Disc Brake Upgrade Reference Thread

[ChiefRocka]

Originally Posted by Rat66

OK so I have read through all the posts and have found a few that kinda answered a some of my questions but not exactly the same scenario as me. Hopefully I can get some clarification.

I have a 66 C20 Long bed with a sbc/4spd/eaton (456). I am looking at doing a C10 suspension swap. I have a guy locally that has a rolling chassis including the complete power brakes and power steering setup from a 72 C10. I know the rear is a bolt in swap but I am a little confused on the front still. What parts do I need off the donor to make this swap? Can I keep my cross member or do I have to swap it out? Will I have to swap out the control arms or just swap out ball joints? I understand what to do if I was doing a 1/2 ton to 1/2 ton swap but not the 3/4 to 1/2.

Thanks

Being that he has a 3/4 ton, he could just leave his current a-arms, and run 88-98 1/2 ton bj's and brakes.
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[Captainfab]

Good point Chief. I sometimes forget that the '88-'98 spindle, rotor and calipers can be used for the 5x5 wheel bolt pattern as well as the 6x5.5 wheel bolt pattern. This is quite easy to do on the C20's

Originally Posted by ChiefRocka

Being that he has a 3/4 ton, he could just leave his current a-arms, and run 88-98 1/2 ton bj's and brakes.
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[siggyfreud]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

Good point Chief. I sometimes forget that the '88-'98 spindle, rotor and calipers can be used for the 5x5 wheel bolt pattern as well as the 6x5.5 wheel bolt pattern. This is quite easy to do on the C20's

Apologies for pulling a quote from a few years back but this caught my eye.

As I have a 66 3/4 ton, could I just grab some new ball joints and spindles for an 88+ 1/2 ton, and attach them to the a-arms I currently have. Then I could piece the rest of the stuff (calipers, rotors, etc) from new parts, since I planned on rebuilding stuff anyways.

Is this doable?

[Captainfab]

I have not been able to confirm that this will work, but I think there is a high possibility it will. I just have not had the extra $$ to buy a '63-'66 C20 LBJ nor the time to tear apart my '66 C20 to check the size of the balljoints. I believe it was member Tincan1966 that said that the '88-'98 Balljoints will press into the '63-'66 LCA's. I just have not done it myself.

Originally Posted by siggyfreud

Apologies for pulling a quote from a few years back but this caught my eye.

As I have a 66 3/4 ton, could I just grab some new ball joints and spindles for an 88+ 1/2 ton, and attach them to the a-arms I currently have. Then I could piece the rest of the stuff (calipers, rotors, etc) from new parts, since I planned on rebuilding stuff anyways.

Is this doable?

[speed9895]

did we ever confirm that the 88-98 6 lug spindles work? and do the tie rods need to be cut for normal ride stance? to get the front end alignment?

[lolife99]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

Before you get too carried away, take a look in this thread:

http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vboa...d.php?t=604836

Need to figure out what happened with this member's installation.

Originally Posted by speed9895

did we ever confirm that the 88-98 6 lug spindles work? and do the tie rods need to be cut for normal ride stance? to get the front end alignment?

You might want to look at this thread:
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=620262

This combo of 88-98 spindles resulted in too much positive camber that requires either moving out the mounting point of the lower a-arms,...
or narrowering the upper a-arms.
I don't think this member (or myself) finds much money savings in doing this swap.

Quote:
ok, I said i would report back when i knew if my fix worked, and it did.
However, I'm just simply going to say that if your considering using 88-98 spindles to do a disc brake swap, don't.
I safely made mine work only because I am so deeply invested in it with new a arms, ball joints, rotors, calipers, tie rod ends, and a ton of time that I felt compelled to make it work.

[66 GMC 351E]

Originally Posted by ChiefRocka

Being that he has a 3/4 ton, he could just leave his current a-arms, and run 88-98 1/2 ton bj's and brakes.
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Wait. What? I have a '66 3/4 ton GMC and I'm about to make this upgrade. I pulled the entire crossmember from an '81 Chevy 3/4 ton and was planning to use just the spindles, rotors and calipers from the donor and leave my existing crossmember and control arms. Can't I do this by just swapping out the ball joints? And what about the tie rods. Can I use the stock inner and outers?

[Captainfab]

We were talking about converting a C20 to a C10.

In keeping with a C20, you should be able to just change the ball joints and add the spindles and such. As for the tie rods, I always recommend changing the entire steering linkage to the pieces that came on the disc brake donor. This way there is no special adapter sleeve, and no guessing on which tie rods you need later when they need replaced. You will just have to drill 2 new holes to mount the later style idler arm.

Originally Posted by 66 GMC 351E

Wait. What? I have a '66 3/4 ton GMC and I'm about to make this upgrade. I pulled the entire crossmember from an '81 Chevy 3/4 ton and was planning to use just the spindles, rotors and calipers from the donor and leave my existing crossmember and control arms. Can't I do this by just swapping out the ball joints? And what about the tie rods. Can I use the stock inner and outers?