Brake conversion

[TheStu]

I have a 98 Saturn SL2 that I recently replaced the front brakes on (rotors and pads). My rear wheels have drum brakes on them, and want to know if I would be better off switching them out for disk brakes when I replace them, or should I replace with drums.

Thanks for any comments and suggestions.

 

[Jahee]

I think to get rear discs you'd have to get a whole new rear axle, or at least new hubs. Its a bigger job than you think, and in normal driving you won't notice a difference really.

If i were you i'd stick with drums.

 

[TheStu]

Ah, thanks good to know. I've been trying to do more of my own work on my car instead of taking it into a shop, so I will probably be stoppng by here a lot to ask possibly silly questions.

 

[iamwiz82]

It's not worth it unless you are turning it into some sort of race car, and then I'd have to question your choice of an SL2

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
It's not worth it unless you are turning it into some sort of race car, and then I'd have to question your choice of an SL2

No, no racing for me, at least not in that car. I wouldn't mind squeezing more acceleration out of my car, I just don't know how. It is a great little car, especially for long highway trips since it gets 36+ mpg, but like I said, I want a little more acceleration.

 

[steppinthrax]

I saw a fourm here a while ago or some documentation about going from drum to disk on early saturns. I can tell you that you need to go to the junk yard and get everything from a good condition saturn that fits your car (cross-reference). I think most of it is just swap no welding. Your brake cylinder is fine.

 

[illusion88]

I was going to buy a saturn SL2. I think about that year too. Turns out it needed a bunch of work on it, in particular the fuel line and the valve covers. Weak sauce.