front brake upgrade
12-31-02, 09:43 PM
#1
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front brake upgrade
i have a 85 rx7 that i would like to swap to a 5 lug pattern i was wondering if someone could tell me if the second gen parts can be made to work on a 1st gen car would love to have the larger rotors and bigger calipers i know the rear will not work wondering if front end parts will
12-31-02, 09:53 PM
#2
MY NEW NAME IS ROTARY 7S
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What model do you have?
Why do you want to go to 5 lug?
The GSLSE suspension is a direct bolt in you will just need to change the master cyl,the booster is the same.
What are you tring to acheive?
Why do you want to go to 5 lug?
The GSLSE suspension is a direct bolt in you will just need to change the master cyl,the booster is the same.
What are you tring to acheive?
12-31-02, 10:32 PM
#4
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Swapping to FC front brakes can be done but it's not really pleasant.
One way is to have machined bearing adaptors made so you can put FC hubs on '84-85 spindles. Has to be '84-85. The bearing spacers would have to be made PRECISELY and of strong enough material. Then you just have to make a caliper bracket and you're in business.
The other way and the way that is easier in that you don't require as much precision is to swap an FC front crossmember in the car so that you can use FC struts and knuckles. This also gets you rack and pinion steering. It also requires some ingenuity with the steering column (the way I've seen it done was to adapt an FC steering column) and you also need to use an FC engine because the front motor mounts are not too compatible with the rack. Of course, if you've got an engine swap going on that makes things slightly simpler.
Master cylinders are identical according to the FSM.
One way is to have machined bearing adaptors made so you can put FC hubs on '84-85 spindles. Has to be '84-85. The bearing spacers would have to be made PRECISELY and of strong enough material. Then you just have to make a caliper bracket and you're in business.
The other way and the way that is easier in that you don't require as much precision is to swap an FC front crossmember in the car so that you can use FC struts and knuckles. This also gets you rack and pinion steering. It also requires some ingenuity with the steering column (the way I've seen it done was to adapt an FC steering column) and you also need to use an FC engine because the front motor mounts are not too compatible with the rack. Of course, if you've got an engine swap going on that makes things slightly simpler.
Master cylinders are identical according to the FSM.
12-31-02, 11:07 PM
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Originally posted by peejay
Swapping to FC front brakes can be done but it's not really pleasant.
One way is to have machined bearing adaptors made so you can put FC hubs on '84-85 spindles. Has to be '84-85. The bearing spacers would have to be made PRECISELY and of strong enough material. Then you just have to make a caliper bracket and you're in business.
Swapping to FC front brakes can be done but it's not really pleasant.
One way is to have machined bearing adaptors made so you can put FC hubs on '84-85 spindles. Has to be '84-85. The bearing spacers would have to be made PRECISELY and of strong enough material. Then you just have to make a caliper bracket and you're in business.
01-01-03, 05:08 AM
#6
Old [Sch|F]ool
Ask and ye shall recieve 
The entire project is detailed by the crafty guy who did the swap at http://www.mazspeed.com/4pistonbrakeconversion.htm
Enjoy!
Note that this particular gentleman reworked the hubs to retain the stock non-GSL-SE 4x110 bolt pattern. You obviously would not want to do this, and just use standard FC 5-lug hubs and rotors. This would give you a 5x4.5" bolt pattern, perfect for that Ford rearend swap!
The entire project is detailed by the crafty guy who did the swap at http://www.mazspeed.com/4pistonbrakeconversion.htm
Enjoy!
Note that this particular gentleman reworked the hubs to retain the stock non-GSL-SE 4x110 bolt pattern. You obviously would not want to do this, and just use standard FC 5-lug hubs and rotors. This would give you a 5x4.5" bolt pattern, perfect for that Ford rearend swap!
Last edited by peejay; 01-01-03 at 05:16 AM.
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01-01-03, 07:33 AM
#9
Old [Sch|F]ool
Carl: cut off the brackets from a Mazda rear, weld on to a Ford rear in the proper positions, just like any other rearend swap. (I make it sound so simple... I remember one morning where I spent 30 minutes with a torch cutting all of the brackets off of a Chev 12" with a real live gen-u-wine Posi in it. Then 4+ hours with an angle grinder removing the slag and prepping the housing for welding the leaf spring perches onto it...)
I like that 2 calipers pic Notice that he ditched that in favor of the FC brakes! 2 calipers is pretty much pointless until you get into the Really Huge brakes like touring cars use, since you don't have enough of a rotor surface to pad surface ratio. In short the rotor doesn't have enough time to cool before it gets to friction surface again. Not a problem if you don't use the additional braking but, well, what's the point if adding all that weight if you're not gonna USE it?
The 1st-gen RX-7 master cylinder has a 20.67mm bore. The 2nd-gen has a 22.22 bore. That's a pretty hefty difference. But, I'd say, if you went through with the swap, try the 1st-gen master first. If it's too soft or sensitive, then swap in the FC master. I don't know for certain but it might be a bolt-up swap. (If not, well... you get to play around with stuff )
I remember one morning where I spent 30 minutes with a torch cutting all of the brackets off of a Chev 12" with a real live gen-u-wine Posi in it. Then 4+ hours with an angle grinder removing the slag and prepping the housing for welding the leaf spring perches onto it...)I like that 2 calipers pic
Notice that he ditched that in favor of the FC brakes! 2 calipers is pretty much pointless until you get into the Really Huge brakes like touring cars use, since you don't have enough of a rotor surface to pad surface ratio. In short the rotor doesn't have enough time to cool before it gets to friction surface again. Not a problem if you don't use the additional braking but, well, what's the point if adding all that weight if you're not gonna USE it? The 1st-gen RX-7 master cylinder has a 20.67mm bore. The 2nd-gen has a 22.22 bore. That's a pretty hefty difference. But, I'd say, if you went through with the swap, try the 1st-gen master first. If it's too soft or sensitive, then swap in the FC master. I don't know for certain but it might be a bolt-up swap. (If not, well... you get to play around with stuff
)
01-01-03, 12:03 PM
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Originally posted by peejay
The 1st-gen RX-7 master cylinder has a 20.67mm bore. The 2nd-gen has a 22.22 bore. That's a pretty hefty difference. But, I'd say, if you went through with the swap, try the 1st-gen master first. If it's too soft or sensitive, then swap in the FC master. I don't know for certain but it might be a bolt-up swap. (If not, well... you get to play around with stuff )
The 1st-gen RX-7 master cylinder has a 20.67mm bore. The 2nd-gen has a 22.22 bore. That's a pretty hefty difference. But, I'd say, if you went through with the swap, try the 1st-gen master first. If it's too soft or sensitive, then swap in the FC master. I don't know for certain but it might be a bolt-up swap. (If not, well... you get to play around with stuff
)
01-01-03, 05:07 PM
#12
FD > FB > FC
ya know if someone were to take this idea, AND MAKE A KIT, so we can all have 4 piston calipers and 5 lug wheels....
you'd be filthy rich and make everyone on this forum extremely happy
you'd be filthy rich and make everyone on this forum extremely happy
01-01-03, 07:36 PM
#13
Originally posted by hornbm
ya know if someone were to take this idea, AND MAKE A KIT, so we can all have 4 piston calipers and 5 lug wheels....
you'd be filthy rich and make everyone on this forum extremely happy
ya know if someone were to take this idea, AND MAKE A KIT, so we can all have 4 piston calipers and 5 lug wheels....
you'd be filthy rich and make everyone on this forum extremely happy
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