I'm going to use the DIY4x brackets to put discs on my 14 bolt. I want an e-brake so I am looking at eldorado calipers. Damn there are a lot of options. Anyone have a part number that works good and hopefully not too expensive?
CK5
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Eldorado calipers
- Thread starter aceroth
- Start date
Ruffstuff is reproducing them new. https://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/R2262-A.html Looks to be out of stock currently. They just recently started offering them so I would guess they will have them again soon. Even if you get Eldorado brakes elsewhere I believe the hardware for the brake lever is basically unobtainable. These come ready to go with the lever.
A better option would be to use later model drum in disc set up. Cut Bros was making an adapter to put them on early style 14 bolts, they stopped production for a while but I saw where they will be making a small batch.
Yes, I skipped the whole Eldorado mess and just swapped in the AAM 10.5 for its brakes. Cost about the same as those Eldorado calipers for the whole axle.
I put Caddy calipers on my '70 with a 12B and I would be hesitant to do it again. The E brake doesn't work great, and it took some time to bleed them properly, as well as find a master cylinder and booster combination that worked decently in my application.
I bought a set of the brackets for the 14B from Cut Brothers for my '90, but I may end up swapping the whole axle in like @HankScorpio . I'm still undecided. I am wanting to check the width of the van axle that I found.
I bought a set of the brackets for the 14B from Cut Brothers for my '90, but I may end up swapping the whole axle in like @HankScorpio . I'm still undecided. I am wanting to check the width of the van axle that I found.
Huh? No one mentioned pedals.
It's the master cylinder
Oh ok, the hardware problem is the actuating lever on the caliper. Reman calipers don’t come with the lever, you’re supposed to reuse the originals. I believe Riff Stuff is the only maker of aftermarket levers so they can be very hard to find.
bp71k5
3/4 ton status
TSM also has them new. I also found a YouTube link where the guy describes adjusting the brake lever so the parking brake will actually work. Looking at mine, I can tell it could use a similar adjustment. I may try it and see how it works.
So: another vote for just buy a newer axle unless you actually already own parts for the eldo swap.... and even then
My experience: I was lucky enough to find a full 76' Eldo in a junkyard, grabbed the parts (everything) and threw them on a shelf in the "one day" category. Both caliper seals were shot, and bleeders destroyed by rust/me. Back in those days you could find the full caliper rebuild kit, now a days you cant get the internal piston seals anymore. Did the rebuild, new pads (76 eldo specific): still had one of the calipers leak, it destroyed a brake pad by soaking it in fluid. So i pulled them back off and threw them on a shelf for a few years.
Now I live in Texas, where they insist on "safety inspections" of vehicles on the road... which means I need a functioning e-brake if I ever want to be registered. So I pulled out the calipers, rebuilt them again, this time without all the proper seals because you cant find them, went through the pain of getting them all adjusted and cables hooked up, and promptly had both of them leak, again. So I ended up buying rebuilt units online and hanging onto my old cores. Plus new brake pads. Now they are on, they dont leak, they stop the truck fine, but the e-brakes dont really hold all that well. I can drive through it easily.
So looking back: just go buy a 2000+ drum in hat axle, move the mounts and be done. You will likely end up welding either way, because cable mount tabs, so just do it properly and dont mess with 45 year old brake parts.
My experience: I was lucky enough to find a full 76' Eldo in a junkyard, grabbed the parts (everything) and threw them on a shelf in the "one day" category. Both caliper seals were shot, and bleeders destroyed by rust/me. Back in those days you could find the full caliper rebuild kit, now a days you cant get the internal piston seals anymore. Did the rebuild, new pads (76 eldo specific): still had one of the calipers leak, it destroyed a brake pad by soaking it in fluid. So i pulled them back off and threw them on a shelf for a few years.
Now I live in Texas, where they insist on "safety inspections" of vehicles on the road... which means I need a functioning e-brake if I ever want to be registered. So I pulled out the calipers, rebuilt them again, this time without all the proper seals because you cant find them, went through the pain of getting them all adjusted and cables hooked up, and promptly had both of them leak, again. So I ended up buying rebuilt units online and hanging onto my old cores. Plus new brake pads. Now they are on, they dont leak, they stop the truck fine, but the e-brakes dont really hold all that well. I can drive through it easily.
So looking back: just go buy a 2000+ drum in hat axle, move the mounts and be done. You will likely end up welding either way, because cable mount tabs, so just do it properly and dont mess with 45 year old brake parts.
I run eldo’s I got from tsm on my 97. They actually do seem to hold quite well. I find once the e brake is depressed, pump the brake pedal a couple times and it seems to hold quite well.
I only bought them from tsm as I was in a time crunch, thinking I could bolt them on and give er. If I did it again I would have just boughten bare calipers from the part store and made my own brackets fwiw. I had to make my own cable mount anyways, at that point making the arm would have been fairly minor.
Like said above, find a newer style diff. I had poked around a bit, but was unable to find one with 410 gears.
I only bought them from tsm as I was in a time crunch, thinking I could bolt them on and give er. If I did it again I would have just boughten bare calipers from the part store and made my own brackets fwiw. I had to make my own cable mount anyways, at that point making the arm would have been fairly minor.
Like said above, find a newer style diff. I had poked around a bit, but was unable to find one with 410 gears.
The whole secret to making Caddy calipers work is to properly adjust them. Then you have to set the parking brake after every use.
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While maybe you have had better luck with them, I went through mine several times to make sure that I had everything proper, but I still like the positive E brake power that the drums offer. But I still remember the days of using just the E brake on the 1 ton wrecker while doing recovery work. The big old drum brakes held wonderfully! Just like the air brakes on the big wrecker!
These all look like they have the e-brake levers
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...bknswELRWYGm4PAADGt8VwiB1TUd-QUMaAn4hEALw_wcB
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...9v8ehWrR9-ShXChD9DFtiENCKm0iMkUEaAlUbEALw_wcB
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...jfbFP3peePHcc6bgTcosxHpEYuo23KlEaAsGgEALw_wcB
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...bknswELRWYGm4PAADGt8VwiB1TUd-QUMaAn4hEALw_wcB
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...9v8ehWrR9-ShXChD9DFtiENCKm0iMkUEaAlUbEALw_wcB
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...jfbFP3peePHcc6bgTcosxHpEYuo23KlEaAsGgEALw_wcB
There is nothing wrong with properly functioning drum brakes. Especially on a rear axle of a truck/suburban/blazer. I wish I had never trashed mine.
I still have the factory setup on my V3500. Factory 1 ton drums work great. I do like the disc setup on my K5 but not enough to swap my other working truck drums.
