Rear disc brake option

[ga-stepside]

I have a '67 C10 step side. Has anyone used these?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/230845329214...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[davepl]

Yeah, I'll sell you pair I just took off to put on Willwoods. Almost new, $100 plus shipping for both rotors and calipers (maybe brake cables, if I don't need them). They're garbage. They're old Cadillac ones with the integral parking brake and they're used in kits everywhere. They require that you set the parking brake -every- time you stop, as that's how they set themselves.

They also leak a lot, and so far as I can tell, suck as brakes. But there are so many kits that clearly some people must be having luck.

I'd go Explorer brakes before I did those, if possible. Even if I was giving these away they're heavy to ship.

[ga-stepside]

Originally Posted by davepl

Yeah, I'll sell you pair I just took off to put on Willwoods. Almost new, $100 plus shipping for both rotors and calipers (maybe brake cables, if I don't need them). They're garbage. They're old Cadillac ones with the integral parking brake and they're used in kits everywhere. They require that you set the parking brake -every- time you stop, as that's how they set themselves.

They also leak a lot, and so far as I can tell, suck as brakes. But there are so many kits that clearly some people must be having luck.

I'd go Explorer brakes before I did those, if possible. Even if I was giving these away they're heavy to ship.

Wow, that does not sound good. I just got a reply from the EBay seller about the Cadillac calipers and rotors, I was not happy about that. I have Willwoods on the front of my AMX and made brackets to use Mustang calipers on the rear. Willwoods are awesome and weighed 1/2 of the stock stuff I took off.
Thanks for the offer but given your review I think I will pass.

[57larry]

don't buy CPP's rear disc brake kit

[ga-stepside]

Originally Posted by 57larry

don't buy CPP's rear disc brake kit

Really? I was looking at them too. The list is getting smaller, may just have to bite the bullet and spring for Willwood.

[davepl]

I'm doing Wilwoods on the back of a '69 Pontiac 2+2, which, being a weird Canadian car, uses a C10 axle flange. So I'm using the C10 kit on a Pontiac. It still required a bit of shimming since it was neither 2.42 or 2.50 backset from the flange... it's from it's own world.

My personal fitment issues aside, it's a nice setup. I'm doing fronts as well as their master and combo valve, so it'll be all theirs except the pedal and hardline!

At least it's pretty! Still clean in there for a 10-year old restoration too. The red calipers were actually a mistake, but they're behind rally wheels (can't see them) and the emblems and badges are red-on-black so it kind of works.

[sprint_9]

Imo, if you cant come up with a factory parts swap, or dont want to spend the money for Wilwood, then I would run factory drums before I bought some cheap stuff from a no name company.

[davepl]

If I had it to do over again I'd probably leave drums on the back (but I already had the Cadillac conversion done). Not like I'm going to track it and worry about heat fade in the rear brakes!

My C2500 is disc/drum and it does just fine - I imagine the fronts do 80% of the work.

[ga-stepside]

Originally Posted by sprint_9

Imo, if you cant come up with a factory parts swap, or dont want to spend the money for Wilwood, then I would run factory drums before I bought some cheap stuff from a no name company.

I will probably run the drums for a while. It already has disc brakes of unknown origin on the front. I hate drum brakes but agree on the rear of a street truck that will never be raced disc brakes are overkill. But with the wheels I am running they would look cool.

['68 Newtricks]

Originally Posted by 57larry

don't buy CPP's rear disc brake kit

Since I already have them, mounted them, and put 2 miles of use on them. Why? What do I get to look forward to? Are they Cadillac style as well? I can't remember if they have the piston with the grooves in it, to rotate while pushing in, when putting new pads in. That style is on tons of cars.

[csfields]

If your looking for a big brake kit, look up AZ Pro Performance. I am doing it on my truck now and love it.

[ga-stepside]

Originally Posted by csfields

If your looking for a big brake kit, look up AZ Pro Performance. I am doing it on my truck now and love it.

I saw those too. AZ is proud of their products, LOL. A bit too expensive for my needs plus the rotors are bigger than my front ones are now. Ya don't want more grab in the back, especially one a truck with no anti-lock feature.

[Pick]

I have a set of the "Tom's Classic" rear discs in the 6-lug version. I can't complain about mine, but I don't have many miles on them. I had to set the e-brake every time I parked it anyway because my engine didn't have enough compression left to keep itself from rolling. After the "fun" I had stopping with my old, worn out, leaking drum brakes all the way around, I was absolutely thrilled with the way it stopped after the conversion......but again, I don't have many miles on it to really do a long-term evaluation even though it's been a fairly long time since I installed them.



You can see more elsewhere in my build thread. (link is in my signature)

[rikyric]

Can someone explain to me why you have to set the E Brake on the Tomsclassic conversion every time you stop? Sorry for the uneducated question but I never heard of this before, and I bought this setup last year (5 Lug) and have yet to install it.

[davepl]

Originally Posted by rikyric

Can someone explain to me why you have to set the E Brake on the Tomsclassic conversion every time you stop? Sorry for the uneducated question but I never heard of this before, and I bought this setup last year (5 Lug) and have yet to install it.

According to MPBrakes:

You MUST set the parking brake every time you park your car! Not many people do that nowadays because it is much easier to just put the transmission in park and walk away! The rear caliper pistons utilize a "one way clutch" or "sprag" inside the caliper piston. When the parking brake is applied the sprag senses when there is .030 or more clearance between the friction material on the inboard side. When the distance is at least .030, the sprag turns inside the piston adjusting it out and keeping the rear brakes adjusted.

If you are not setting your parking brake with this setup EVERY time you park your car then two things will happen.

#1 - You will start to lose service brake pedal.
#2 - The sprag will seize on the inside of the piston and will never work again.

NEVER buy these calipers from a rebuilder, because rebuilders use the old piston in most cases and the piston is the reason the calipers were changed to begin with!

---

Back to me again. I'm not saying that the Cadillac rotors were the sole source of the problems I was having. For all I know once they were adjusted right and the leaky one replaced, they may have been fine. So if you have a set of these that are working fine for you and have been for some time, I wouldn't change a thing, you've got a good set and so long as you follow the procedure for the parking brake, you'll likely get as much service as Cadillac did out of them!

[rikyric]

Thanks Davepl!