drum to disc brake conversion on restoration 79 C20

[belay70]

Doing a frame up restoration on Dad's "Ol Blue" 1979 C20. Im hoping there is an accepted and standard drum to all-four disc brake conversion for these trucks?

 

[Jake292]

Assuming that you've got a 14 bolt ff, I would use the kit from off road design( http://www.offroaddesign.com/catalog/14FFdisckit.htm ). This is fairly cheep and the parts that it doesn't include aren't hard to find.

It's cool that you call your truck old blue because that's what we call my truck.

 

[belay70]

perfect! thanks!

btw - how to identify the 14 bolt ff? literally 14 bolts holding the diff cover on? Or what?

 

[MrMarty51]

perfect! thanks!

btw - how to identify the 14 bolt ff? literally 14 bolts holding the diff cover on? Or what?

YUP, there are 10 bolt,12 bolt and 14 bolt covers and lots of variations within them bolted on covers.

 

[89Suburban]

 

[bucket]

There were two different 14 bolt axles. One is the heavy duty "full float" version with hubs and bearings rather than just an axle shaft riding on a bearing. It is easily identified just by looking at the center of the wheel, if it has the hub sticking through and bolts holding the axle shaft to the hub, then it's the full floater and disc brake kits are common.

 

[WVscottsdale]

im doing one right now as soon as my parts from diy4x.com is where i got my brackets from i was able to get other parts from junkyards or rock auto

 

[MrMarty51]

I added those pages to My favorites.
How is Your conversion coming along ???

 

[WVscottsdale]

mine is done just need to add an asjustible prop valve to the rear but works good without for now

 

[77 K20]

mine is done just need to add an asjustible prop valve to the rear but works good without for now

I have read that a proportion valve may be needed with a rear disc brake conversion.... but can you explain why? Is there too much braking going on in the rear axle now? Or not enough?

 

[WVscottsdale]

not enough braking in the rear and will relie on the front brakes to do the work

 

[crazy4offroad]

not enough braking in the rear and will relie on the front brakes to do the work

Actually it is the opposite. After my rear disc swap the rears grab harder. I have an adjustable prop valve but I kind of like how they are right now. I may go to a bigger master cylinder later so I may have to tune the rear brakes to not grab so hard then but for right now they feel pretty even, maybe just slightly more grab to the back brakes.

 

[WVscottsdale]

mine must have some air trapped some where then. thought I had it all out but guess not

 

[kleedus]

diy4x brakets