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Drum to Disc Rear Brake Conversion

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trukman1

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I converted my '67 14-bolt FF to discs using bracket made from pattern off eBay and using 3/4-ton rotors and Eldorado calipers. This made the conversion very inexpensive.I did have to change brake master cylinder but proportioning valve worked fine despite some people saying they had trouble with those when making this swap.

Does anyone know of a similar "swap" for 10-bolt rear ends? Something that uses OEM parts with a homemade bracket (and where to get prints to make brackets?)

Thanks in advance! trukman1
 
most if not all the kits use OE rotors, calipers and brake lines. So you're saving a few bucks on the brackets by trying to source a pattern, I've bought the 10 bolt brackets for $30 a piece in the past.
 
I have a similar setup on my 10 bolt rear. The bracket ( unknown mfg) was supplied by Warn on my full float kit. i have 79-85 Cadillac calipers, 1989 K1500 front rotors.
 
frankin5 said:
I have a similar setup on my 10 bolt rear. The bracket ( unknown mfg) was supplied by Warn on my full float kit. i have 79-85 Cadillac calipers, 1989 K1500 front rotors.
Click to expand...
Did you buy your kit used off this forum or did you buy it new?
I sold my kit here with the disc brake kit.
The brake kit is a separate kit from the the warn full float kit.
 
Not a ton of help, but a couple of good shots of what someone ended up with on an Astro/Safari van. Not sure what rotors that kit uses ($932 rear disks?? On a 7.5" 10 bolt?? Had to laugh, is that mean?), it's 5 lug, but those are the '79-85 Cadillac calipers, and that setup looks like it would clear a 15" wheel, which is something to consider as the rotor size increases.

http://www.astrosafari.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=16697
 
That motor city is TSM 's parts. I bought directly from TSM in Castle Rock, CO.
I put the kit on my 12B in my '70. It all worked fine, except that the park brake won't hold as much as I want, but that isn't TSM's fault.
I am not positive, but I think that the rotor has to get the center opened up. I think that he told me it was a for the '88 and up IFS truck.
 
6872xtc said:
That motor city is TSM 's parts. I bought directly from TSM in Castle Rock, CO.
I put the kit on my 12B in my '70. It all worked fine, except that the park brake won't hold as much as I want, but that isn't TSM's fault.
I am not positive, but I think that the rotor has to get the center opened up. I think that he told me it was a for the '88 and up IFS truck.
Click to expand...
Yep, TSM is the one that makes those kits, mine was and 88 up ifs front gets you the rotor.
Don't remember having to open up the center.
 
That's one of the problems with the Cadillac setups, the parking brake seems to be hit or miss. If you need one, and use it, that's a deal killer IMO. It needs to be a given that it will work correctly when you are talking that much money and effort to get them in there, and they aren't.

Is it possible/safe to cut down the outside diameter of a rotor? I don't know as small diameter/thick rotor calipers are out there that would work on six lugs, but cutting down larger diameter rotors might open up some options. As a for-instance, many vans and what not were running 6 lug rear disks, but they were on 17" wheels.

If you are willing to go with larger wheels, the swap options are probably greater.
 
If you have them adjusted right, they work great. See attached video on adjustment.
 
@frankin5 can you pull through the park brake just slightly above idle? My '70 will, and I have adjusted them a couple of times. I don't know if the 4:56s combined with the 700R4 make any difference. But I like to have it hold a little better. I got too used to old trucks where you would have to work to pull through. Holds well and keeps from driving away with it set.
 
It doesn't move. The Cadillac rears have to be bleed off caliper to get all air out. Everybody makes they bracket that mounts the Cadillac caliper bleeder not at the top position. The setup of the parking paw is the most critical part of all.
 
Yup, bled mine off of the mount. Not that I believe it would make a difference with the park brake. :dunno:
Not sure if mine has poor geometry of the foot pedal, cuz it seems too easy to pull through.
 
I think i need to clarify my post. I put discs on my 14 FF but now I'm looking to put them on my 10-bolt. (And I don't need everyone telling me a 10-bolt isn't worth it because it's junk) The vehicle will not be driven off-road. I was looking for the stock parts to do the swap without buying a kit. Someone out there surely must have a pattern for the bracket along with a parts list I can get at the salvage yard or parts store. Trying to "low buck it" like I did on my 14 bolt.
 
Only thing out there that I am aware of would be the (apparently) 2000+ 8.625" rear disks. What I read just now says that all 8.625" trucks got rear disks, and those axles started in 2000.

You get into the drum in hat design on those, the bolt pattern for the backing plate appears to be square, I'm not sure what the 10 bolt's our vintage are for bolt pattern. The backing plates, rotors, calipers, and some other rear disk small parts are listed on Autozones site.

I don't know as I've ever heard of anyone swapping factory rear disks onto a 10 bolt in the trucks, I'd want to look at a complete setup in the wrecking yard to get an idea of feasibility. If there isn't too much added complexity (right axle ratio, width is close enough to not look stupid, lug studs can be changed, pinion u-joint isn't an issue, e-brake can be connected easily, etc), a complete rear swap might be something to consider. Move the perches, run an adapter u-joint, get the brake cable length correct, done.

There isn't going to be a "simple" fix to this, or it would be done much more frequently I'm sure.
 
My son checked into putting rear discs from an '04 Suburban on a rear 10B. No go without an adapter plate, which was going to be a trick due to the axle tube size differences. It's sorta tight, don't remember the measurements. He said that it looked close to the 6 lug SF14 under my Jimmy.
 
There are a lot of U Tube video out there for placing the later hat discs on a early ten bolt for cars. I have not seen any for 6 lug conversions using the later model hat discs.
 
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Not sure how much the kits that you're looking at run but it might be easier and cheaper to just swap in a 10 bolt from a 2000+ Silverado, Tahoe, Burb, etc now that they're popping up in the yards more and more. You'd have to relocate spring perches and probably shock mounts but the axle is a little stronger and drum-in-hat parking brake actually works. @cyclic put one his Burb and has been happy with it.
 
trukker1 said:
I think i need to clarify my post. I put discs on my 14 FF but now I'm looking to put them on my 10-bolt. (And I don't need everyone telling me a 10-bolt isn't worth it because it's junk) The vehicle will not be driven off-road. I was looking for the stock parts to do the swap without buying a kit. Someone out there surely must have a pattern for the bracket along with a parts list I can get at the salvage yard or parts store. Trying to "low buck it" like I did on my 14 bolt.
Click to expand...


I used factory 10b discs on my 12b. Can't really get more low buck then that. Backing plates needed a little drilling but it was pretty easy. I'd assume a 10b rear would be just as easy. Only thing that sucked was no e-brake. Wasn't an issue when I was running an automatic. More of a problem now with the 4spd. :D

I'll see if I can fix the pics in the link since it was an old thread I think I had them all on Photobucket.

12b build

Z
 
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