Advice needed for 69 c10 frame off resto. Rear end conversion kit

[Spalma916]

Hey guys,
My name is Steven and I own a 1969 chevy C-10. I’ve taken it completely apart; sandblasted frame and used the KBS rust, primer, & paint system. Now I’m ready to put this together and realize I know very little about rear ends an differentials etc.... the rear end I have has 12 bolts on the diff. Case. It also has drum brakes that I’d like to swap out for disc brakes. I guess what I need to know right now is if there is disc brake conversion kit I can get and is a 12 bolt Differential a good one or should I look for something better.
My main goal for this truck is to keep the look as original as possible with adding the state of the art upgrades of today such as disc brakes all around and the gas tank in the back.
Please let me know if and where I should get the disc brake kit, the paint is drying on the frame and I’d like to get to work putting it together, thanks

[Overdriven]

The rear axle is what is called a 12 bolt Truck rear axle, not to be confused with the 12 bolt passenger car rear axle GM also produced. Nothing wrong with the truck 12 bolt really and it can be upgraded to suit your liking. You can purchase the trailing arm axle pads and weld them onto another axle if you’d like to swap for something else and are comfortable setting it all up.

Captain Fab here on the forum makes brackets to use disc brakes from other GM vehicles on the 12 bolt truck axle. I believe he has 2 versions available depending on the calipers you’d like to use. I personally don’t see rear disc as a necessary upgrade but to each their own.

[franken]

Disk brakes on the rear is so you can say look, I have cool disk brakes on the back unless you autocross or drive in rain all the time.
Front brakes provide 75-80% of braking (weight transfer) and the rears the rest.
Spend your money on more meaningful things if bling is less important than reality.
A rear disk kit will be what ~750? A rear drum rebuild ~100? Think...

[Accelo]

Spend your money on more meaningful things

I agree. Much of the conversion work it getting the emergency brake functional again. Spend you funds on other stuff. (Like a posi if you don't have one all ready)
If you are set on rear discs be sure you get a complete kit. Some of the inexpensive kits are poorly designed and require extensive fab skills to make them work. Then be sure the wheels you have clear the brakes. A big $ issue on many conversions.

[Greasey Harley]

Originally Posted by franken

Disk brakes on the rear is so you can say look, I have cool disk brakes on the back unless you autocross or drive in rain all the time.
Front brakes provide 75-80% of braking (weight transfer) and the rears the rest.
Spend your money on more meaningful things if bling is less important than reality.
A rear disk kit will be what ~750? A rear drum rebuild ~100? Think...

^^^This^^^
I would recommend spending money on things that make it a functioning vehicle again.
You could always do a rear disk brake "upgrade" after you have it running.
Opinions vary.

[Grumpy old man]

Hi "My name is Steven and I own a 1969 chevy C-10. I’ve taken it completely apart "

These are the words first spoken by many here on the TBA forum

( Truck Builders Anonymous ) similar to AA ( alcoholics Anonymous )

But we're just addicted to trucks and now you are too . I read thru your past threads . Do you have a plan on what you want to end up with when your done ? Because PROJECT CREEP hits the best of us and will take you down the path of no return and can add YEARS and THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS to your project . Make a plan on what you want to have when your done from the tires to the color paint and stick to that plan . It wll save you years of build time and frustration of going back to change parts that don't work together . You asked for advice ... There it is .

[REDROCKER652002]

My son has a 69 that we have been working on. I too, was trying to convince him to add discs in the back, but after listening to the fine folks here, and him being a stubborn 19 year old, he told me he was keeping the drums in the back. I feel it was a good choice and once you get the drums set up, you won't regret it. Just my two cents worth, and that's about all it is worth LOL.

[the67Beast]

Great advice on here. I too was going to do the rear disc brake conversion, but after reading posts and listening to the guys here I decided to stay with the drums. Haven't gotten to it yet, but I'll be rebuilding my 12-bolt rear end with a posi unit, 3.73 gears and converting to 5-lug axles. With the money I save from not converting the rear drums, I'll upgrade to power brakes and front discs. There is a wealth of information on this page. Pick a rainy day and start reading all the posts you can.