Disc Brake Upgrade Reference Thread

[edszuk]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

If you want a 3/4 ton, then by all means go ahead and switch the front. But you will at a minimum have to change the lower control arm as well as the spindles, rotors, calipers, etc. IMO if you don't necessarily want a 3/4 ton, just change the rear end, it's a lot simpler. What year of truck do you have? If you want discs on the front, just get a 1/2 ton '71-'87 front suspension for the front. Then you could get away with just changing the balljoints, spindles, rotors, calipers, etc. Regardless whether you go to 3/4 ton or 1/2 ton front discs, you will need to upgrade the brake master to a dual reservior unit.

I have a 66 C-10 1/2 and would like to keep it a 1/2. On the rearend you have reweld perches and panhard right? Do you know what the pinion angle would be? I would love to convert to 5 lug. I went to a local junkyard to see what they had. He had a 5 lug front clip sitting there collecting dust. I asked him how much would it be for the 5 lug front end and a rear end. He said 500.00. That's how much I paid for the truck. I thought this was much for junkyard parts. I called a few junkyards around here and all want close to 250.00 for rear ends. Does anyone in California have a 6 lug rear end laying around for less?

Ed

[Captainfab]

Yes if you were to use a '73-'87 rear end you would have to weld on mounts for the trailing arms, and a mount for the panhard bar. I don't know off the top of my head what to set the pinion angle at. I would suggest checking the one you currently have and just duplicating that unless you plan on a big drop in your rear suspension. A '71-'72 rear end would be a direct bolt in but these can be hard to find.

It just kills me when I read about how much some of you guys in other parts of the country are having to pay for parts. Around here you could pick up a complete '73-'87 truck for $500 or less depending on condition and whether it's complete/ running or not. But it's that supply and demand thing......

Originally Posted by edszuk

I have a 66 C-10 1/2 and would like to keep it a 1/2. On the rearend you have reweld perches and panhard right? Do you know what the pinion angle would be? I would love to convert to 5 lug. I went to a local junkyard to see what they had. He had a 5 lug front clip sitting there collecting dust. I asked him how much would it be for the 5 lug front end and a rear end. He said 500.00. That's how much I paid for the truck. I thought this was much for junkyard parts. I called a few junkyards around here and all want close to 250.00 for rear ends. Does anyone in California have a 6 lug rear end laying around for less?

Ed

[edszuk]

thanks for the info. Ya'll are great. The 3/4 ton rear end is working so I'm not in a rush to change it. I'll keep looking. I found a nice kit for the rear end conversion kit.

http://www.classicperform.com/Store/...k/6072DRCK.htm