Buick Encore Brakes to Sonic

[Stew]

I feel like scot might be on to something. If you get a sleeve to fit the 14mm mounting hole on the bracket made for a 12mm bolt you could still use the 12mm bolt. Though you could be correct in the reverse thinking bit as well.

No because the threads are in the BRACKET, not the spindle mounting hole. That sleeve would work to go back to stock though. You cannot use the Sonic 12mm bolts in the Encore 14mm threaded holes.

Brackets came in today, I've got everything. Going out to do some drilling and put the Encore brakes on, if all goes according to plan I'll report back later with details!

 

[Blue Moon Sonic]

No because the threads are in the BRACKET, not the spindle mounting hole. That sleeve would work to go back to stock though. You cannot use the Sonic 12mm bolts in the Encore 14mm threaded holes.

That's bad on me. I should have payed attention more.

 

[CjCsonic]

Good luck stew!

 

[Stew]

UPDATE: Well we've got a big problem. The problem is that this is TOO AWESOME!

Just got the first side done, it is literally just removing old parts and putting on new parts with the exception of drilling.

Believe me I am the last person to do permanent modifications such as drilling a suspension part like that but it is SO EASY! You definitely want to use a 9/16 HSS bit, keep the hole lubricated with a light machine oil such as 3-in-1 and keep the drill speed low and the pressure medium and it only takes less than a minute per hole.

Heading back out to do the other side then I'll be rockin Encore brakes!

 

[Stew]

Brakes are all done but I haven't test driven it yet, still have to put tools away.

But before I did that I wanted to show the part that will probably make people the most nervous and that is drilling out the hole.

Halfway drilled to show what exactly you are drilling out and how much:

All the way done, it looks as clean as the factory hole:

When you're done drilling spray the hole out with brake cleaner and run a file across the backside to deburr. I used thread lock on the new bolts because the original bolts appeared to use it.

 

[CjCsonic]

You beat me to it, well congrats update us on the test drive, im sure its gonna grab like a 14" vette brake lol.

 

[CjCsonic]

You are confusing me; is the 14mm for the present system or for the modded system?

Laborsmith

The system on the sonic has a 12mm caliper bracket mounting bolt. The swap we are doing from the encore has a 14mm caliper bracket mounting bolt. This swap will require drilling of the sonic spindle to 14mm or 9/16 as stew did.

 

[laborsmith]

I see it now. I tried to delete my question but your answer beat me to it.

Laborsmith

 

[Stew]

You beat me to it, well congrats update us on the test drive, im sure its gonna grab like a 14" vette brake lol.

As it happened I needed to fill up for tomorrow and if I do it tonight I won't have to wake up as early, which gave me an excuse to take it for a spin!

Initial impressions are that it does in fact stop, lol. It will be hard to really compare for a little while though because the brakes have to get bed in before really flogging them. They do look nice and people have spent way more doing things to make their cars look nice.

CjCsonic, THANK YOU for discovering this really nice affordable upgrade and posting it here for everyone! And thanks for letting me post pics and info along side you in your thread, I can't wait to see your official how-to, I know it'll be popular and I vote now for it to be stickied!

 

[jgrote]

Now that we all know what it takes to get the brakes installed, we should now figure out what wheels fit over this. I have a set of 16"steelies and stock 16" Al. wheels.

 

[CjCsonic]

Now that we all know what it takes to get the brakes installed, we should now figure out what wheels fit over this. I have a set of 16"steelies and stock 16" Al. wheels.

I had the stock 16" wheels on mock up everything fit with good clearance. I have a sonic where i work with 15 steelies i will test fit once im done.

 

[Sneakerfix]

16s should be the biggest with a 12" disk

 

[CjCsonic]

16s should be the biggest with a 12" disk

U mean 16" would be the smallest I take it, or are you a glass half full kinda person.

 

[Sneakerfix]

Smallest*

 

[jgrote]

What kind of 16" wheels do you have, steelies or Al? It looks to me that the steelies don't have quite as much room behind them.

 

[CjCsonic]

Aluminum

 

[CheapFuneral]

I can tell you this week/weekend if A: the encore wheels fit our cars nicely and b: the stock 15" aluminum rim will fit over those rotors...


**** you auto correct!

 

[Sneakerfix]

I can tell you this week/weekend if A: the encore wheels fit our cars nicely and b: the stock 15" aluminum rim will fit over those rotors...


**** you auto correct!

The rotor isn't the issue I think it's the caliper. I use 12" rotors and 15" rims on 24.5 slicks on my drag car and clears. But I'm not sure the offset of the sonics will allow that

 

[Scot]

Brakes are all done but I haven't test driven it yet, still have to put tools away.

Finished pictures, please!

 

[Stew]

Finished pictures, please!

You are going to have to wait for CjCsonic's official how to for those!