Brake caliper interchangeable?

[stricular]

I am in the process of replacing my front calipers on my 'rents '87 wagon.

When I call the parts stores, they ask if its a Japan built model, which it is, and usually the calipers for the US built models are like 40 dollars cheaper EACH, presumably because of the early calipers' rarity(?).

So my question is: What is the difference between the japan and us front 4cyl brakes? can I use the 91 calipers on my early 87?

I seem to recall the last time I did the brakes, that when I went to install the new rotors, they were too thick to allow the caliper back on with new pads, because they were the wrong rotors(later US made 4cyl). When the store gave me the right rotors, everything fit/worked fine.

So apart from the possibilty of rotor thickness being different, will this bolt together(if I use later[same] model rotors)?

Please I need a definitive answer fast, since my brother took it upon himself to take apart what was my moms car, and now I have to clean up his mess.


THANKS!

[Doctor J]

The brake rotors are thinner, not sure about the calipers, the caliper brackets could be differerent too on the cars produced before May 1987

[stricular]

Are you sure the cutoff is may? Autozone's website asks if it is before or after septemeber '87. Can anybody shed light on the calipers/if I will need the later model brackets?

It seems like there is all sorts of stuff that is peculiar to the j-spec '87 cars. Like alot of the engine sensors are different.

[71Corolla]

I own an early 87 Camry, but I don't remember the exact change up date where Toyota used the revised brake parts. Easy way to find out is to call a Toyota dealer and ask for front brake pads. They will ask you the production month. I *think* it is May but like I said I don't remember it's been too long.

I converted many years ago to the upgraded parts, I replaced the rotors, brackets, and calipers. If I recall correctly, all must be replaced due to the larger thickness of the rotors. It's not much, 4mm I think but enough to make it impossible to install say only the rotors and keep everything else.

edit: to be clear, you MUST replace the brackets no matter what, the early ones are too narrow. As for the calipers, I don't remember 100% if it was needed but I got all the parts from the wreckers and did it anyway.

[HomeGrown]

Originally Posted by stricular

Are you sure the cutoff is may? Autozone's website asks if it is before or after septemeber '87.

May sounds more believable, since any car produced after September '87 would be an '88 model.

[Doctor J]

For the rotors, the cut-off is in May (Kragen website) My April 87 calipers are marked s21, my customer's car was Japan build 89 Camry and it has different number cast on the caliper.
Would it be possible just to bring the orig. caliper to the store and match it with new one. (the store info could be inaccurate too).

[stricular]

So let's see what we have figured out here:

1.The brackets and calipers will bolt up, according to 71 corolla

2.The rotors on the later cars are indeed slightly thicker

That should mean that:

3.The later model front brakes will work if you use all the parts(caliper, caliper bracket, pads<<assuming they are indeed different, and rotors).


So is it absolutely necessary to use the thicker rotors, considering how little difference there is in the thickness? I mean if the "narrower" early rotors stopped the car as well as they did, should they not work just as well, with the other calipers and brackets(and maybe pads) being the only real difference?

[stricular]

Ijust looked on autozone's website to check, and sure enough, the pads are the same 87-88, with no regard to the production month. #mkd356(duralast).

[stricular]

Just a few things i fell I should note:

I used remanufactured calipers for a 91 camry 4cyl. They bolted up to my existing OEM March '87 built caliper brackets, and I retained the older model slightly narrower rotors, leaving me the option of using either the old style rotors/brackets, or the new ones, all while saving about $30 each PER CALIPER vs the reman-ed early '87 calipers...

So that kind of begs the question why they even bother selling the early ones, which, BTW, are now special order at most places, while the more common later ones are stocked pretty much everywhere.

So yeah if you have an early '87 camry and are needing new calipers, get the later model ones and save a few bucks in the process.

Nooch.

Now all I have to do is align the front end, and my power steering rack r&r will finally be complete. It never ends, does it?