slimbo5 said:
axisg said:
mine was a little expensive. I had one noisy bearing but decided to replace both for peace of mind. Upper ball joints and springs were replaced the summer previous.
$ 150.00 spindles used
$ 600.00 for 2 GM bearings
$ 120.00 for GM rotors and pads
$ 20.00 for 2 new flex lines
$ 20.00 paint and brake fluid
$ 120.00 2 new MOOG lower ball joints ( again for peace of mind )
Wow...that is ridiculous! you could have gotten a wilwood 4 piston setup for less than that.. with drilled and slotted rotors and about 20 pounds lighter than that. Mean 78's total is more of a reasonable amount for a low budget upgrade. Good job bro.
I found the price quite reasonable ( other than bearings )!!
The big selling points for me was there were no modifications to be made ( making it a true bolt-on affair ) and it's all GM parts. The Wilwood / B-body swap needs the caliper mounting ears on the spindle to be cut and tapped for the new caliper bracket ( not a big deal mechanically but it's time ).
The Blazer swap required the tie rod ends popped, top and bottom ball joints to be popped, the old spindle removed and the new assembly set in place. Even with replacing both lower ball joints, both sides done in just over an hour, brakes bled and back on the road. I have not even bothered with going back to get the car aligned because it pulls straight and the tires wore evenly.
Don't get me wrong as I like the Wilwood stuff; but I like knowing I can wander into just about any auto parts store in N.America on a Sunday afternoon 15-20 years from now and likely still be able to pick up replacement pads and rotors. You can't do that with Wilwood brakes can you ?
Braking is night and day difference, with the LS1 rear brakes the car now stops as quick as wifeys '03 Impala with 4 wheel disks and ABS ( they both weigh about the same ).
Slim, from your point of view 15lbs is probably a big deal. Running full AC and a big stereo in my car, 15 lbs is nothing LOL