D52 Caliper Rear Disc Brake Brackets

[cpetersen]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

As N2TRUX posted, the D52 calipers are found on the front of most full sized cars as well as the C10 and C20 trucks from '71-'87. The rotors are front rotors since the Astro vans didn't come with 4 wheel discs. At least that I know of. The application for rotor that I used was 1992-2002 AWD Astro/Safari van



Those are the Eldorado D52 calipers with the built in e-brake. Those are the ones you would use if you need an e-brake on this conversion. If you turn those in as cores, make sure you keep the e-brake levers. As far as I know you cannot buy replacements for them. And yes you can use 15" wheels as long as they are disc brake compatable.

I paid $50 a piece for those oem 76 caddie calipers, what i can't believe they are getting $40.00 a piece for the the e-brake. Core charge at NAPA is $66.00 for the calipers. $87.00 for the reman calipers.

[csbatey]

do you have to run a proportion valve! thanks

[Captainfab]

Yes, you have to run a proportioning valve of some sort. Some guys run the disc/drum proportioning valve with an adjustable on the rear line. Others run just a disc/disc proportioning valve.

Originally Posted by csbatey

do you have to run a proportion valve! thanks

[joeelutz]

Were there any GM vehicles made that used a D52 style caliper on a rear disc brake with a drum style parking brake inside the rotor?

[Captainfab]

No, none that I know of. By the time GM went to the e-brake shoes inside the rotor, they had gone to a different style of caliper.

Originally Posted by joeelutz

Were there any GM vehicles made that used a D52 style caliper on a rear disc brake with a drum style parking brake inside the rotor?

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by joeelutz

Were there any GM vehicles made that used a D52 style caliper on a rear disc brake with a drum style parking brake inside the rotor?

There is something close that can work with the D52 calipers as well as any other caliper designed for 1.25" thick rotors like the LS1 Camaro & C4/C5 Vette PBR front calipers. The 65-82 Corvette rear rotors are 11.75x1.25 and use a drum brake parking brake inside the rotors. Only down side is they are 5 on 4-3/4" bolt pattern but they can be drilled for a second 5 on 5 pattern to work on our trucks.

They fit with 15" rally wheels and you can get all the e-brake parts made from stainless steel from the Vette restoration places pretty cheap.

You can get the backing plate parts from a JL-8 optioned 4-wheel disc 69 Camaro application that fit up easier to a straight rear axle vs. the Vette parts designed for their IRS but the parts are pretty pricey. I have been tinkering around with some inexpensive ways of using the parking brake parts with a fabricated backing plate for the standard rear axle but haven't had the time to test it out and I don't have all the e-brake parts to make it functional.

NAPA sells the American made Vette rotors for under $40 too.

[68 TT]

I have seen some newer AWD Astro vans with six lug wheels (the same wheels that came on my 03 Tahoe) so I am assuming they are a 2003 model year or so. Have you looked into using the D52 brackets with these rotors on a 4x4 application?

http://www.napaonline.com/Search/Det...+50014+2014004

They are 1.14" thick and 12" diameter so I don't know if the D52 caliper can handle that for sure. You would think that 1/10th of an inch smaller would be OK.

[Captainfab]

I guess I haven't paid much attention to the newer Astros. I'll have to check into those and see what style of parts are used. I do already have something in mind for a 6 lug rear disc, but I'm reluctant as I'm not sure how well they would sell. Thanks for the info....

Originally Posted by 68 TT

I have seen some newer AWD Astro vans with six lug wheels (the same wheels that came on my 03 Tahoe) so I am assuming they are a 2003 model year or so. Have you looked into using the D52 brackets with these rotors on a 4x4 application?

http://www.napaonline.com/Search/Det...+50014+2014004

They are 1.14" thick and 12" diameter so I don't know if the D52 caliper can handle that for sure. You would think that 1/10th of an inch smaller would be OK.

[joeelutz]

Originally Posted by 68 TT

There is something close that can work with the D52 calipers as well as any other caliper designed for 1.25" thick rotors like the LS1 Camaro & C4/C5 Vette PBR front calipers. The 65-82 Corvette rear rotors are 11.75x1.25 and use a drum brake parking brake inside the rotors. Only down side is they are 5 on 4-3/4" bolt pattern but they can be drilled for a second 5 on 5 pattern to work on our trucks.

They fit with 15" rally wheels and you can get all the e-brake parts made from stainless steel from the Vette restoration places pretty cheap.

You can get the backing plate parts from a JL-8 optioned 4-wheel disc 69 Camaro application that fit up easier to a straight rear axle vs. the Vette parts designed for their IRS but the parts are pretty pricey. I have been tinkering around with some inexpensive ways of using the parking brake parts with a fabricated backing plate for the standard rear axle but haven't had the time to test it out and I don't have all the e-brake parts to make it functional.

NAPA sells the American made Vette rotors for under $40 too.

Interesting.
Great info. Thanks.

[lts70]

I am going to get wilwood D52 calipers front and back. I have stock 5 lug 72 frontend brakes and have captinfabs bracket and astro rotors in the back. What size calipers (pistons)should I use on front and back. part numbers would help. Thanks, dont want to make an expensive mistake.