The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk brakes

would like to swap out the front and possibly rear drums brakes on a 1952 gmc 3/4 ton pickup any ideas which doner vehicles would work or a distributor that sells disc brake kits to make the job easy thanks

Try www.classicperform.com

No easy way on a 3/4 ton. Nobody makes a kit for them. I beleive that there's a member here that's doing just such a conversion on the front of a 3/4 ton, try doing a search, you should be able to find it. For the rear, about the only thing i could suggest would be to perhaps take a look at the rear disk setup from a '01-'07 Silverado. I beleive that the entire brake caliper bracket and backing plate could be adapted to your axle.

With those rear gears you won't be going fast enough to worry about stopping. My two cents would be to either rebuild the old brakes or up grade your rear to something suitable for the freeway.

the front brakes would be easy to change wouldnt they be or not the rear brakes i could understand keeping them drum thanks for the help paul

Do a search of vendors both here on the bolt and on the web. You've been lurking here since 2004; you should have absorbed enough information on the subject of brakes to be able to figure out the best approach to your problem. Do a archive search here on brakes.

No. The available kits are for 1/2 ton only. It can be done, but you'll have to make you're own kit.

that is a nice truck you have kinda looks like mine only yours is better looking i forgot about this site and they changed the format but will continue my search for front discs show pics of the inside of your chevy

Paul,

There is a thread kicking around somewhere on the site about converting from the Huck Brakes that your truck (and mine) currently have to the newer Bendix style (the one that came out in 1953/1954). They will still be drums, but the process looks to be very easy, with some minor modifications made to the Bendix backplate. You can even supposedly reuse your spindles and hubs, and, of course, your stock eight-hole wheels.

I'm not terribly sure that there's a reason for you to do the conversion, though. There really isn't any problem stopping a stock 3600 Pickup with the stock brakes, unless you've got the engine wound out well beyond the red line... and even then, she stops well enough with a well-maintained old-school Huck braking system.

All of the parts -- save the drums -- are easily purchased new through the usual vendors (American Classic, Jim Carter, Chevs of the 40's, The Filling Station) or your FLAPS. The brakes are very easily maintained -- much, much easier than modern setups. Don't let either of these two things deter you from keeping your stock setup.

If you need new drums or are planning on hot-rodding the old girl, then I would start looking into converting to something else. If you don't or aren't, I wouldn't bother. (Though, I think I'd find a half ton to hot rod -- parts are easier to find.)

~#~#~#~

Also, something to keep in the back of your mind: Discs will probably require some sort of brake booster. Discs are much harder to actuate on the power of your leg alone.