Click to expand...

lmao, that happens a lot as I get older. Had lots of dreams about painting parts, powder, etc to keep the truck pretty. Now the deer dents and bumper dings aren't even worth looking at.
 
Those calipers are basically the same on all big gm cars and front of trucks. Mid 70's big gm car or front of 3/4 ton gm fwd is what I used. I think they were around 12 bucks ea.I also used speedpro bolts that do away with the bushing that the caliper bushing rides on.

Mine is a homemade with speedpro adapter plates for a 9 inch ford cut and welded to the dana 70 flange. Never had a bolt break and I pull a trailer a lot and use the brakes hard. No parking brake though but with an auto I never use one.
 
gwhammy said:
Those calipers are basically the same on all big gm cars and front of trucks. Mid 70's big gm car or front of 3/4 ton gm fwd is what I used. I think they were around 12 bucks ea.I also used speedpro bolts that do away with the bushing that the caliper bushing rides on.

Mine is a homemade with speedpro adapter plates for a 9 inch ford cut and welded to the dana 70 flange. Never had a bolt break and I pull a trailer a lot and use the brakes hard. No parking brake though but with an auto I never use one.
Click to expand...

Awesome info. Thanks! I'll look into the bolts. Where do you get them from?
 
My dumb, it's speedway motors. I pulled a book out to make sure. They have stuff for stock car racing and street rod parts out of Nebraska. speedwaymotors.com Kind of neat parts book. Been around since 1952
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top