Brake rotor sizes?

[SHO GoDz 89]

My brakes on my SHO just went. I have a 92 Taurus GL with brand new brakes sitting around doing nothing (blown head gasket, gotta love the 3.8l).

Obviously I want to know if the rotors and pads from the GL will fit on the SHO (89). I'm betting not, but hey I mind as well ask since the GL is close enough away for me to work on it.

If not, I can get a discounted rotors and pads for $16 each, but the thing is I have to wait...I'd rather do this in the morning before work.

 

['94SHO]

Should fit, the GL has 15 in. rims, SHO=16 in. rims. Usually... I may be wrong.
But I am pretty sure you can. Swapping the other direction would be more of a ???:wave:

 

[Racer X]

Just buy new pads and rotors. Don't use old brake parts on your car.

 

[ManySHOs]

I believe that they'd swap but I'm with Hamal. There's not much point installing used brake parts especially if you can get new/reman so cheaply.

By the way, where are you shopping for parts? You aren't too far away from me.

Ian

 

[baySHO_510]

If you have stock brakes on your 89 just get some new rotors & pads. I think I paid like $30 per rotor for some brand new ones and brake pads are like $20. If you go cheap on brake parts you'll find out it was a bad idea at the worst possible moment.

I ended up getting some 13" Cobras... and I still managed to overheat them!

 

[Storm-Chaser]

Having never messed with brakes on an '89, I looked on the Parts America website. They show that both the front pads, calipers, and caliper brackets interchange 89-93, but that the rotors did not (89-90 and 91-93 were listed as different parts). I don't know why, but it may have to do with differences between the early SHO/non-SHO brakes, or differences in the height of the rotor hat between those model years.

 

[pjtoledo]

Having never messed with brakes on an '89, I looked on the Parts America website. They show that both the front pads, calipers, and caliper brackets interchange 89-93, but that the rotors did not (89-90 and 91-93 were listed as different parts). I don't know why, but it may have to do with differences between the early SHO/non-SHO brakes, or differences in the height of the rotor hat between those model years.

There are some minor differences between the SHO and Slo front brakes on the early cars.
The calipers are all identical BUT Slos have a phenolic piston with thick walls and a small center hole. SHOs have steel pistons with thinner walls and thus a larger center hole. That means the locating tangs on the back of the inside pads are different. Bending the tangs can sort of make them fit. Possibly a different compound too.
On the hubs the lip that sticks out to locate the wheel and rotor differs. Early cars had a relatively small step where the rotor sits, later the step was enlarged. Not sure what year the changes happened, it keeps you from mixing up the rotors. They are however, the same between SHO and Slo for each year.


Perry

 

[Storm-Chaser]

Again, having not messed with front brakes on an '89 - did the older Taurus' have the open-type wheel bearings like the rear hubs did until 1990 (versus sealed single-piece wheel bearings)?

 

[pjtoledo]

My 87 wagon had the one piece sealed front bearings, so I'll go with "all" had the same front bearings.
Not so for the rears, two seperate bearings per side thru the 89 model year.

 

[Storm-Chaser]

Thanks Perry !

I knew about rear bearing change-over to a single-sealed bearing in 1990, but not the front bearings - again, thanks.