Since the LeSabre already handles like crazy now, its time to look ahead and stop. Literally.

I have 12" rotors on there already, Centric cryogenic treated rotors, and Akebono pads.

I don't think I can fit anything bigger than a 12" under the 16s (yes I'm keeping the 16s, at least for now), but what can I do about a better caliper?

Ideally, I'd like to upgrade to a 2 piston caliper in the front, and change out for some better brake lines. What will work? And where can I get better lines for an H body?

What can I do here as far as an improvement goes?
Besides, a part of this project will be replacing the brake fluid as completely as possible. Can I use DOT 5? Do I need it? I know the system needs to be bled, but I've heard where you need to have a tech 2 to fully bleed the braking system on an ABS/TC equipped car, is there any truth in that?

My goal is to have more consistent brakes, and better stopping power. I haven't had any fade problems yet, but then I really haven't pushed them hard enough to find out. The fluid system needs to be changed out anyway, so I might as well upgrade to a better caliper if I can. I'd like to keep the Centric rotors I have, since they are in great shape, and go with the same compound pad to fit whatever caliper I end up with. I might step up to an R1 Concepts slotted rotor if funds allow for it.

I'm hoping to do a little racing this summer (road course driving lessons), and its going to be tough on the brakes. What I have is good for a DD, but I have a feeling I'm going to need something better.

I am "planning" on upgrading to 17s or 18s, but I'm not sure if I will have the funds, due to a possible work stoppage at my job. We don't know yet, so I don't want to make decisions based on having bigger wheels to drop bigger rotors behind. So whatever I do has to fit the stock 16s for now, just in case my "car toys" fund needs to be raided.

Soooo whatcher sayin izzz

there aint none?

I thought I read somewhere about being able to use F body dual piston calipers, and then getting the brackets changed somehow? Can I use the same rotors, with these calipers, and still fit behind the 16s, or do I have to go bigger rims to get anything better?

Ive heard of the F body brake thing just not sure how it applies to a buick?? would be ..worth the research if so then a whole slue of aftermarket opens up!

The problem with 16'* is not all of them fit the same. Unless you test fit, you're really not going to know.

I know for a fact the F-body setup will fit under 92-99 x-laces and the older 16x8 GP x-laces but that'* because I test fitted them.

Ok, did some more digging through old posts here. Brakes are one of those hit or miss searches. Either you get nothing, or you get a ton of stuff to weed through.

F Body calipers will work with stock 00+ rotors, as they are already 12". The key is, the brackets have to be drilled and tapped to accept a larger bolt I think. And they were supposed to fit in behind 16s on Bonnevilles anyway. The determining factor I guess is the wheels then, since the Buick 16s are different than Bonneville 16s. But you would think that I could do the swap, as both cars should have the same original caliper and bracket, and similar clearance. But the only way to be sure, is to mock up one caliper and see if everything still clears I guess.

Uncharted territory with the LeSabre again. No one knew if the FE5 would work for sure either, so that entire setup was a gamble that paid off.

Guess I need to go talk to my homie Erik at Morad, and see if he can get me a pair of caliper brackets to machine out, so I don't destroy the ones I have in case it doesn't work. Then find a JY caliper to test out. If it works, then I'll get some new ones.
Sound like a plan? Since I guess no one else has been there before, I'm the guinea pig again.

It'* not the size of the rotor fitting under the wheel so much as the shape of the caliper. F-body and Vette calipers have fins on the top that could make contact depending on wheel design and offset.

You can use shims instead of drilling/taping the brackets. McMaster p/n 6679K16. I put 30k+ on that setup with no issues or play to speak of.

Shims? Not sure I follow. I thought the caliper bolts were larger diameter, hence why the bracket has to be drilled and tapped to accept larger ones?

Anyhow. one thing I don't know about, is the year for F-body calipers. Are there ones better than others? Some variations between cars?
I want a dual piston, thats gonna work with a modified bracket. Do all the F-bodies (say, 98-02 vintage) use the same ones? Or do V6/V8 cars have different parts? And with V8 cars, regular, Z28, Firebird, Trans AM, WS6, ??? What should I use to look up a donor? I know this has been done with Bonnevilles, I just can't seem to find a parts reference, other than the generic reference to using F Body parts.

Gotta start working on this soon. I have one factory caliper getting stuck, and warping my rotors now. So I guess I need to push this project to the front of the list.

06+ impala brakes fit There dual piston and direct bolt on and fit under my factory 16 inch rims!

Brackets rotors and calapers is all that is needed!

FE5 brakes will NOT work with 16" wheels. Minimum is 17" wheel. I think SamzGXP put 17s on his GXP as winter wheels and only had a couple credit card thickness of clearance