Do I have the Eaton HO52 drum removal procedure correct?

[Longhorn 70]

I have to do my rear brakes. They are in serious need. I haven't decided whether to do the drums or upgrade to disc. Do I just remove the axles, hub nuts, take the drum off, pound out the studs, replace parts like a normal drum brake job.

If I stick with drums, more than likely have to replace the drums, shoes, seals, hardware kits, wheel cylinders, hoses and studs.

If I upgrade to disc, I'll have to buy brackets, loaded calipers, studs, proportioning valve, hoses and seals. I may also have to mod the ebrake cable. This will be about as much work as the drums.

My questions are.....

Do I want to use car calipers on a truck?
Will the car discs be more reliable than the drums? I know the pads are WAY easier to change than shoes.
Is it better to buy a kit with everything included or get brackets and hit ebay?

[special-K]

You have the procedure correct. All I know is,back 30 years or so,I needed a front caliper for my '71 K/20 and the Hollander book said it was the same as a late-60s/erly-70s full size Pontiac and that's what I found in the junkyard. so,as long as it's a big car caliper,I'd say "yes",a car caliper is fine. Remember,the front does most of the braking anyway and drum to disc is considered an upgrade

[DeadheadNM]

FYI - We added adjustment holes to the backing plates on my HO52 so the shoes could be adjusted down the road. I was surprised no adjustment holes were present. We plugged the holes with rubber grommets. If you keep the drums you may want to add these if absent. Good luck, Pete

[Vintage Windmills]

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

FYI - We added adjustment holes to the backing plates on my HO52 so the shoes could be adjusted down the road. I was surprised no adjustment holes were present. We plugged the holes with rubber grommets. If you keep the drums you may want to add these if absent. Good luck, Pete

Good advice right here. I had to pull a set off with a puller set since the shoes were grooved into the drums, and there was no way to back them off.

I'm upgrading to discs on my HO52, mainly because 71 was 1 year only brake stuff and I cant find shoes for it and the drums are shot.

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by Longhorn 70

I have to do my rear brakes. They are in serious need. I haven't decided whether to do the drums or upgrade to disc. Do I just remove the axles, hub nuts, take the drum off, pound out the studs, replace parts like a normal drum brake job.

If I stick with drums, more than likely have to replace the drums, shoes, seals, hardware kits, wheel cylinders, hoses and studs.

If I upgrade to disc, I'll have to buy brackets, loaded calipers, studs, proportioning valve, hoses and seals. I may also have to mod the ebrake cable. This will be about as much work as the drums.

My questions are.....

Do I want to use car calipers on a truck?
Will the car discs be more reliable than the drums? I know the pads are WAY easier to change than shoes.
Is it better to buy a kit with everything included or get brackets and hit ebay?

If you can get to a press to press out the studs, its a lot easier, some have had a bit of a problem getting the old drums off, something about no adjuster hole to back off the shoes or it was a frozen adjuster? The rest of your thoughts seem to be in line, replacing the hub bearings are a bit different, plus you really need to grease the bearings before reassembly.

You have disks on the front already correct? you can use the same calipers and disks on the rear, its a proven option, the other option is the Eldorado calipers with the E brake. From what i hear if you use the Eldorado calipers you have to set the E brake a lot or they come out of adjustment somehow, that was from the guy at Black Bird conversions, plus you have to devise your own E brake cable bracket so some fabrication is involved. If you do the front calipers you have the option of using a drive line brake, there are a couple company's that make stuff for that.

You will also need to add rubber hoses from the rear calipers to allow them to move in and out freely so you will need to shorten the existing hoses and use a double flair, plus you should make some brackets to weld on to the axle to attach the steel line too for support. Oh, of you run aluminum rims then you will need longer than stock studs on the rear, with stock you'll be fine with the old stuff.

I think in the long run i wish i had just bought my own stuff locally, i had problems with some of it and it would have been easier to work it out locally rather than have to send stuff back to where you got it from.

Of you need help finding brackets let me know i have a few web pages lined up

[c20pickup]

hey longhorn 70, sounds like you have the same questions as me with these dang eaton axles hahaha

[special-K]

If you don't already know. When driving the nuts out,put a lug nut on leaving about 1/4" up to keep the punch on the stud.

[heyjoe]

Originally Posted by special-K

If you don't already know. When driving the nuts out,put a lug nut on leaving about 1/4" up to keep the punch on the stud.

Good tip!