Bigger brakes and different knuckles?
 

Has anybody considered installing 2nd generation W-body knuckles on a '92 to '99 H-body? Why you ask? To have bigger brakes!!

While I've only had the SSEi for a couple of weeks I'm looking out for bigger brakes and I don't see any. I previously had a 2000 Grand Prix GTP with 12" front brakes, upgraded from the stock 11". That was a big improvement over stock but still there is no substitute for having lots of 'whao' power.

The Grand Prix's have been using caliper brackets from an Olds Intrique with the Autobahn package or from Impalas 2000 and newer. The W-body uses a caliper mounting bracket that bolts to the knuckle, unlike the H-body. By just changing the caliper bracket and installing 12" disks, you could keep the stock pads and calipers and have better leverage for braking.

The Grand Prix's are now going one step further as they've found that late model Camero/Firebird caliper brackets have the same hole spacing and offset, you just have to tap the mounting holes from the Camero size of 12mm to the GP size of 14mm. You can then mount the Camero aluminum dual piston calipers, and corresponding bigger brake pads, on the W-body knuckle. You end up with 12"; rotors with lightweight calipers and larger pads.

Since the Bonneville is a bigger car than the Grand Prix, and it has rear drums on most models, I'm anxious to find a way to install larger brakes. Despite the 12 inch PowerSlot rotors and AC Delco Durastop ceramic brake pads I had on the Grand Prix, I still warped 3 sets of rotors in 20,000kms. I consider this was the minimum brake setup for 'spirited' driving, is there something comparable for the Bonneville?

Do we have a volunteer to try the W-body knuckles? I'd love to know if they can be used.

Cheers,

www.domesticperformance.com has a big brake kit for ya