The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline 1951 3600 need a front axle solution

I have a 51 3/4 ton with no brakes.
My problem is I need to turn the frame into a rolling chassis
What options are out there now?
I had back. When I started I was going to use the IFS that Scott was selling that used S10 parts but that was quite a while back
Would the mustang 2 crossmember be adequate
I plan to actually use it as a light pickup think S10 like

I do have a crossmember from under a72 half ton Chevy but that requires quite a bit to make it fit.
The original straight axle would be fine if it could have disk brakes

I did a front disk brake conversion on my 50 3/4 ton (3600). I bought mine from a source on E-Bay but that was a few years ago.

I have a friend who used this kit on the stock front axle of his 3/4 ton GMC and was very satisfied.

Bill that just might work.

I was trying to make my own using chevy 1/2 ton rotors and calipers
Planing on using the 1/2 ton rear end from the 72.

I have a mill lathe both tig and mig welder so minor tweaking isn’t a huge problem

tired51chevy - Welcome to Stovebolt! That said, if your planning on following through with a disc brake conversion on your standard 3/4ton axle, your topic best belongs in the Driveline forum. It's been moved here for further discussion and help. Once again welcome!

My GMC '52 152 (3/4 ton like yours) came to me with a 1/2 ton front disk brake kit installed. The rotors and calipers were 5 lug from early '80s Chevy Monte Carlo. The PO's shop modified the spindles to use the kit's pieces by machining the spindles to the same size as 1/2 ton.

Yes I had thought about using a 3100 front axle
Actually went and looked at what I have seems I had used 8 bolt rotors, so probably will use the
Rear end that is under it now, it came out of a 3/4 ton van simifloating it was narrower then the full floating ones.
Down side is it has huge brakes on it that’s the next problem to tackle

tired51=How is that a downside? Big drum brakes do the best job stopping anything.

Otto The problem is getting it balanced don’t want the back end locking up before the front end.

Got to know one’s limitations and brake and suspension design are 2 of my short comings.
I know enough to know to worry about it but not enough to be sure what is going to work right.
When it comes to the running gear I’m a parts changer.

Bill I hadn’t thought of turning the the spindles down to half ton size that is with in my abilities
5 or 6 bolt opens up a lot more wheel and tire options

I have measurements that mine were turned down, but. I am not positive who provided the 1/2 ton kit. The kit used a spacer, but I had a machine shop here incorporate that spacer into my replacement spindle when he turned it down.

I THINK the kit was from CPP.

Once you decide on a disc and caliper, a sneaky trick we used on the round track cars was to use air pressure to clamp the calipers to the disc- - - -then fabricate suitable brackets to mount the calipers to the spindles. Anybody with a little machining/welding experience should be able to do that without a "kit".
Jerry

Hotrod
this is true but I’m not sure that it’s worth the time and effort when you figure in the coast of the rotors and calipers.
Looking at the 3/4 ton kit I see where I was approaching it the wrong way.
But yes if I go the 1/2 ton 5 bolt route I don’t see the brackets from the kits working with out some help
Then again I do have rotors and calipers on the 74 front crossmember.
There is a great deal to be said for off the shelf components, more stuff to think about

End of last year I went with a Performance Online (via eBay) kit for my 3600. Came with adapters for the different 3/4 ton spindle options. Very happy with how that turned out. Took something like 2 hours to do the whole swap (and some extra time to install an adjustable bias valve). Keeping in mind I already had all the hardware free so I wasn't fightin frozen or broken bolts.

Nothing wrong with drums, they really stop fine, I've had plenty of 4 wheel drum vehicles (and still have a couple). Our firetrucks still run drum brakes, so I mean... they work. For me, it was more of an experiment and of course I saved all my old parts. I just wanted to try it, and I am very happy with the setup.

This kit does kick the front tires out about 1/2" (IIRC)

Only real thing wrong with drums in my case is the lack of them to begin with and them being made of "unobtanium".

If I can use the rotors and calipers from the 74 C10 I can also use the master cylinder and booster from the same.
I wouldn’t be shocked if they are the same as the Monte Carlo that they used on Bill’s.
GM being GM they have been known to use the same part on more than one thing.

Any kit using bolt on rotors will space the wheels out slightly

I’m going to do it the same way it was done on Bill’s

If you use the K10 rotors, you can stay with 6 lugs.

3600 is eight lug

Tired 51 Chev - hear you on the drum availability. That was also in the back of my mind doing the switch although there were some other options available; everything required some fabrication (i.e. TIME I don't have - and like I say that kit was so quick to install.)

What I was trying was with K20 rotors
I drilled and taped the hubs to use bolts instead the standard lug bolt
Then used that to bolt the rotors to the backside of the hub
Also machined the hubs to take roller bearings
No widening of the track that way, would have worked but it was the caliper bracket that got me
I was trying to do it by welding instead of stacking spacers.
Once I figure out what I need for the brackets I will probably
Draw it up in cad and have them water jetted.
Sold my cnc mill or I would use that
Time is one thing I have.
I want to go 5 bolt, eight bolt rim choices aren’t as good for me
I want a tire with some sidewall need that to give some help with the ride

An adjustable proportioning valve for the rear drums should let you dial it in to where you want it.