14bff swap question

[ktedesco]

I just got my 14ff the other day. I was looking at Steve's article on the homepage regarding his axle swap. He mentioned the need to change the brake backing plate. I am not sure why this is necessary. Am I missing something. I thought the swap was pretty much bolt on with the conversion u-joint. Do I need to switch the brake backing plate even if I can find the correct brake line fittings for the existing one?

 

[skelly1]

I'm pretty sure that is only if you want to run the parking brake without modifying anything. I just installed mine and I wonder if a parking brake on the driveshaft is easier to deal with? Also, I was told that you need to run a different master cylinder because the brakes are bigger, hence it takes too much brake pedal travel from the half ton master, but I'm not sure on that either.

 

[Okiemuddog]

IIRC. the lines are the same fittings, all you should need is bigger I.D. u-bolts, a set of 14BFF spring plates, and a cross-over u-joint, autozone part # 3-3140 Oreilly's part #348 /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif. I did not change my backing plates, I am running the big drums with 15" wheels and no clearance problems. /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif

 

[Okiemuddog]

You can run a stock MC, most of us have changed over to get better stopping power for larger tires and rock crawling, got to have good brake for that /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

I am running the stock 14BFF e-brake cables hooked to my stock K5 cables with no problem

 

[heavy4x4]

You change out the backing plates to a later model year so you can use the "press-in" style e-brake cables that your truck uses. You can modify the old style to work with your cables...it's hard to explain, but there was a post on it the other day...I did it to mine, it basically involves cutting a slit in one of the bracket pieces to stick the cable through.

And no, you don't need a 3/4 ton master cylinder.

 

[heavy4x4]

[ QUOTE ]
You can run a stock MC, most of us have changed over to get better stopping power for larger tires and rock crawling, got to have good brake for that /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

I am running the stock 14BFF e-brake cables hooked to my stock K5 cables with no problem

[/ QUOTE ]

Your stock cables work because you have a '79. If I recall correctly, that year still had the two cables going down either frame rail. The "newer" trucks have one cable that runs down the driver's side framerail and then splits into two just in front of the rear axle...that's when you'll run into "problems."

 

[Derf00]

The 14B out of 1 tons's have the e-brake cables that will attach to the newer K5's.

 

[Okiemuddog]

I see, I guess I could have looked at his profile /forums/images/graemlins/whistling.gif /forums/images/graemlins/whistling.gif, I also just remembered, my 14Bff is from a K30 /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif, has had the perches and shocks moved /forums/images/graemlins/hack.gif /forums/images/graemlins/hack.gif

Thank you for the correction /forums/images/graemlins/bow.gif /forums/images/graemlins/bow.gif /forums/images/graemlins/bow.gif

 

[ktedesco]

The 14bff is from a 78 3/4 ton. I don't know why I didn't say that in my original post. It probably makes a differance. So the main issue with swapping the brake backing plate is for the emergency brake. I am going to look at the e-brake connection on my K5 to see how it compares to the one on the 14ff that is going in. Thanks everyone.