1972 C-10 power brake conversion

[Mark Hanna]

Hi everyone. Let me first start by saying that this board appears to house a wealth of good information from many experienced and knowlegable people. I am in need of some help, but first let me give you a little background information on the truck. I have a 1972 C-10 longbed that I have had for about 5 years. It was my first truck, and regretfully, I only drove it a few times. It spent the next few years in the barn. I got her out the other day so that I could let my girlfriend drive it (she is in need of a vehicle), and there were alot of problems. Firstly, the truck would not move due to an apparent transmission problem, so i removed the tranny and it is being re-built as we speak. The radiator was leaking from about 20 different places in the core so I called and ordered a new one through my local Chevy dealership. The truck also needs a new battery.

My final and most important concern was with the brakes. The truck has discs in the front and drums in the back, but is not equipped with a brake booster, which would make it difficult for her little legs to safely stop the truck. I'm not sure if somebody just took the brake booster off of the truck and bolted the master cylinder to the firewall, or if the truck originally came with drums in the front and whoever converted the front brakes to disc just never bothered to put a booster on. Either way, I need to have power brakes on this truck in order for her to drive it.

I do have a brake booster off of a 1969 GMC 3/4 ton, which was my second truck (parts for the 72), however this truck was equipped with drums in the front, so it does not have a proportioning valve (which to my understanding I will need in order to run a drum/disc setup).

My question is what would be my best route in putting power brakes on this truck? Shoult I go to Autozone and get a 1/2 ton booster and master cylinder for $103 and buy a proportioning valve from my Chevy dealership for another $197? Or could I possibly make my 3/4 ton booster work? If i could get the 3/4 ton booster to work, then what should I do about the proportioning valve? Buy a new one? Find one in a junkyard? Where is the proportioning valve even located on these trucks, and does it bolt to the firewall?

Basically, I need to know the safest and possibly most cost efficient way to get power brakes up and running on this truck. I am going to put one of my loved ones behind the wheel and that is precious cargo.

Any and all help/suggestions are greatly appreciated, and thanks for reading!

[Hottrucks]

well first welcome and your right there is a ton of info here

second its going to take you an hour to add power brakes do a search but heres the short version

Pull your master off the fire wall do not unhook the lines and be careful not to break them and pull your peddle rod off

take the booster and assembly off the 69 along with the peddle rod leave the master and lines

walk over to your 72 insert the peddle rod gentlly stretch the brake lines ( take out the loop) insert the booster and bracket bolt the master back on and plug in the vacum to the base of the carb then check to see if you need to adjust the break light switch...pat her on the hiny and send her on the way with a smile and wait till that evening to get your reward!!