Just bought a 65 C60, question about brakes

[alabama mike]

I just bought a 65 c60, it was a farm truck all its life I bought it from the original family that bought it new, truck is show 60,000 and the old owner swears its correct. It has a 292, 4 speed, 2 speed rear axle, its a flatbed dump.

My plans are to cherry the body out repaint and just use it around the farm to occasionally haul gravel and hay. The old truck had been sitting up 19 years, we've done a little work on it, rebuilt carb, new fuel pump, cleaned the tank and the truck runs like a top. my next project is reworking the brakes, because it doesn't have any right now. so I have a couple of questions.

is there any type disc brake that can be made to work on this truck? can you put a dual reservoir master cyl on one, I did the same on my 65 C-10 it would be nice to be able to do it on the C60. eventually I want to upgrade the truck's power train, thinking upgaded brakes would be a good thing. any help would be greatly appreciated.

[mrolds88]

Hi Mike, Welcome to the forum. Here is a bit of info that might get you started on that disc brake question. Hope it helps. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=567225

[alabama mike]

Thank you for the information, I'm currently reading over it. Looks like what I need. so going with disc on front I know I'll need a dual reservoir master cyl and proportioning valve, On my c10 I used a master cyl and booster from a later model truck, wondering if it possible with the c60 as well?

[mrolds88]

Actually, Mike, since I'm not familiar with the 65's, I would double check the donor truck for the brake parts. I know that my 70 has a single small MC and runs a Hyrdovac. I know they had the system going back before 65 so your truck may have that system. If its one with a booster, I would look for a donor with a similar system. I would strip everything possible from it. I would also look into seeing if you could simply do a spindle swap to get the disc brakes. Save dropping the whole axle out too.

[alabama mike]

Yes mine has the single small MC and a booster under the truck, I know when I did my 65 c10, I used a front suspension from a 72 and it pretty much bolted right up, also used the 72 rear axle and it was a bolt up as well, I've done alot of work on the bigger trucks thru the years but never owned one, and never did any swapping of any sorts, just repair work. Its gonna be a learning experience to say the least.

[mrolds88]

Learning experience, yes. Interesting, yes. The possibly good part might be that a hydrovac is a hydrovac. Meaning, same line pressures and such. Knowing the pickups and passenger cars were a single MC in that year, I would crawl up under your truck and make notes/take pics and then visit your local salvage yard. I figure they will have a different system down stream of the hydrovac. Might have to crawl under my 70 to see what it has.

[wahl4m]

as a former owner of a 66 -c-60 truck /i never had any complaints for the factory brake system! you might make the system a dual master cylinder {lots safer!!!} it sould not be a problem just go up a few years -for a duel one-reline the brakes and rebuild the wheel cylinders or buy new -double check all hyd. hoses and lines -a complete brake system rebuild should last you for years !!!! good luck mike

[Peanutbutter]

I agree with wahl4m, I had a 1964 C60 that I pulled a D4 cat and trailer, weighed about 18000. Never had one issue with the brakes all those years. Biggest problem with the brakes on these trucks is if they sit to long in one spot. I like the idea of the dual master but thats as far as I would go. I've got 4 or 5 of these C60 C80, kind of lost count, if I let one sit to long I top off the master before I touch the brake pedal, I don't know where the fluid goes but it does seem to disappear, never had that problem on the one truck that I drove full time. I would not go to so much expence trying to make it better, you may have more trouble than you have now.

[j.kirn]

Originally Posted by wahl4m

as a former owner of a 66 -c-60 truck /i never had any complaints for the factory brake system! you might make the system a dual master cylinder {lots safer!!!} it sould not be a problem just go up a few years -for a duel one-reline the brakes and rebuild the wheel cylinders or buy new -double check all hyd. hoses and lines -a complete brake system rebuild should last you for years !!!! good luck mike

I second that no problems with my 64 c-60s brakes

[alabama mike]

Will a later model duel master cyl be a direct bolt on?, I just picked up new front brake hoses yesterday, the ones on the truck now are collapsed (no fluid coming thru at all), another question is this truck has a Ford hydrovac on it, One line in from the master cyl and 2 lines out, the top line goes to the brakes, but there is a line that comes out the end of the hydrovac and follows the feed line back to the master cyl, a brass fitting has been tapped into the side of the master cyl and the return line dumps fluid back in I guess, can this return line be plugged off and things still work OK? I had a friend come by and look at it he says he's never seen anything like it.