View Full Version : Caliper hitting bump stop
ept000 Jul 2nd, 05, 08:19 PM OK... I have finished my subframe connectors, changed all the body mounts bushings to poly and I am almost done with the disc brake conversion. New problem has come up. I am using the 69 disc set-up on my 67. I have not taken the car off the stands yet but it looks like when the wheel is turned the caliper will hit the rubber bump stop bolted to the frame. Has anyone run into this before? I don't just want to cut it off, but I don't see any solutions yet.
BlackoutSteve Jul 3rd, 05, 05:12 AM Hmm, that's a good one!
Switching to 69 style bump stops is a bit too radical to do to an assembled car in my view (even though I did the mod to the 67 replacement subframe I fitted to my 69).
The other (expensive) alternative would be fitting the correct for 67 Kelsey Hayes calipers. Their larger diameter rotor will move them a little futher away from the bump stop and their different shape may help too.
How "hard" does the caliper hit? Meaning, how much room would you need to have adequate clearence?
Do you have manual or power steering?
I'm thinking that you may be able to switch the steering arms for the longest ones. There are 3 different lengths from memory and the longer (manual steering?) ones will give you a tad less turning circle but hopefully more clearence where you need it.
I'm not sure it different pitman arm lengths are availble either, but a shorter one may help too.
davidpozzi Jul 3rd, 05, 11:47 AM They hit on my 67 too, it chewed up the rubber a bit but nothing bad.
68's have a bumpstop on the A arm but to the rear of the spring, 69's have the bumpstop on the front of the A arm.
The 67/68 discs are the same size as 69, steering arms won't affect the bumpstop situation unless they prevented the wheel from turning as sharp, and they shouldn't do that if they are Camaro arms.
BlackoutSteve Jul 3rd, 05, 01:53 PM I don't think the 67/68 discs are the same. They used Corvette 11.75"x1.25" rotors as opposed to 69's 11"x1" rotors I'm quite sure.
And the longer steering arms will affect the wheels turning as sharp. They increase the leverage which in turn reduces work. That's what levers do.
David, your name is familiar. Is this link yours or do you have something to do with it?
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/David_Pozzi/camaro_steering.htm
The link is a good source of info but recently it's been unaccessable to me.
This site showed the 3 different steering arm lengths that the Camaro had used.
davidpozzi Jul 3rd, 05, 02:13 PM Steve,
Yes, that's my old web page which has been moved to a new provider and I now have a domain name for it: http://www.PozziRacing.com
You are thinking of the special JL8 four-wheel-disc brake option, which does use the larger Corvette rotors and calipers. It was available in 68 in over the counter only, then in 69 it was a regular production option but "standard" discs were still available and much more common.
http://www.camaro-untoldsecrets.com/articles/article_fs.htm
67 and 68 four piston standard discs brakes used the same two piece rotors as a 69. In 1970 GM converted to one piece rotor/hubs for less runout problems. The one piece rotors will fit any single piston firstgen. The four piston calipers require extra clearance to the hub and there is a one piece casting now made for them.
The different length steering arms do affect how fast the wheels turn but the total amount of travel available "should" be controlled by the steering arm stops, not the steering box. Some boxes swapped to a Camaro will have different internal stops that may limit wheel turn depending on what arms are used, but if the box limits the wheel turn and you hit a curb at full lock, the box may be damaged.
I would favor moving the bump stop, or finding a caliper with a lower hose location. My last choice would be to limit steering lock by building up the turn stop on the lower A arm by welding on it. Another method is to cut off the turn stop, drill a hole in the arm, weld in a nut and screw a bolt into it to make an adjustable stop.
BlackoutSteve Jul 4th, 05, 12:57 AM I see.. Thanks Dave for clearing that up.
I did think that the JL8 front calipers & discs were the same as used in the 67-68 J52 option.
..and I forgot about those darn steering arm stops too. Hmm.. that foils a good plan!
I got a copy of the Camaro Untold Secrets book. Wayne sent me an autographed copy! He was keen to see the pics of my RHD conversion progress.
The "bump stop swap" was pretty easy actually. I got some stops from French Lake Autos in Michigan. They cut them off a dead Nova frame and I picked them off and welded them on!
I guess it could be done easily on an assembled car with some minor dismantling. Here are some pics...
These are the bump stops as delivered.
http://img225.echo.cx/img225/7678/novabumpstops7ka.jpg
It wasn't hard to carefully un-pick them with the tools shown.
http://img225.echo.cx/img225/5849/stopsunpicked1ni.jpg
Trusty Vise Grips hold the stop in place..
http://img225.echo.cx/img225/873/readytoweld0en.jpg
Deliberate ugly welds make it look just like OE!
http://img225.echo.cx/img225/61/lhstopdone8ns.jpg
Done.. and who would ever know? (The image is not reversed, -the subframe is!!)
http://img225.echo.cx/img225/2084/rotisserie0486yh.jpg
barneymc Jul 4th, 05, 01:25 AM I had the same problem after I had finished the installation of my suspension upgrades. I also had leaking banjo bolts due to poor rebuilt calipers I bought from CI in Huntington Beach, but that is really another story. When my wheels were hanging down with the subframe on jackstands, the stock '67 rubber bumpstops hit square on the banjo bolts. I thought that was causing the leak, but was not. None-the-less, I decided to move the bumpstops, so I bought some '69 style rubber bumpers, and with help from a picture from Dave Pozzi, I mounted them on the front of the lower A arms. I had to break the new upper ball joints loose to get access to the frame to cut off the brackets, which was a pain, as they were brand new.
I also had to move the ends of the hard lines to the top of the frame so that the '69 flex lines I bought would not rub on the side of the frame. This was also annoying, as I had just finished replacing the hard lines with nice new home-bent lines which mounted on the outside of the frame where the originals had. It is all done now, and with a second set of calipers, I have no leaks and the brakes are much better than the originals. I took a bunch of pictures and have been meaning to write this up on my website, but have not gotten to it yet.
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