disk brake conversions parts

[Unforgiven]

I've never heard of drilling drums. That's really interesting (& much, much cheaper than a disc brake conversion).

I wonder if it would be applicable for off-road uses with sand, mud, mucky water? I would think the holes would let sand in & score up the drum.

Drilled Brake Drums

I had more than one occasion to try them out in 100+ degree stop and go freeway driving for about 120 miles at a time. There was no fade what so ever that I could tell from constantly ridding the brakes and the pedal force to lock them up was far less that they are now with the discs. I also did a small amount of driving in rainy weather, but didn't go through any high water. Never the less I'm sure the brakes got wet a few times and there was no fade to that either. I can remember in Years past both of those situations sent me heading for the bar ditch to avoid collisions because of fading brakes. (Prior to drilling the drums) You might say "Why did you switch to Discs if you were happy with them?" Well the answer to that is I assumed that the Discs would stop even better and be about the same pedal force to

 

[Eliteweapons]

It has been quite some time since anyone has commented on this thread so I was curious if anyone has found a better solution (and cheaper than packaged options) for disc brakes?

Thanks

 

[grendel]

Yeah, the F700 ones mentioned early on work very well. Just have to build your own caliper bracket off the spindle studs.

 

[Eliteweapons]

Thanks. The master cylinder is ok to use for the disc brake conversion?

 

[HanksDeuce]

Based on the dates from my website I installed my disc brake kit on 12/09/12. I didn't replace the factory deuce air pack and master cylinder with the Hydroboost unit until 05/23/14. However, I removed the deuce engine on 10/13/13. This equates to me running the factory air pack & master cylinder for just under a year with no issues for the disc brake conversion. They Hydroboost is a split master cylinder and is much safer than the anemic deuce unit.

 

[yolner]

Hank, do you think the stock MC and Airpack would work if I converted just the front axle and left the drums on both rear axles? What about swapping all 3 to disc? I know in a regular truck all the disc conversions usually suggest changes to the MC setup. That's the only thing holding me back right now.

 

[HanksDeuce]

Hank, do you think the stock MC and Airpack would work if I converted just the front axle and left the drums on both rear axles? What about swapping all 3 to disc? I know in a regular truck all the disc conversions usually suggest changes to the MC setup. That's the only thing holding me back right now.

That's a tough call that I can't make. I think it would still work fine with the factory airpack and stock MC if you converted all 6 drums to discs. Not sure how it would work if you only converted the front to discs. Note that I don't have a proportioning valve on my bobber disc brake setup either (even with Hydroboost). I think Steve at Differential Engineering has a disc brake setup (that he makes) on his bobber and he doesn't run a proportioning valve either. Lastly, I don't recall if Steve has Hydroboost or not.

 

[rustystud]

Hank, do you think the stock MC and Airpack would work if I converted just the front axle and left the drums on both rear axles? What about swapping all 3 to disc? I know in a regular truck all the disc conversions usually suggest changes to the MC setup. That's the only thing holding me back right now.

Do you have the dual brake system ? If not then I would not convert just the front's to disc as they need much more pressure then the drum brakes do.
I've been floating an idea in my brain-case about adjusting the amount of air-pressure the brake booster gives the front brakes. I believe by using a different tension spring ( or porting out the valve) you can "increase" the brake pressure which would allow you to use disc-brakes up front.

 

[yolner]

Do you have the dual brake system ? If not then I would not convert just the front's to disc as they need much more pressure then the drum brakes do.
I've been floating an idea in my brain-case about adjusting the amount of air-pressure the brake booster gives the front brakes. I believe by using a different tension spring ( or porting out the valve) you can "increase" the brake pressure which would allow you to use disc-brakes up front.

No, my truck has the stock single airpack system. Wouldn't adding a proportioning valve to the rear brakes solve this problem? If I understand it right it would allow you to reduce the pressure pushed to the rear axles while keeping the normal front pressure.

 

[rustystud]

No, my truck has the stock single airpack system. Wouldn't adding a proportioning valve to the rear brakes solve this problem? If I understand it right it would allow you to reduce the pressure pushed to the rear axles while keeping the normal front pressure.

I don't know of a proportioning valve that will flow that much fluid.

 

[66m35a26x6]

You can't run disc & drum off the same stock system
but you can run disc in all corners of a 6x6.
Im getting ready to do all 3 axles on a stock system just make shire you remove
the residual valve that's in the master.
theres no diff 4x4 or 3axles just look at it this way
you have better stopping with dual rear axles ..
good luck!!

 

[rustystud]

You can't run disc & drum off the same stock system
but you can run disc in all corners of a 6x6.
Im getting ready to do all 3 axles on a stock system just make shire you remove
the residual valve that's in the master.
theres no diff 4x4 or 3axles just look at it this way
you have better stopping with dual rear axles ..
good luck!!

On a old single circuit brake system your correct, but on the 1987 and newer Air-Force deuces with the dual brake system it is very feasible. I've been thinking about converting my front brakes to calipers for awhile now and all I would need is to increase the boost pressure from the air-pack . There are several ways this can be done. One is to increase the amount of air to the booster as that translates to boost pressure on the piston. Another one is to increase the size of the air-line to the boost piston. That would provide more air also. The cost of the conversion kit is what is holding me back right now.

 

[66m35a26x6]

Im piecen my conversion together
with the use of 94/98 ford f700
2000 up no ABS calipers from f550 trucks

and using prefab brackets
and saome minor machine work needed open up the rotor for the hub
up front only..and that depends on wich way you run the rear hubs..
like the idea with the booster
thanks