Power drum brakes

[truckeroy]

I just pick up a 64 step side and would like a little better brake set up than non power drum. A number of years ago I put a booster w/ dual master cyl on a 65 Pontiac Tempest conv.and it made a world of difference. It stopped great and little effort. I felt no need for disc. Shouldn't I expect the same results with my truck? It would be a lot less work and expense. Any thoughts/experience? Thanks, Roy

[MusicMan70]

Welcome truckeroy, I've done the same with my 61 Suburban and it stops fine. The power booster really helped.

[luvbowties]

From another member, welcome truckeroy to the forum, and here's hope it's meaningful to you as it has been for me. Yep, your conversion should make quite an enjoyable mod. It's the 2nd mod I made to my '66--1st was adding power steering only because I got a freebie from the guy who sold me the '66. [He was scrapping a 1974 1-ton camper. Seems the ps boxes and pumps that year were all the same for half, 3/4, and 1-tons. He also gave me the tilt steering column: what a dual score!]

I avoided using a brass proportioning valve, and found out real soon that I needed something with the particular mc and booster I chose, both rebuilt, from AutoZone--really the mc choice effected my need for the proportioning valve. I intentionally went with a newer-year 3/4-ton mc because it had a larger power piston, giving me more "juice per pedal-pump": was the same price, even. This would make it harder to depress, ordinarily, but I figured the booster would more than make up for that--and it did! As I recall, I bought my adjustable prop. valve from Jegs or Summit about 4 yrs. back; total cost was like $40-$45. I plumbed it into the line going to rear wheels; put it in just below the mc, and it has worked flawlessly, after I adjusted it several times to get it "dialed in". Adjusting is so simple: just turn a thumb-rotatable knob a round or 2. W/o it, the rears would lock up when I stopped anywhere near abruptly.

Again, welcome and remember all the guys on here are quite anxious to offer ideas, solutions, shortcuts; and they know so much more than the year-specific mfg. manuals, as they have tried and proven so many different parts and ideas and mods, and they know what will and will not work.

Sam

[Captainfab]

Power drum brakes are definitely an improvement over manual drums, but not as good as power disc/drums. The disc brake conversion really is quite simple and well worth the work IMO.

The easiest way to add power brakes to your drum/drum system is by using a booster and master cylinder combination for a '67-'70 truck. Those can be found at O'Reilly's and likely other parts stores. That booster is one of the compatable boosters for my booster bracket. That will make it a bolt on installation except for the pushrod. There is typically no need for a prop valve with a drum/drum braking system.

[Sharps40]

Captainfab.

If I install this booster/master combo on 65 C10

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...+brake+booster

With your bracket.

http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vboa...=1#post3257836

Does the bolt eye on the booster push rod shaft still bolt directly to the brake pedal.....or does the use of your bracket require a longer push rod shaft?

i.e. using your bracket and the depicted master/booster, is this mod a direct bolt on to the firewall and the brake pedal?

[Sharps40]

Originally Posted by Sharps40

Captainfab.

If I install this booster/master combo on 65 C10

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...+brake+booster

With your bracket.

http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vboa...=1#post3257836

Does the bolt eye on the booster push rod shaft still bolt directly to the brake pedal.....or does the use of your bracket require a longer push rod shaft?

i.e. using your bracket and the depicted master/booster, is this mod a direct bolt on to the firewall and the brake pedal?

Captainfab,

Got to diggin and found your 2011 response to my question as follows (Thanks for answering it even before I even belonged here to ask!)

"........you just need to cut he eyelet off of the booster pushrod. Then mount the booster and bracket to the firewall. Temporarily install your original master pushrod on the pedal. Then align the two pushrods, and make a mark on both, where you can cut them both and join them together. This can be done by welding them together, threading and using a coupling nut, or using a sleeve over both and bolting or pinning them together.

On my '66 Suburban, I retained the drum/drum brakes, installed a '72 Impala booster with a power brake '67-'70 master cylinder. This is when I designed my bracket in 1992. That setup has been on there for over 120,000 miles with no problems.

Also, there is absolutely no need for a bellcrank assembly to make this work."

[LostMy65]

Here's an earlier thread:
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s....php?p=4880314
.
Power Drums is a topic I've done much reading up on in these forums.
I tried to upgrade my 65 to discs a little over a year and the wheels I have won't fit over the calipers.
So, I've been researching brake shoes.
.
There are a couple threads in these forums that talk about kevlar shoes.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...ad.php?t=86954
.
I wouldn't use a proportioning valve as you would find with a disc/drum setup,
but I would recommend as member luvbowties suggests; an adjustable prop. valve from Jegs or Summit.
These trucks are light in the back, and you want the front to grab before the back slides.
From the posts I've read on this subject, one member makes adjustments to his proportioning valve for when his truck is empty, and again when he has a load.

[Figuarus]

Well, i finally got my bracket from captainfab. I am now in the parts hunting/scrounging phase of my brake upgrade.

I have two master cylinders available to me. One is a 67-72 drum brake dual pot, the other came off my 96 S10.

I have the booster from the same S10. Its my understanding that i can use the s10 booster, but i need to find/make an intermediate rod to go between the 67-72 MC and the S10 booster.

My question is should i go this route, or can i use the s10 mc and booster assembly?
Is it going to cause any issues given that the s10 cylinder is designed for disc/drum?

[Captainfab]

I would not use the S10 master cylinder. Here is a source for the long intermediate pushrod if you can not find one elsewhere.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/181958676080...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

You can also use a master cylinder for a '70 Buick Estate wagon, which has power drum brakes but the shallow bore in the back of the master cylinder piston. It is A1 Cardone #10-1363