I'm finally starting to work on Bella.

[Pick]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Go look at my thread. I had the same issue. I call if inline tube and talked to there tech and he said I could just cap one of the ports off and use the stock lines routed to the stock locations. So far it seems to work fine.

Thanks! I went through your thread and thought I would just plug the upper port......until I looked at my existing brake lines and started questioning the wisdom of keeping them vs biting the bullet and running new since everything else in the brake system will be new.

I ended up making a trip to Advance and bending up separate lines to both sides. My thumbs are killing me and they aren't show quality by any stretch of the definition...and now I am seriously questioning my sanity.....but they are in and they (mostly) run like they should and end up where they need to. If the look bugs me too badly, I will torture my thumbs again when the front sheet metal comes off in the bodywork/paint phase later on.

Originally Posted by mcbassin

Very nice progress!

Thanks! I have the week off so I have been trying to get stuff done while I can put in the hours at once.

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

Yep, looking good!

Thanks! You've probably already guessed that it isn't as good as I'd like but it has to be good enough. This whole perfectionist thing is a curse!

Today's hiccup was trying to find the adapter for the rear side of the proportionality valve. Best I can tell, the female threads are 9/16-18? And I need to get to 1/2-20 male threads? I looked at Advance and O'Reilly's with no luck at finding an adapter fitting. I really didn't expect it to be that tough finding one. What am I missing?

[jlsanborn]

Here's a link to a table that shows thread sizes for the different tube sizes.

http://www.valleyhydraulic.com/Brass...ted_Flare.html

Here's a link to a company that makes adapter fittings. I think you can get them at Autozone?

http://www.agscompany.com/automotive...r-fittings/118

[Pick]

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

Here's a link to a table that shows thread sizes for the different tube sizes.

http://www.valleyhydraulic.com/Brass...ted_Flare.html

Here's a link to a company that makes adapter fittings. I think you can get them at Autozone?

http://www.agscompany.com/automotive...r-fittings/118

Thanks! You helped me figure out what I needed to ask for (specifically)......of course, my luck came into play everywhere I asked because they still didn't have it. I tried Advance, O'Reilly's, CarQuest, Napa, AutoZone, and even an Ace Hardware for good measure. Nobody had it. (They all let me scrounge through their hardware and even in the misc fittings)

So I called Summit......and was told they didn't either.

So I resorted to Google......and found this in the Summit catalog?!:

Edelmann 258307 - Edelmann Brake Adapter Fittings
Fitting, Hydraulic Brake Adapter, Straight, 1/2-20 in. Inverted Flare Female, 9/16-18 in. Inverted Flare Male

It helped prove I hadn't completely lost my mind. (Just mostly) So I called again to make sure I wasn't wasting my time and they did confirm it was in stock, so I jumped in the car to head to McDonough.

And.......

BELLA HAS BRAKES!!!!!!!! 4-wheel-honest-to-goodness discs and a solid pedal!!!!! After returning from Summit, I reassembled the proportioning valve and hooked up the three lines, installed the rear shocks and bent up the new rear lines. My neighbor came over to help me finish the last brake line on the rear and bleed the system......and laugh at me when I got a face full of fluid on a ricochet off the inner fender.........but it all worked and kept the fluid where it was supposed to be! (Honestly, after the week of hiccups and delays and just plain aggravation, I was having doubts about my ability......I thought I must have just finally run out of talent.....and luck.)

The test drive can't happen until I tidy up some details like the u-joint I knocked the needle bearings out of (speaking of running out of talent) and do a tape-measure front end alignment to get it close now that it is back on its feet. But I can breathe a sigh of relief now.

[jlsanborn]

That's great news! Anxious to hear about the next drive!

[Xeen]

Pick your struggle with the disk brakes won't be in vain, it will help others save some time in the future, it has helped me already because now I won't have to go hunting for the parts when I install mine.

[Pick]

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

That's great news! Anxious to hear about the next drive!

Drive shaft is now back in but I had to quit for the day. Stay tuned!

