The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Disc Brakes Up Front

I've noticed in a lot of articles and ads that people are doing disc brakes up front and drum in the back. Does this usually improve stopping power enough? Is it cheaper and easier than doing both as disc? Just curious. I wanted to put disc brakes on the 66 chevy longbed and maybe disc up front would be cheaper and easier. Any thoughts? Sorry if this is a dumb question. Trying to learn...Thanks

Brian0006 Yes! Disc brakes make a huge improvement in stopping. While the front brakes get the load in a stop and are the most important for upgrade, the rear could use disc brakes as well. Someone else with a greater knowledge on this subject will chime in I'm sure. The cost is higher but if you check on what other Chevy vehicles rear disc brakes will match your rear setup and buy them used, the cost can be reduced quite a bit.

Ok, now what is the cheap way to convert?

well Gaz if yours was one year newer, the cheap way is to steal everything off a 71-72-I'm in the middle of doing my second, using spindles etc. off a 71 GMC I knocked in the head a coupla yrs ago.
Its not cheap just cheaper, ya gotta buy new ball joints upper & lower, & replumb & fit a new master, gotta swap for some rebuilt calipers, etc etc

Front brakes do 70% to 90% of the stopping due to weight transfer toward the front during a stop, so it makes sense to upgrade to a more efficient front brake. Unless you're in the habit of hauling maximum loads in the truck bed, the rear brakes are mostly for stability. Even if you choose a disc rear brake setup, the pads and discs need to be smaller/less efficient than the front to avoid rear wheel lockup. Some trucks use big rear brakes capable of stopping max-weight loads, and use a proportioning valve to reduce rear brake efficiency when the springs are unloaded.
Jerry

Well The front end is supposed to be off a 68. no torsion bars left. I wish there was some way to identify the exact year.

Sorry Joe, no pictures of the under carrage, Everything looks like it belongs there. What specs are available to help me figure out the year??

yeah Gaz if its got coils now, it'll take 71-2 spindles, I spent about $100 on ball joints & still need calipers/rotors/pads etc but will still be far from the $1000 or so a kit runs.

This is my notes from when I installed the front disk brake setup in my 1964. My only failure was making sure that the brake hoses up front were routed correctly. I routed mine going forward of the A arm so I will need to reroute them some day. This setup puts 5 lugs on your front end, you will need to do another swap to make the rear 5 lug if you want them to match. By the way if you have a 66 I would think that it would be 6 lug and if someone converted the front end to a 68 they would be 5 lug (at least I think that is correct).

Copied from “Ask Bill” section of “Classic Trucks” March 1997 issue.
“For the front suspension, you will need to find a set of ‘73-87 spindles, rotors and calipers. To install them onto your truck, you will need to install ‘73-87 ball joints into you’re “A” arms and change out the tie rods to ’73-87 units. The tie rods will require a special adapter. The adapters are available from Fatman Fabrications; (704) 545-0369 (note: not sure if this number still works since the article is so old). You will need to change the master cylinder to a ’73-87 model as well. It is a bolt on.”
From my records
I used a spindle from a 1975 ½ ton pick up.
The outer tie rod was for a 1975 ½ ton pick up.
The inner tie rod used was a 1964 ½ ton pick up outer tie rod.
Cannot remember if the tie rod adjuster was purchased from Fatman Fabrications listed above or not.
While the master cylinder may be a bolt on, I chose to add power brakes. While I had to add additional holes in the firewall it also seems that I had to make an adapter so that the plunger on the back of the brake booster would fit to the brake pedal lever. I believe that I had a threaded rod made to do this. I also trimmed the steering column bracket on the firewall to clear the brake booster.

Thanks Rusty, Probably will start the project next month (comng up to help?)

Now that's a thought. Better stay in town and continue to do the bodywork I've got started. I keep telling myself I will never do bodywork again.

i have a 63 and i bolted the front suspension out of a 83 right in had to drill 2 holes piece if cake and even used booster master cyc and lines and prop valve

I'm thinking about doing the same swap on my truck. What all do I need to get besides the brakes, spindles, and tie-rods? I would also like to get the power steering components so that I can have power steering for the city.

Doesn't most FLAPS carry 73-87 rotors in 6-lug patterns? I'd like to keep my 6 lug wheels on the truck.

You guys are great, thanks for your help. Wow, what the internet has done to allow us to save so much time and energy. Thanks again.

PBO

Well I'm almost done. Took a 87 front suspension from a Suburban (I took it all, by leaving the crossmember and all associated suspension and steering control components intact) and bolted it onto the 64 C-10. It was an easy installation, I only had to elongate one hole in each side of the 64 frame and drill one hole thru the frame on each side (use the hole in the crossmember riser as a guide). Because the bracket that holds the fixed link on the 87 angles toward the back of the frame and the 64 angles forward, I measured the distance from the forward bolt hole in the crossmember to the lower hole for the fixed link on the 87 frame and drilled the hole on the 64 frame to corerespond to this dimension; I then determined the angle for the top hole of the fixed link and drilled it to anchor the fixed link at the proper geometrical location. The brake line flex-hoses are different on the 87 and required drilling the frame to attach the hose to the frame with the nuts that were on the 87. Brothers Trucks offers a bracket to allow use of the 87 steering control unit to the 64 frame (the 87 has a stamped indentation in the frame which the 64 does not), all that is left to do is determine how to align the 87 pitman arm to the 87 drag link (the lack of the indention on the 64 frame and the thickness of the Brothers adapter causes the steering control unit to be offset approximately one inch to the left (drivers side)). I think this alignment issue can be solved by changing the tierod ends. I'll let you know how the pitman arm thing works out, anyone with the answer please let me know. Got a rearend from a coil spring 72 to replace the 64 in order to keep the common bolt pattern; can't just swap axels due to a difference in axel splines. PBO

Well I'm torn.
Just recently a neighbor sold me his 78LB after he fried the engine due to no oil. Seems he drained it and changed the filter but instead of filling the crankcase he poured the new oil into the radiator.

After crawling around under both of them I had began thinking of the complete front swap to my 64 and looking into making the rear end coilable (my word).

Now I'm thinking maybe I should just swap the cab, bed and engine?

Your first plan is probably easier.