Eaton Rearend Swap?

[GOOD2GO]

I have given up trying to find brake drums and parts for my c30 longhorn (Eaton HO72). I have sourced another Eaton rearend out of a '71 c-20 (HO52?). The drums are smaller. Before I do the swap I want to know am I going to have any problems getting parts for the '71 c-20 eaton rear-end?

Thanks in advance for the help!

[COBALT]

Here's some helpful links:

My Rear drum brake rebuild last month...

There's a parts list I compiled farther down. Everything I bought was perfect for the HO52 under my '69. As long as the drums and shoes are right you should be good to go.

[shelby987]

Why not upgrade the HO72 to disc. brake setup, I think most of the hardware for the 14b ff swap directly

[Longhorn Man]

Better look at the front stuff too... they're just as hard to find. I was able to locate rear shoes, but not front ones on my 70 C/30 longhorn.

[Fred T]

The ho52 will not have as much brake as the ho72. Look for a newer 14 bolt, should be some at the junkyards. You will get better brakes and you should be able to get one with 3.73 gears. I assume you're talking single wheels on the one-ton.

[drink2mny]

Can I say it... Huh.. Huh... Can I...

Disc brake it and be done....

See sig below...

I just felt obligated..

You have options.. It is just real hard to keep them stock and get stock parts. Cobalts list is the best I have seen around, and have actually used it.

We are just an option..
Good luck.

[chevroletman19712001]

we bought brakes for our 71 longhorn 1 ton with the i beleive they were 13 and a half inch drums at autozone. had to order em tho i think. and the front rotors came from autozone as well but they wernt cheap.

[shelby987]

longhorn, I think your 70 probably had drums up front, shouldn't be an issue with good2go's 71, as for the rear brakes, there always seems to be someone selling those around here, but I think you can only get that stuff used, I don't think it can even be purchased from anyone these days......I would say fab up a cheap disc. brake kit, if you plan on keeping the truck, this issue will come up again, the rotors for the swap cost less than $30 a pop and are standard for TONS of newer trucks, you can do the swap for less than a couple hundred if you are willing to put it together yourself, you need front rotors and calipers (I believe for a 73 and up front axle), and brakets for a 14bolt disc. brake conversion, I think that, an adjustable valve for your rear brake lines, and flex lines and you are set.....www.pirate4x4.com has several links on this....post in the newbie section, I am sure they can walk you through it with part numbers and all, my HO52 is getting this upgrade when my drums are done for.

[masterbeavis]

heh,I dont know what is so hard about finding H072 axles. I cant sell mine for giveaway prices, and I find more of them all the time for $150 at the local junkyards.. (just thought I would rub it in just a little )

[shelby987]

I think the issue here is finding the brake parts, not the axles.

oh yeah, and where do you find all of these freebie trucks you find??????

[drink2mny]

Just a heads up. If you plan to do your own disc brake setup using the 73 up 8 lug chevy rotors. If you have 1/2" lug studs. you will need to have your hubs drilled out to to install the 9/16" studs that will work with the 73 up rotor..

People think disc brakes are easy...... They are all different in some slight way....

[Longhorn Man]

shelby, hi8s longhorn is a 69...4 wheel drums, should be pretty much exactly like mine.

[drink2mny]

aaahhh Dam Longhorn.. Didn't see his sig..
Disregard all disc brake info..
Of course untill you go disc up front....

[Longhorn Man]

[special-K]

That would be cool to find a bunch of HO72s in the junkyard with brand new brakes.

[72longbed]

Thought I'd jump in here and share a little. I did the disk conversion on my HO72 and its easy. Now the truck has 12.5" front and rear rotors and stops really well. Lost a lot of weight off the rear end also.

The one thing I would recommend to anyone doing a four wheel disk conversion on these trucks would be to get a mid-1970's corvette disk/disk power master cylinder at the same time. ( you can get these from Advance Auto Parts for about $39.00 ). Save yourself the trouble of trying to make the stock M.C. work with the new setup.

72longbed

[masterbeavis]

Originally Posted by shelby987

I think the issue here is finding the brake parts, not the axles.

oh yeah, and where do you find all of these freebie trucks you find??????

The axles I find normally have excellent brakes in them. (pesky CA weather and lack of salt) The freebie truck secret, well, normally they are beat down pretty bad, and fixing them is expensive.... Some come from storage yards where owners disapear off of the face of the earth and stop paying the rent. The sherrif comes in and issues junk slips, I work out a deal with the owner to haul off a buncha other junk cars and dispose of those, I keep what I want. Others come from people who planned on *cough* restoring them, but the county came in and ticketed all of the vehicles on their property.(forced removal) I then get paid to take these gems home I live in the junk capital of norcal. People have things rotting since the 60's around here, sometimes older. The county is trying to grow leaps and bounds, and these people who have had their priceless collection sitting around for 40+ years are getting ran off because of the folks trying to bring up thier property value. It sucks for them, is great for me.

To keep this on topic, I agree with statements made about the vette master cylinder. Will eliminate alot of issues of making your brakes work. Larger brake boosters, or even hydroboost will help even more in the stopping dept.

[shelby987]

sorry longhorn, just re-read his first post, the 71 was the donor axle, not the truck....

[Longhorn Man]

if it makes you feel better... I had to read it 3 times before I realized where the problem was.