Originally Posted by Xeen

Pick your struggle with the disk brakes won't be in vain, it will help others save some time in the future, it has helped me already because now I won't have to go hunting for the parts when I install mine.

I hope my lessons can help in some way! I know I have learned allot through the process. I will get some final pictures of the rear set-up. I think I have it sorted out so I can change brake pads without having to crack open the system. I have seen some that look like the soft lines might be pulled too tight and not allow the caliper to slide all the way out of the bracket. It was one area where I hope some prior planning will save me grief later. We will see I guess.

[Pick]

Pictures......as promised.

[Bomp]

That is Sweeeet.
Diggin it

[Xeen]

Super job Pick it looks great man.

[Pick]

Originally Posted by Bomp

That is Sweeeet.
Diggin it

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Xeen

Super job Pick it looks great man.

Thank you too!

A couple of other things while I am thinking about it. If you plan on using 15x8" disc brake steelies like mine or, I assume 15x8" rallies too, they will be CLOSE! Like dirt on the back side of the wheel will leave marks close. I had to bevel the inner piece in each wheel to clear the calipers and have any wiggle room at all. (I will take a picture of that too when I pull the wheels back off.) My wheel studs are too short for comfort as well. There is plenty of thread engagement to be strong enough but the studs don't come flush with the end of the lug nuts so it makes me nervous. I assumed that the disc flange was about thickness as the drum but it is thicker.....hence the need for a touch longer stud.

If I think of any other gee-whiz-info that might be of use, I will pass it along.

[Pick]

I hope everyone had a great father's day! I did!

I started out the afternoon by grinding out the rivets and moving the e-brake cable brackets on the truck arms. While I had the wheel off I got a picture of the bevel on the inner rim as well. Next came Bella's first move under her own power since this build phase began! I did a quick driveway alignment.....there is fishing line strung between the jack stands. I squared it up with the rear wheels and adjusted the toe on the fronts.......It is close enough til I get to the alignment shop.

And then it was time for a trip up the street......WOW! What a difference the brakes make! One toe.....one easy push.....nice straight stop! Every time! No more three pumps, tighter grip on the wheel, and a prayer to stop! It worked!

And a photo op in the back yard. I still want to double check everything and shake it down good but I am pleased so far!

[jlsanborn]

Nice work back there, looks really clean. Congrats on driving it again!!!

[swamp rat]

Congtats on getting back on 4 wheels again!

[Pick]

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

Nice work back there, looks really clean. Congrats on driving it again!!!

Thanks! I am sure I will still do some more clean-up and detailing as I am saving up truck money for phase 2.....but I plan to mostly just enjoy driving it again! As strange as it sounds to other (non-truck) people, I do enjoy driving it even with the worn out 6-cylinder, non-synchro three-on-the-tree and no power steering. But, that being said, I am glad to know it will stop now when it needs to!

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Congtats on getting back on 4 wheels again!

Thanks! It is so nice to see it off of jack stands and to know it doesn't have to go right back on them tomorrow! It really is drivable now! (I am trying to convince myself that it really is done with phase 1)

Although there is the issue of lowering the rear just a bit to reduce the rake a bit......I need to get the longer u-bolts and blocks.......and then maybe........um.......

[Low Elco]

Congrats on the brakes! Glad it all worked out.

[Pick]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Congrats on the brakes! Glad it all worked out.

Thanks! Me too. (Obviously) I was having serious doubts at various times through the process but it did work out! It took a bunch of baby steps (forward and backward) but now I can finally cross one big step off of the list.

[jlsanborn]

I drove mine home. Had been sitting for years, tires checked BAD, decent 292, column shift and same crappy brakes. I wish I had rodded around a bit more before I blew it apart. I may have approached things differently.

[Pick]

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

I drove mine home. Had been sitting for years, tires checked BAD, decent 292, column shift and same crappy brakes. I wish I had rodded around a bit more before I blew it apart. I may have approached things differently.

