I'm building my 62 and leaning heavily towards front disc brakes. I live in the mountains and since its an automatic drums tend to get a little hot. Anyways what's the best way to do it? I don't want to swap the subframe and keep factory suspension. "Kits" run from $300-$1200 and I'm trying to figure out best way to go...
72 ish to 87 I think are the years. Basically the front crossmember will bolt right in. Get over to 67-72 trucks.com all the info is there
CPP makes stock height and drop spindles for the T-bar front end (1960-62) that uses the later 1971+ disk brake parts.
This seems like the best way to go. The do it yourself way to adapt disc brakes with the stock lower control arm & T-bar suspension involves some cutting & welding fabrication. If this is not done properly you will have alignment issues. Are the CCP spindles 6 lug to match the rear?
From what I've been reading on CPP web site is that you can buy spindles for 239 or a kit for 900... All the parts they use are from a 71-87 truck... Sooo... Would it be best to get spindles and buy the rest of the parts from say Napa for a much cheaper price? Also CPP offers their kits in 5 and 6 lug...
I'm not going to do all your pricing for you, but you should be able to go to the NAPA web site (or whatever AP place you like) and get a pretty good idea as to what the rest of the parts would cost. You could also go to a salvage yard and get a lot of the hard parts (calipers, rotors, etc.) for a pretty decent price. You'll also need a different master cylinder.
I ordered a kit from POL performanceonline.com . It was $1500 but came • 12" High Quality Brake Plain Rotors (Front and Rear) • GM Brake Calipers (Front and Rear) • Performance Brake Pads • Banjo Bolts • Mounting Brackets • Wheel Bearings • Wheel Seals • Rubber Brake Hoses • Grease Caps • Spindle Nuts • Upper and Lower Ball Joints • Inner and Outer Tie Rod Ends • High Performance Tie Rod Adjusting Sleeves • Stock or 2.5" Drop spindles • Front to Rear Hard line conversion kit (not shown in picture) • Includes Emergency Brake Cables • 9" Single Diaphragm Power Booster • Mounting brackets • Master cylinder • Proportioning valve • Proportioning valve bracket and lines • Mounting hardware • Lifetime Warranty • Instructions for easy installation
The crossmember swap using a 73 up suspension is the easy cheap bolt on solution.Ive did the swap numerious times. I cant think of any good reason why someone would spend big dollars to keep the torsion bar front suspension?
No, the ball joints are different and the spindle will not bolt on. Just change the front suspension Like dogwalkin said the cross members are basically the same and they bolt right in, the shocks bolt right up and then you have your disc brake. Also if you get one with Power Steering then you need the bracket and pulleys and then you will have power steering. You can buy that front end for under 500.00 dollars most of the time for around 100.00 dollars. Also use the dual master cylinder from a Corvette/Chevelle, you can by it at your local parts store and be sure you get the brake lines from the MC on the donor truck, you will need to use a union to put the brake line to the rear brakes back together, It all bolts together and you can do the whole swap in half a day. Your ride will be just as nice as the torsion bar suspension. The one down fall is you will have a 5 on 5 wheel bolt pattern so you may want to get the rear end from the same donor truck, which is a much better rear end then the one that is under your truck now. GM did not make this front end with a 6 lug bolt pattern, or you can pull the axle out of your rear end and have the bolt pattern changed to match the new front end. The only way I can make this swap any easier is to come and do it for you, take my advice it is well worth the time and money to do it this way. I do this swap all the time the labor it's self, when I do it is 500.00 dollars. Good luck !!!!!!!!
Konman, you are going to love how these upgrades will transform your truck. I also used drop spindles to lower my Suburban, along with the power disc brakes, and I also put 1973 truck power steering on my Suburban, man what a different truck it turned into. 38 2 DR Sedan I recall hearing years ago that GM offered a 6 lug/disc brake option around 1970, I've never seen one or confirmed this. Something about a mid year only deal, can't remember. As to matching up the rear to the 5 lug front changeover for my 66 Suburban; I found the easiest and cheapest option was to buy stock length replacement axles from Moser Engineering with 5 on 5 in. bolt pattern. http://www.moserengineering.com/axles.html
DDDenny That is possible on the Moser Axle if you want to spend the money but my machinist guy does my axles for 50.00 an axle as opposed to paying for the expensive Moser Axles. As far as the GM 6 lug disc they did offer them on the 90's half ton Work Trucks but they use a different spindle so the rotors will not fit. I checked into that so the customer could keep the 6 lug pattern but they don't fit. I guess it is 6 of one or half dozen of the other, which ever way you want to go. Also I don't put that big ugly power brake booster on anything I build, I just use the big Corvette/Chevelle Master Cylinder, the only thing that big ugly booster does is make it easy to push the pedal and when I get that lazy or can't push the brake pedal I will quit driving, there is nothing more ugly to look at then a big ugly power booster. The firewall is so much cleaner when you just use the master cylinder. If you find out that there is a Gm 6 lug rotor post the link or part number cause I do have guys that want to keep the 6 lug pattern.
DDDenny That is possible on the Moser Axle if you want to spend the money but my machinist guy does my axles for 50.00 an axle as opposed to paying for the expensive Moser Axles. As far as the GM 6 lug disc they did offer them on the 90's half ton Work Trucks Nope, not them, one year only around 1970, even if they did, they are probably damn hard to find anyway. So many times; at this stage of the game, those original axles are starting to look a little 'iffy" in regards to the hardface for the bearings anyway.
the 60 thru 62 rearend is marginal compared to the 63 up rear ends. I simply weld the trailing arm brackets to a 73 and newer rear end. or if its a GMC truck with rear leaf springs its a bolt in except for the shock absorber mounts.
Two issues with doing that is the later housings are a little??? longer and if you are dealing with a lowered truck and/or wheels you would rather use, then things start getting tight in the wheel wells.
that's true. I just use wheels with the proper offset to still fit under the wheel wells. and with the 73 up rear ends you have a greater selection of gear ratios. The 60 thru 62 you only have two choices a 390 and a 410 ratio.
This kit was missing parts, some were back ordered and some just were missing. They have not made an attempt to make it right and owe me for the expedited shipping when they were t able to meet the deliver date. It got to the point they were answering the phone and by addressing me by first name, blew smoke up my ass or would just hang up. Not a great experience considering I've dropped a total of $3k with them. The last I'll do that.
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