Drum brakes change to disc brakes

Tiny
DANIELLEG
  • MEMBER
  • 2007 CHEVROLET COBALT
  • 2.2L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 65,000 MILES
I want to know what I need for when I change my rear drum brakes to disc brakes
Monday, January 4th, 2016 AT 3:32 PM

5 Replies

Tiny
DANIELLEG
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
So what parts do I need to do this?
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Monday, January 4th, 2016 AT 3:39 PM
Tiny
HMAC300
  • MECHANIC
  • 48,601 POSTS
You need all the parts in picture which is a brake caliper bracket and caliper, rotor, new hoses hardware for brakes, another proportioning valve, a new master cylinder as well as a new abs unit programmed to your car. Way to expensive to do this. Not recomended
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Monday, January 4th, 2016 AT 3:49 PM
Tiny
DANIELLEG
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
So your think just keeping my rear drum brakes is a good idea?
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Monday, January 4th, 2016 AT 4:07 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,873 POSTS
Excuse me for butting in to your conversation, but as HMAC300 said, it is not a practical modification. Your brake system was very carefully-designed to have perfectly balanced braking, front-to-rear, and they are all very capable of locking up and causing the tires to skid, which is a bad thing. What more do you want them to do?

Disc brakes are less susceptible to one form of brake fade, and they can be pulsed on and off faster which makes them more effective for use with anti-lock systems. Rear brakes only do 20 - 30 percent of the stopping so they don't get very hot and suffer from fade. If drum brakes respond fast enough for the anti-lock system to be effective, there is no reason for the manufacturer to use disc brakes on the rear.

There is another aspect of modifications we don't talk about very often. If another guy runs a red light and causes a crash, you can be sure his lawyer or insurance investigator will look for any modification to your car. They love to find altered ride height, non-standard wheels and tires, and anything else that could change how the car responds to steering and braking maneuvers. They will convince a jury that you were partly at fault for the crash because you were less able to avoid it, and they usually will be right.

If for some reason you are emotionally-involved with the thought of having rear disc brakes, look at this as an opportunity to go out and buy a car with the options you want. Leave the responsibility for the system to work correctly with the manufacturer.
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Monday, January 4th, 2016 AT 4:28 PM
Tiny
DANIELLEG
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  • 3 POSTS
Ok I decided not to change it after all. Thanks everyone!
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Monday, January 4th, 2016 AT 4:44 PM

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