The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Researching Big Trucks 4400

Hi

I build vintage Harleys. 1940's . Looking at maybe getting a 1950's 4400, but I can't seem to find a disc brake kit bolt on for the 4400 series. I have to have good brakes. kind of a deal breaker. any companies make on for the 1.5 ton's? I can only find 1/2 tons

thanks

Dustoff - First off, welcome to Stovebolt! Looks like you've been a long time member, but never posted before today.

Since your question relates to a "Big Bolt", t's been moved here (Big Bolts) for further conversation and help.

Fellow "Big Bolt" owners with experience on the topic will surely respond soon.

Once again, Welcome!

You might check out the sticky big brakes at the top of the Big Bolt forum.

Dustoff, I have a '58 4400 (Thor), like you I couldn't find anything the would just bolt up. I spent some time an researched the parts needed to do the conversion without having to change axles. In the end I wound up making my own brackets for the calipers and swapped over to tapered roller bearings at the same time.

I used a rotor from a 2000 Chevrolet Tiltmaster: Raybestos P/N 980066R, and a caliper from a 2015 F@&d F350 Super Duty: Ultra-Power P/N 18B5487. I found all the parts at RockAuto.

https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthread...8-4400-disc-brake-conversion#Post1546538

Following

You would be well advised to follow Craig's guidance- - - -once stovebolters get beyond the 1/2 ton "Cowboy Cadillac" stage and get into full grown trucks that actually work for a living, they're pretty much on their own for doing modern upgrades. The parts are out there- - - -but it's going to take some (usually a lot) of ingenuity to make them work together. There's really nothing wrong with a well-restored original drum brake system, particularly one with a Hydrovac power booster, but some of the parts are getting scarce. The big rigs were routinely used at their maximum load rating (or more likely big overloads) for untold millions of miles with original brakes and steering. My grandparents ran several businesses in the late 1930s and early 40s hauling coal, ice, beer, and dynamite all over the southeastern United States. Their 34 and 35 Chevy 1 1/2 ton trucks had mechanical brakes, and pulled trailers with NO brakes at all.

A quicker, and probably less expensive alternative would be to drop some type of vintage sheet metal onto a retired motor home chassis- - - - -lots of low mileage rigs are out there at bargain price estate sales from old geezers who didn't last very long after retiring and becoming "snowbirds".
Jerry

I agree with HotRod Jerry, my 2 ton long wheelbase '57 5700 has the stock brake system. I have total confidence in the truck, of course I rebuilt the entire brake system but kept it all stock. Right now it has a couple thousand lbs. of scrap steel on it as I clean out more of the obsolete stuff from my barn. It carried 110 bales of hay without concern from the brakes. Now I know that these loads are not maximum for this truck, it has a 16,000 lb. GVWR and about 7200 lbs. empty but I don't foresee any issues.

It's a little over $600 to have the Hydrovac rebuilt in my C60. It's $750 for a complete, modern, dual diaphragm, dual circuit master cylinder setup that even caters to the hydraulic clutch option. Also that deprecates all the extra vacuum lines, tank, and exhaust line/filter.

It's this setup: https://www.battlebornbrakes.com/pr...diaphragm-firewall-booster-master-c60vb1

Bendix won't sell the kit to overhaul a Hydrovac anymore, so I'm told, therefore it looks like I'm down to getting lucky with an old Cardone reman in a warehouse somewhere.. or updating. Really considering the update, because in addition to modern day parts that you can just buy if they go out, this also becomes dual circuit safe, so if there's a problem at one wheel, it's no longer a problem at all the wheels.

Another way to avoid dealing with a 50+ year old Hydrovac design would be to adapt a Hydro-Boost system to your truck. That uses a power steering pump and hydraulic fluid, not vacuum, to make your right leg stronger. You could either stick with the original drum brakes and adapt the plumbing to the dual chamber master cylinder used with the hydroboost, or go with the entire disc/drum brake system from a suitable GVW modern truck and make it fit your original front and rear axles. Either way, you're going to be in for some custom fabrication, since the market probably just isn't out there for somebody to put together an "Easy Button" kit.
Jerry

I did just as Jerry has suggested. I adapted a Hydrobooster from a 90's GM Motorhome to my '58 4400 (Thor). While my truck uses 4 wheel disc brakes the Hydrobooster would work perfectly with Drum brakes.

I did just as Jerry has suggested. I adapted a Hydrobooster from a 90's GM Motorhome to my '58 4400 (Thor). While my truck uses 4 wheel disc brakes the Hydrobooster would work perfectly with Drum brakes.