The Oldsmobile Connection

nwmaximus

http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/tech/pad_rotor_bedin_procedures.html

oldsmobile420 · Joined: 21 Dec 2003 Posts: 238 Location: pa

i just go to auto zone here and get the ones that come on my car cuz they a lot cheaper

nwmaximus · Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2004 1:57 pm Post subject:

oldsmobile420 wrote: i just go to auto zone here and get the ones that come on my car cuz they a lot cheaper Yeah,but those are the cheapest generic pads GM could find,that would stop the car within 300'.

oldsmobile420 · Joined: 21 Dec 2003 Posts: 238 Location: pa

true but when ur tight on money as me u got to go to autozone and get the cheap ones sure in the futrue id luv to up grade to bigger rotors and better brake s but for now ill stay with them cheap ones

nwmaximus · Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2004 10:19 pm Post subject:

oldsmobile420 wrote: true but when ur tight on money as me u got to go to autozone and get the cheap ones sure in the futrue id luv to up grade to bigger rotors and better brake s but for now ill stay with them cheap ones Oh,I'm tight on money! I just spent $800+ on suspension parts w/ lowering springs and 4 wheel alignment,a new shift knob.& steering gear.I just want better than stock pads for my stock rotors,to protect my investment until I can afford the pricey brake upgrade.

88 Coupe · Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2004 3:07 am Post subject:

nwmaximus wrote: oldsmobile420 wrote: i just go to auto zone here and get the ones that come on my car cuz they a lot cheaper Yeah,but those are the cheapest generic pads GM could find,that would stop the car within 300'.
88 Coupe wrote: nwmaximus wrote: what are the best performance upgrade pads for my stock brakes that dont produce excessive wear?? Until I can afford the brake package I really want,I'd like the best stopping ponwmaximuswer available, for mainly just a Street Cruiser. Thanx...
Hi nwmaximus, 88Ciera_SC, strokercutlass, Brando, Hi all
I just go to Autozone and get what they have for my application.
That includes both my coupes, which have been known to make repeated stops from in excess of 115 MPH.
As you may have gathered, I don't believe in buying more that I need.
Regards, Norm
BTW, my coupes each weigh close to 4000#, all my disk brake conversions use the same generic pads as a "G" body, and they do the job very well.
I agree with oldsmobile420, any more than Autozone generics on a street driven car is beyond me.
Regards, Norm

nwmaximus · Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2004 3:20 am Post subject:

I'm leaning towards Hawk HP S pads.Anything that improves the stopping power of a heavy 78 Cutlass,that isnt too outrageous a price,is a safety plus that shouldnt be overlooked.Why its not worth considering is beyond me.

88 Coupe · Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2004 4:00 am Post subject:

nwmaximus wrote: I'm leaning towards Hawk HP S pads.Anything that improves the stopping power of a heavy 78 Cutlass,that isnt too outrageous a price,is a safety plus that shouldnt be overlooked.Why its not worth considering is beyond me.
Hi nwmaximus
All of us have different requirements.
How many feet less stopping distance could one expect from such a pad upgrade?
I wonder if anyone has any independent numbers from A/B generic/hotdog disc pad comparisons.
Since I never put myself in a position that I need hard braking to get myself out of, I might be a little out of touch and could learn from such stats.
Regards, Norm

OldsGuy · Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 269 Location: Lees Summit MO

My car is heavy, I have non-power drums on all four corners. I am like Norm, I just leave stopping room ahead of me, plus my right thigh is 4 inches bigger than my left thigh :shock: . Actually, if I could afford a disc brake conversion on my Delta I would do it, it isn't impossible to do, but I am a cheap bast*rd!!

73Delta88 · Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2004 8:48 am Post subject:

not sure what your car weighs OldsGuy, but I'm sure mine's right up there too! 8)

I love the brakes in my car... they're power assist so it doesn't take much pressure on the pedal to bring me to a screeching hault :lol:

mine has power disc in the front and drums in the rear... I wonder what year they went from drums all around to discs in the front and just drums in the rear? maybe it was an option for a few years

88 Coupe · Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2004 7:42 pm Post subject:

Hi All
Front discs became available as options on Oldsmobiles in about 1968. Rear discs later became available as very profitable options on the higher end cars. You will need to read between the lines on this one, as I don't want to turn this thread into a political debate.
The following will be of interest to "do it yourselfers".
Anyone with an "A" body with all drums might be interested in this thread from ROP.
If anyone else has 4 wheel drums on an olds that offered discs as an option, your donor car is in your local salvage yard.
Iwill be looking around for help for anyone not covered on this thread.
On my Grey coupe, I used '84 "98" front Rotors as a basis for the conversion, but I don't think it will help anyone here.
Regards, Norm

nwmaximus · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 12:22 am Post subject:

I'm not sure how much more braking power or shorter distance I would get.I've never seen a comparison concerning G-bodies either.I guess I'm just a little more paranoid after getting hit head-on by another car going approx. 50 mph! Of course,I didnt have time to do much then.I'm probly being overrealistic thinking I could get at least a 25-30 ft reduction in travel,huh? But anything has to be better than stock? When I do an upgrade,would I get better results coverting the rears to disc,or going larger & better on the front?

88 Coupe · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 3:01 am Post subject:

nwmaximus wrote: I'm not sure how much more braking power or shorter distance I would get.I've never seen a comparison concerning G-bodies either.I guess I'm just a little more paranoid after getting hit head-on by another car going approx. 50 mph! Of course,I didnt have time to do much then.I'm probly being overrealistic thinking I could get at least a 25-30 ft reduction in travel,huh? But anything has to be better than stock? When I do an upgrade,would I get better results coverting the rears to disc,or going larger & better on the front?

Hi nwmaximus, Hi all
Under those circumstances I can understand your paranoia, but I tend to think if there was any difference, the PR guys from all these companies would be making sure you knew their product would stop quicker.
You would see a marked improvement with bigger front rotors, and might be worth the investment in your case, but for non racing applications I don't see much improvement in rear discs.
BTW, you could spend thousands on competition stuff and wind up with a light weight brake system that is functionally similar if not inferior to what you have now
I don't believe in telling anyone how to do their car, I just think they need to be aware of what they are getting for their money.
FWIW, I believe, whatever the price of admission, a quality defensive driving school is well worth the investment, and should be mandantory for all drivers.
Regards, Norm

nwmaximus · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 3:49 am Post subject:

I placed at the top of my class in a Police Driving Course among approx. 50 other Dept.of Defense trainees.What I need is not a defensive driving course.Have you been in one of those yourself? I have also participated in a motorcycle driving course.I was wondering where you got your brake info.

88 Coupe · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 5:08 am Post subject:

Hi nwmaximus
Sorry, I should not have placed my last comment on that post. It was a safety oriented thought and I wasn't thinking of the context when I posted it. :oops:
Anything I post comes from my own experience and should be taken as such.
The company I work for also requires periodic refreshers in defensive driving, although they are not performance oriented like the police courses.
I asked about pad comparisons earlier because they are facts that have not been available to me and might lead me to change my opinion on the subject.
Again, I regret any misunderstanding.
Regards, Norm