HELP!!! Disc brake swap going horribly awry!!!

[k1rodeoboater]

I'm in the middle of my disc brake swap and the bearings I got that are supposed to fit my spindles don't. I was told that the crossmember I purchased came off of a 1973 C10. Here are the shaft diameters and rotor diameters

Wheel bearing
Spindle: 1.37"
Rotor: 2.52"

Oil Seal
Spindle: 0.84"
Rotor: 2.06"

Are these not C10 spindles? I know they're off a square body (look exactly like my buddy's 81)

Additionally I have a lot of play between my one tie rod end and the spindle...what is up with that? I tightened the castle nuts just to the point where I could get the cotter pin through the hole.

[k1rodeoboater]

Just found out that the rotors have the races in them already....but they still got me the wrong wheel bearings. Hopefully the ones my dad just picked up (he took a rotor and digital caliper with him) will work.

[SCOTI]

If you didn't already know....

A quick way to ID the year model of the x-member (if nothings been swapped around) is if it has press-in style a-arm bushings, it's prob a 73-87. If it has the screw-in style bushings, it's prob a 63-72.

The a-arms are interchangeable from the different years as well so it can make ID-ing w/100% certainty a challenge sometimes.

[k1rodeoboater]

I got the rotors and calipers mounted finally. Thanks to my dumb luck I had HD spindles, HD rotors, and HD calipers. A fail of epic proportions was narrowly averted....next time I will just buy the bloody kit. Any cost savings I may have had doing it using doner parts was totally not worth it.
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ETA: as a side not for anyone who does pieve together a kit themselves. A 5/16 turnbuckle from tracto supply is the perfect length to use as an adjustable pushrod linkage. You'll need 9/16 hardware (blot, washer x2, lock washer, nut/locknut) but it is almost as though it's made for it. Fully retracted it just reaches the pedal and booster eye, so there is plenty of room for adjustments

[lolife99]

Just curious,... what exactly was wrong?

[k1rodeoboater]

...well....

1....the rotors I have, have integral races and I didn't know that (it was the heat getting to me.....yeah that's it ).

2....the bearings I had were for a non HD brake equipped truck, so I needed different bearings. I saved the boxes so I could record the part numbers for my records.

3....A knuckle dragger like myself undertook this project and didn't check parts quality/compatibility on everything before I started on the swap. After 1.75 days of work it's still not done because of all the lost time due to running around to exchange parts. I still need to bench bleed the MC, run the hard lines/prop valve, connect the hoses, and bleed the system.



So really it's a whole lot of, "I'm an idiot."

[lolife99]

You're not an idiot.
So,... what I try to point out,... when rebuilding a 73-87 crossmember for these old trucks,... is that you don't really use many of the original parts from the swap.
Dust shields and maybe the steering center link.
Would you agree?

Your other option would have been to buy 63-66 direct bolt on spindles.
Then the rest of your parts could have been '66 parts.
Or if your original parts were in good shape,... you wouldn't have to change much.

Your quote:
Any cost savings I may have had doing it using doner parts was totally not worth it.
I don't see people say that much.

Thanks for the input.
You will help many.
Plus,... now you are an expert,... so you'll be ready to tackle this swap with ease next time.

[k1rodeoboater]

I bought a complete crossmember off of a 73 to 87 C10 for $60 (truck was crushed long ago). When I got it, it was just the major components, the consumeables were all missing. My donor parts were a center link, idler arm mount, and spindles W/ dust shields. I destroyed the A-arms trying to rebuild them, so into the scrap heap they went. I'm just lucky that I got HD spindles, and that the CPP 6 lug rotors I got worked on them or I would have been hosed. I had bought new rims and swapped the tires over earlier in the week in anticipation for the swap.

What I meant about the cost savings part is I should have just gotten the convversion spindles, kept the 66 steering stuff. I lost probably 4 to 5 hrs during the days I was working running back and forth to the parts store to exchange a defective or incorrect part. Everything I had ordered was for a 73-87 C10 too.
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[lolife99]

Most people that do this swap add drop spindles.
Since you didn't,... your original purchase price of $60 was a great deal.

Your thread will still help many people considering doing the swap.

[k1rodeoboater]

Very true. I hope this serves as a lesson learned for others in the future. With any big project make sure you have

1. The correct parts
2. Parts in good working order
3. All the parts
4. Mock fitting prior to installation would also be a good idea

One thing I did discover is my upper A arm bushings need to be replaced. I wish I could have left things as they were, fixed that, and continued on....but I don't have the luxury of time or space to do that. Im working in myy buddy's yard basically

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[lilpoindexter]

Everything always takes longer than we think, because of some stupid widget we didn't even think about, that has to be ordered from two states way.

I guess we're all "knuckledraggers" to some extent.