Admittedly, budget constraints are dictating much of my build pace but I do get to enjoy driving it this way. I really didn't plan on this phase taking nearly as long as it did but life and weather got in the way.

My wife and I took Bella for a short drive to dinner last night and ended up pulling up to a stop light behind a '62 Fairlane that was very nicely done.....the guy was checking out my truck in the rear view mirror and flashed a thumbs up! My wife laughed and commented about "us car guys".

[Pick]

Last night I had a surprise (sortof) waiting on me when I got home. Tom's Classic, the eBay vendor I purchased my brake kit from, sent me a new e-brake center cable. The one supplied in the kit was way too short to make the entire run, so I used cable clamps to piece the original and the new together to temporarily get my e-brake working. I contacted them last week when I discovered how short the supplied cable was and they sent me the replacement without any hassle at all........even though it had been months since I purchased the kit.

I was skeptical about the product and customer service I might receive from them but so far (knock on wood) I can't complain.

Now I just have to crawl back under there and re-run the new e-brake cable.

[Low Elco]

Originally Posted by Pick

Admittedly, budget constraints are dictating much of my build pace but I do get to enjoy driving it this way. I really didn't plan on this phase taking nearly as long as it did but life and weather got in the way.

My wife and I took Bella for a short drive to dinner last night and ended up pulling up to a stop light behind a '62 Fairlane that was very nicely done.....the guy was checking out my truck in the rear view mirror and flashed a thumbs up! My wife laughed and commented about "us car guys".

Oddly, you seem to get a lot more reaction in the old beater truck than in the lowered super shiny badass truck. Just seems friendlier, I guess.

[Pick]

I ran the new e-nrake cable last night so everything is technically "done" on the brake instal. Of course, it still isn't "finished" 'cause there are always things to detail some more here and there. (I know, I am sick.......OCD or perfectionism or being a machinist or whatever this ailment is, it is definitely a sickness.)

[Pick]

Over the last few shake-down runs, I noticed that the turn signals were acting funny so I had to investigate and discovered that I had no tail lights........or back-up lights or anything electrical at all happening back there so I figured I'd take a look at it yesterday.

I figured I forgot to plug the harness back in.....but it was good.

The short version of the LONG story is that after going over everything with a multi-meter over and over again, I found that the bed wasn't grounding to the frame anywhere. When I was working underneath, I had removed the outer bolts that attach the forward lower fender braces..............and apparently those were the only good ground connection between the bed and the frame.

Once I reinstalled those, all of the lights worked as-advertised. It was an utterly simple fix that took FOREVER to find.

I also used my phone level/inclinometer ap to check the camber and then did another, more thorough, fish-line alignment to re-set the toe. I couldn't think of a good (easy) way to set the caster but I know I have some caster in it because it tries to self-center, but it isn't too terribly much because I can still turn it. (manual steering) It will be good enough for now.

[Syndrome]

Looks great, glad you finally got your brakes in.

I'm about to pull the trigger on my brake kit, I've got $1200 waiting to be put into my truck.

After having my Dad help me move it the other day with tow cable and putting a nice dent in my rear bumper with his drop down hitch I decided its time to get some brakes on it.

While I'm in there I want to paint some of the parts as you did, what paint did you use and how are you applying it?

Were there any problems with this brake system? I'm going stock height but other than that and the plating on the booster everything is the same.

[Pick]

Originally Posted by Syndrome

Looks great, glad you finally got your brakes in.

While I'm in there I want to paint some of the parts as you did, what paint did you use and how are you applying it?

Were there any problems with this brake system? I'm going stock height but other than that and the plating on the booster everything is the same.

Thanks! I haven't had any trouble with anything other than finding the right adapter fitting for the proportioning valve and getting the right cable for the e-brake. I haven't had any trouble at all now that I have been driving it. The brakes work great!

The paint I used is just Rustoleum satin black and satin nickel spray paint. Nothing high tech. I just wanted something easy to match and easy to do in my driveway.

[Syndrome]

The wheels that fit your original brakes still fit on the 6 lugs?