How to get disks on the front of my 69 K5?

[chevy_muscle]

I just got my K5, though I've been wanting one for a long time.

I love it, but I don't love the drum brakes /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif

How or what donor trucks can I get a disk brake setup from? A guy in my club has a 10-bolt (with disks of course) from a '90 Blazer that he would sell...... but I don't want to use a 10 bolt... I want to keep the Dana 44.

Is it possible to switch the knuckels from the 10-bolt to my Dana 44 without major modifications? (will it transfer right over?)

If not, what donor trucks can I get disks from. I'm assuming that I could just get a whole differential (or just knuckels ??) from a 71-72. Anything else?

While I'm at it, how about disks for the rear 12-bolt (I'm sure this has been asked a million times... sorry... I couldn't figure out how to search this) /forums/images/graemlins/whistling.gif

 

[Beast388]

IIRC, the D44 in your '69 is a closed knuckle axle. Therefore the outers from a later axle will not work.

You should have either the 3.07 or 3.73 gears from the factory in your Blazer. Find a '71-'77 D44 to swap in. If you have a choice, get a '73-'77 D44 because they have bigger u-joints in the axleshafts and bigger axle tubes.

As long as the front axle come out of a GM, it will be a direct bolt in. I have a '77 D44 in my '71 Burb. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

As far as 12 bolt disks..... here is an article. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

 

[sponsoredbydad]

Your right the drums suck my 69 came with disc on the front I belive just as you assumed full diff switch out of a 71 .good luck with that. /forums/images/graemlins/hack.gif /forums/images/graemlins/weld.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grind.gif my 69

 

[clubba68]

I just used 3/4 ton front axle from a mid-70's pickup truck with disc brakes. Then got a 14 bolt full floater and did the disc brake conversion that is available for those. Put in a 3/4 ton brake booster and proportioning valve and a Corvette master cylinder.
Lot of stuff. It was a long process of compiling parts and it is always more expensive than you assume. All in all, it is the best money that I spent on my truck. It actually stops now! /forums/images/graemlins/woot.gif
Well, at least when the brakeline isn't leaking, but that is fixed now. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

 

[R72K5]

71-up disk
most 70 were open knuckle, but not all

69 up is all same front spring pack length chasnged but i think pack spacing is same

caddy 4 weheel disk m/c should work along with 70s F body with four wheel disc, some trans ams and Z28's, etc

good luck

 

[69TowRig]

Looking to do the same thing to my '69. The drum-equipped D44 has open knuckles on mine.

 

[chevy_muscle]

I should have updated this thread.

Thanks for all the info R72K5


69TowRig: I bought two Dana 44's that are complete. One is off a 71 and has 3.73 gears and the other is a '76 with 3.07 gears.

I'm not sure which one I'm going to use yet because I might change my rear end. The current rear has 3.07 gears but is not posi. I'm looking for a posi rear end for it that is either 3.07 or 3.73.

The other will be extra and I would like to sell.

 

[69TowRig]

I have yet to jack up my truck and figure out the ratio, but you are saying they are a straight bolt in from the newer body style?

 

[69TowRig]

Did you ever get an answer to my above Q?

My truck "should" have 3.07s according to some research of mine. I also learned that I could straight swap 6-lug 10-bolt outers onto my D44 to get discs. If you need that ratio and will not be selling that axle that's okay because I know a cheap yard that has a 10-bolt I can strip.

Scored a '72 MC/Booster/Prop.valve last week so I am moving forward with the conversion very soon.

 

[69TowRig]

WOW does time fly.

***Scratch what I wrote in this spot*** Big problems with that setup.

I ended up using the "big bearing" spindles, knuckles, backing plates, hubs, and rotors from an '82 K5. The only outer part from the '69 that was used was the outer axle shaft. And had I had the one from the '82 I would have used that.

I replaced all the ball joints, spindle bearings/seals, rear grease seals. Re-used the bearings but thoroughly cleaned them first.

Upon reassembly it was found that the outer axle shafts come up a tad short. This caused me severe aggravation, time lost, lots of cussing. I had no way to get the shafts from the donor K5 and these things are very hard to find in yards in Houston.

I took a look online and found that the Early Bronco boys have been utilizing the threaded holes in the outer shafts to install a fender washer and a 7/16-20 bolt instead of trying to get a snap ring on there to hold the outer shaft in. I tried it and it works great. Here's a link with a nice diagram:

http://www.bronco.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php?n=Mods.FrontDiscConversion

My only issue at this point is the brake lines to connect the '82 style calipers to my '69 hard lines. The '71-'72 style lines and the '82 lines are too short. So I have that little detail to work out. Also, the rear line going into the proportioning valve needs to be bent at a 90° angle to screw into the '72 prop. valve. On the '69 it goes straight up like the front line.

I wanted this thing to be back on its wheels by the end of this weekend, but I just ran out of time. The passenger side is done except for the brake line but I have barely started on the driver's side.

I will update this again.

 

[69TowRig]

Driver's side is done and the truck is back on the four wheels (finally).

The fittings for the '72 proportioning valve are different (rear is bigger, front is smaller) so I need to replace the rear fitting and re-flare it, and completely replace the front hard line (it's a smaller OD) and fitting.

I think custom lines will be the way to go for the flex hoses.

 

[69TowRig]

Holy crap it just amazes me how long it takes me to finish anything.

In the last 7 months I slowly made my way to completion on this. Along the way numerous other parts of the Blazer were worked on, including the electrical system which took me almost 2 months to sort out all the hacking that had occured over the last 36 years.

I am proud to say that I have completed my power disc brake swap as of tonight! I started it in January when I tried to tackle a seized wheel cylinder on the front. Instead of $40 for the wheel cylinder I have spent more than 10X that on swapping knuckles, hubs, getting ball joints, buying calipers, pads, fancy custom braided hoses, power booster/MC/Prop Valve, almost all new hard lines, some adapters, etc.

But, here it is 10 months later and the thing has brakes to stop a train!

Booster, rebuilt MC, used prop off Ebay:

Crown Performance/Xtreme Crawlers braided kevlar hoses:

'82 K5 10-bolt knuckes, rebuilt '77 calipers:

New hardlines on rear axle, old ones were scaly and scaring me:

Rear hose. You can get these beauties from www.xtremecrawlers.com

 

[Yukon Jack]

I know all about how long things can take to get done (my K20 took me about 3 years to get back on the road). For alot of us, we don't get to work on the trucks tell all the other things are done. Glad to see your brake system done and that it is working well.