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Re: Decent Brakes on a 70 C10 for today
Some of you are highly underestimating the capable performance of the stock disc brakes. 71-72 C10 brake systems used 12" rotors that are a beefy 1.25" thick. Next, the calipers have massive 2 15/16" pistons, which have very aggressive clamping force. If you really want to get serious, look into the 3/4 to 1 ton truck calipers. They use a larger piston(I can't remember the sizes) and make for a good, cheap upgrade alternative.
Compared to most GM cars that have 11" rotors and smaller piston calipers, the GM truck brakes are actually more than adequate.
The two limiting factors on truck brakes are master cylinders, and brake pads. If you don't have the correct master cylinder and proportioning valve, the brakes won't work correctly. Most parts store pads are designed for low noise and low dust, but minimize bite. Just a simple pad change can change braking performance tremendously! I installed a set of Hawk HPS pads on my truck several years ago and it made braking much more efficient, especially since I was autocrossing. The down side is they're noisy and dusty. However, going to a set of Wilwood BP-10 pads will still stop well for daily drivers and occasional cruisers, and have low dust output.
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