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Anyone else NOT happy with there 14FF rear disk conversion?

I just put the conversion on and used caddy calipers. As far as the braking perfomance goes, the caddy calipers are still large gm calipers. I agree with toomany, the problem may be with the ebrake. Even then, if you can get the ebrake set up right and dialed in I personally think the caddy ebrake is better than a single caliper "parking brake".....especially at highway speeds.
 
When I did mine years ago, I fought and fought air in my lines for months. Ended up taking it in and having the system pressure bled. This was also with the Caddy calipers. Still wasn't to my liking. Swapped out the Caddy calipers for a set of stock 3/4 ton calipers in the back, had it pressure bled again and wow what a huge difference. Hella better than the stock drums. Oh and I had also swapped in a stock 3/4 ton M/C for the same year of burb.
 
I have the rear disk setup on mine w/ D60 up front, Corp14ff in the rear. I went with the TSM kit that uses the Caddy calipers. I kept the stock MC but swapped out the proportioning valve for one from Inline Tube that is supposed to be specifically for four wheel disk conversions. The stopping power is just ok even though I had it power bled.

I would like to swap in a larger MC but I have yet to get a good answer on which one I can use on my 76. On my 90 Bronco and my 78 F150, you could simply swap in the exact same year MC from a one ton and everything matches up perfectly. I have not heard that a one ton MC from a 76 pickup will swap in directly for my half ton MC on my Blazer. If I am wrong somebody please post it up. I've read a bazillion threads on MC's and still can't figure out what my best option is for a direct bolt in swap.

The other issue I had was the E-brake cables. I had custom ones made by a place online but they are too long so they don't hold the truck as well as they should. I need to get shorter ones. However, the E-brake setup on my 76 is a joke. Those stupid little pieces of curved metal that hook to the frame that the E-brake cable goes through is the worst design I've seen. I have been tempted to buy all the parts for a later model E-brake. The other option is to go with a HAD driveline E-brake and ditch the Caddy calipers for the non-E-brake ones.
 
I used the JB7 calipers for the rear. At first the pedal was really low and no braking power. Swapped in a new master for my year. Same. Then I swapped in a new JB7 master. The 3/4 HD brake system master. Totally different. The bigger piston calipers need a lot more fluid pushed to them to get them to grab, that's where you lose your pedal. If I lay into them they will lock up my 35's in the rear.

In fact locking them up once already has saved me and my wife from driving clean over the hood of an eclipse that creeped out into the highway. That was the scariest thing ever. The back end skidded over enough that I could let the tires grab and throw the blazer around the front of the car.
 
Spongy pedal is air in the system. Yes you can put those calipers on backwards and not get them bled right. Bleeder screw must be the high point on the caliper.
 
Even if they are power bled, gravity bled, or pedel bled, you will never get the air out if the bleeder screw isn't pointed the right way. The air will just stay there.
 
xCaliK5x said:
Thats way worse if its a trail rig. The last thing you want is a heavy rear bias if you are heading down a slick muddy slope and have the rear lock up and then want to swap ends! Get an adjustable proportioning valve from summit and plumb it in.
Click to expand...

Hmm, I actually like the way the brakes handle for downhill, But i rarely have to use them because of my gears. I only have a few years of experience for wheeling, but i don't understand how the rear locking up first is a bad thing? wouldn't you want them to lock up first so your steer tires don't lock up? and wouldn't it help keep it straight by creating a drag on the back half, just like hitting the trailer brakes if your trailer starts to wander?
 
Same principle as hitting your e brake and locking your rears up in that crappy first car, skidding tires want to lead. so you could end up having your rear coming around your front on a slippery slope or icy roads.
 
I did the conversion on my Burb several years ago, i always thought they were alittle "soft" not so much spongy. I at first had an issue with wearing out the rears twice as fast as the front, but this seems to have gone away for some reason. Don't remember what i changed or fixed.

They are still somewhat soft feeling, but they really do work, well enough in fact that in a somewhat panic stop, everything in the back of the truck, likes to come up and see what's going on. :crazy:

I am happy with mine, everything is still stock, and i used the front style calpiers on the rear.
 
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