Capri calipers on an Aspire knuckle

[TominMO]

What does it take to use my '91 NA Capri front brake calipers on an Aspire knuckle? Has anyone done this? I remember soneone telling me it could be done. Rock Auto is showing different part numbers, but I know that doesn't necessarily mean anything.

[Advancedynamix]

It can be done, but the Capri calipers are inferior to the Aspire calipers. In fact, I plan on running aspire calipers on an upcoming capri swap. The Capri calipers are more prone to sticking in my experience.

[TominMO]

It can be done, but the Capri calipers are inferior to the Aspire calipers. In fact, I plan on running aspire calipers on an upcoming capri swap. The Capri calipers are more prone to sticking in my experience.

OK fine, buying new Aspire calipers then.....when I get around to the Aspire swap. Brakes are fine now. I bought new calipers a few years ago when Greg did the Capri front brake swap. Still have plenty of pad too.

[Advancedynamix]

If you already have good working capri calipers then you can get away with just swapping knuckles.

[TominMO]

If you already have good working capri calipers then you can get away with just swapping knuckles.

OK, so the Capri calipers just bolt onto the Aspire knuckles, no special brackets or anything?

[Advancedynamix]

Yeah, I have not run this setup, but I did bolt capri calipers to Aspire knuckles and vice versa. The Aspire calipers are like an updated version. You'll want to make sure rotor thickness isn't an issue. I didn't have pads in the calipers when I was expiramenting.

[TominMO]

OK, thanks.

[DrFestiva88]

I'm curious. I've seen a few individuals who run the Capri swap with Escort gt calipers and Galant rotors - with slight machining they lose the captured rotor. Would the aspire calipers be better suited for these swaps?

[TominMO]

I'm curious. I've seen a few individuals who run the Capri swap with Escort gt calipers and Galant rotors - with slight machining they lose the captured rotor. Would the aspire calipers be better suited for these swaps?

Personally I have no idea and don't really care. My goal is to have Aspire front brakes on both cars, which will come in handy for wheel interchangeability for example (including 13" rims--snow tires). I have a set of Aspire knuckles to stick on, once I re-do the bearings. I will then just need to buy new Aspire rotors, and change back to Festy LCAs, which I also already have (Aspire LCAs were needed for the Capri brake swap).

[DrFestiva88]

Do you need some Aspire calipers? I have some in the garage.

[TominMO]

Do you need some Aspire calipers? I have some in the garage.

Thanks, but no, I will be using my Capri ones on Aspire knuckles.

[TominMO]

Some research I did on Rock Auto re Capri vs. Aspire front brakes:

Capri
NA Capris had 9.36" diameter rotors. Turbo Capris had 10.22" diameter rotors. All rotors were 18mm thickness.
Both NA and turbo used the same brake calipers and pads. So why did they bother with different-sized rotors?!

Aspire
All Aspires had 9.24" diameter rotors. Manual Aspires had 18mm-thick rotors. Auto Aspires had 22mm-thick rotors.
Calipers are different for manual and auto, presumably due to the 4mm difference in rotor thickness.

I therefore conclude I will need to buy manual Aspire rotors to fit my Capri calipers. This is probably old news to many of you, but thought it might be useful info.

I don't really understand why they felt the need to have two different thickness rotors for Aspires. Or different calipers either. Seems like they could have just standardized on the automatic's brake parts in the first place. And that the auto calipers could have handled the 4mm-thinner manual rotors too.

[defprun]

Probably cause the auto fights a bit against the brakes when stopped

[TominMO]

Probably cause the auto fights a bit against the brakes when stopped

Could be. But why not just make all the brakes the same? Even if the auto brakes are $1.25 more expensive, there should be savings by having only one part rather than two. Maybe it's perceptions: "the manual has better brakes" when they are exactly the same as the auto's.

[jason_]

Aspire auto and manual are the same caliper. The bracket is different. I'm 99.9999% sure. It was 4 years ago when I experienced on a Sunday night before work.

You can run either rotor. I ran auto on one side and manual on the other.

I would guess it's to fight the constant forward torque of the torque converter when in gear and trying to slow down.

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