Performance disk brakes for 1965 C10 HELP

[mastatikle]

Hello all, I have a 1965 C10 and it currently has disk brakes from a 1988 gm truck or suv I believe. Im saying this because there is an 88 stamped on the caliper on the driver side. I'm not sure if that's accurate or not I just know 1988 gm trucks and suv's also had 6 lug. Anyway this truck currently has a little more power than the original drivetrain and the current brake setup isn't too strong or isn't strong enough for me. As the motor is breaking in more power is being found and it's getting scarier to drive it. I am constantly slowing down way before a stop sign or car because I don't want to take the risk. I bought a new master cylinder because the old one was leaking but that only helped a bit. I wanted to know if anyone has a performance brake set up with 6 lugs. I want to keep the original rims. I was looking into buying universal calipers and creating a bracket but I'm not sure how possible that is. It's winter now and I want to get it done soon. Any help is great. Thanks.

[forestb]

Make sure you are getting enough vacuum. If the lob is too big on your cam it might not produce enough vacuum to run your power brakes.

[mastatikle]

How could I test that? The cam isn't too crazy it's a hydraulic roller but it's mild. The pedal is somewhat stiff but when I push my foot all the way down I don't seem to notice any difference in pressure. I want to know I can lock the wheels up if I slam the brakes. I currently can't do that at any speed. My nova has a SSBC kit and it'll lock right up all the time with ease (not a good thing I know) but the pressure is there and that's a much wilder cam. I just wanted to know if others have experienced this problem or if I was just the only one lucky enough too. Then again they are old and that could be an issue now that I think about it. But still I'd like to upgrade. It's great to have a lot of motor but it's stupid if I can't stop it in an emergency.

*will hold tight at a burnout if that helps*

[forestb]

You will need a vacuum tester (I don't know if that is what it is called). I don't know how much they cost because someone tested mine for me. They might rent them at auto parts stores. From what I remember you will want 16-20 foot pounds.

[Captainfab]

There could be several thing causing your lack of braking power. Does the pedal feel change with the engine running versus it not running? If not, the diaphram in the booster could be ruptured. You could also have a collapsed hose either at the front or rear. Have you pulled the wheels and physically inspected the pads and rotors?

There are aftermarket big brake kits available for these trucks, but proper functioning OEM disc/drum brakes should be adequate for most useage

[mastatikle]

I don't believe there is any pedal change. Nothing is leaking. Rotors look a little bad. Other than that everything else looks good. The brake pedal isn't really soft it just doesn't seem to want to lock up. I'm used to my nova locking up with 75% pedal movement. I can have both feet on this truck and I'm still nervous if someone cuts me off. I'll get the lines bled when the weather gets better. I was going to upgrade to disk brakes in the back but I rather replace drum parts from too many burnouts rather than rotors etc.

[tincan1966]

Power assist from the vacuum booster only helps with pushing of the pedal, it does not effect the actual brake operation.

A few things you can look for:
Are the rotors really shiny? if so, this could indicate that they are glazed and simply resurfacing them and installing new pads could greatly improve the braking.

Condition of the rear brakes? Are they adjusted properly, and in good shape?

is everything bled good?

No offense, but "looking old" is not a diagnosis.
First you need to actually identify what you have by the casting numbers on the spindles and/or the calipers.
I would start there, then get everything to good working order by resurfacing the rotors and drums, install new front pads and rear shoes. Clean any rust from the spindle where the caliper mounts and apply a little anti-seize compound. adjust the rear brakes, then thoroughly bleed the system. Then see if this helps. It'll be about the most cost-effective approach to start. And in any case, if all this isn't done, it'll not work right anyway, so you won't be wasting anything.

[kieth]

We used a 91 burban front crossmember with the stock disc brakes, they will stand my truck on its head...............they really work, look for operational issues with your system they should stop your truck with no issues. Kieth