6 lug disc brakes

[lclippard]

i am wanting to do a disc brake conversion on my 69 swb chassis. i have a 5 lug front crossmember, and rear axle from a 79 c10. will the rear end from the 79 be too wide? someone said they thought it was. also does the front crossmember bolt right up, or should i just change over the spindles? one other thing, if i stayed with 6 lug, what parts, and from what, do i need to do 6 lug disc brakes on the front? thanks in advance for the help.

[oldblue1968chevy]

I THINK you can just swap balljoints. I KNOW you can do it with 71 72 stuff. But unsure about 73-87 stuff. I know you can swap whole crossmember. May have to drill some new holes.

If your thinking of lowering the front with drop spindes in the future, BUY CONVERSOIN DROP SPINDLES. These will use your existing steeering componenets and existing balljoints. You would have to buy 6 lug rotors/bearings calipers pads and hoses and mc prop. valve.

[ruffrida2005]

The crossmembers are the same, I would just swap over the control arms and spindle. since the 79 has the never style contorl arm bushings. The rear axle is 1.5" wider per side then the 69 rear. so you will have to have the correct BS rims.

[gcburdic]

Les...the front x-member should swap right over...I think you'll have to drill/ woller out like 2 additional holes in the frame....

I asked sorta the same question in this thread....http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=381785

[lclippard]

thanks for the replies so far. the main thing im pondering is do i convert to 5 lug disc brakes with my donor parts, or do i leave the 6 lug rear alone, and do 6 lug disc up front. what trucks came with 6 lug front disc that i can get parts for to do this? from looking it seems that disc brakes and 5 lug came hand in hand.

[ruffrida2005]

only 6 lug that I know that will fit that spindle are some of the 4x4 trucks. There is no reason to swap over your crossmember as long as they are both c10's,, if it's the 3/4 frame then it have 4 bolts that hold the control arms so then you would have to swap. Check your stuff to make sure they both have the u-bolts that mount the lower control arm.

[lclippard]

Originally Posted by ruffrida2005

only 6 lug that I know that will fit that spindle are some of the 4x4 trucks. There is no reason to swap over your crossmember as long as they are both c10's,, if it's the 3/4 frame then it have 4 bolts that hold the control arms so then you would have to swap. Check your stuff to make sure they both have the u-bolts that mount the lower control arm.

they are both c10's. dont all the 4x4's have the long tube for the 4wb hubs?

[gcburdic]

Maybe try and find a 5 lug rear end here locally?!?!?.....

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/pts/1592310107.html see if he will part with the 5 lug rear?
http://charlotte.craigslist.org/pts/1594816135.html not sure what it came out of or if its 5 or 6 lug??

[lclippard]

Originally Posted by gcburdic

Maybe try and find a 5 lug rear end here locally?!?!?.....

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/pts/1592310107.html see if he will part with the 5 lug rear?
http://charlotte.craigslist.org/pts/1594816135.html not sure what it came out of or if its 5 or 6 lug??

dang geoff i think you spend more time on craigslist than i do, haha. thanks for looking out. btw, did you get my PM about the burbs brakes?

[gcburdic]

I live on CL too

Pm returned!

[grs]

Check out earlyclassic.com I think they sell 6 lug disk brake kits. I changed my truck to 5 lug. Got 5 lug rear axles from them. See picture of my 5 lug rear disk.

[lclippard]

Originally Posted by grs

Check out earlyclassic.com I think they sell 6 lug disk brake kits. I changed my truck to 5 lug. Got 5 lug rear axles from them. See picture of my 5 lug rear disk.

thanks for the info. i was hoping to find stock parts that would work, but im gonna check them out!

[cerjio]

I bought some six lug rotors an replaced the five lug rotors. I think six lugs look better, also they were a direct replacement . http://www.performanceonline.com/sto...at=1074&page=1

[cerjio]

here is another company http://www.classicperform.com/

[lclippard]

Originally Posted by cerjio

I bought some six lug rotors an replaced the five lug rotors. I think six lugs look better, also they were a direct replacement . http://www.performanceonline.com/sto...at=1074&page=1

thats what im looking for. 6 lug rotors i can put on my 5 lug spindles. and i'll leave the rear axle alone. you have 71-72 spindles? or 73-87 spindles?

[cerjio]

73-87 but i think the bearings are the same ,

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by lclippard

thanks for the replies so far. the main thing im pondering is do i convert to 5 lug disc brakes with my donor parts, or do i leave the 6 lug rear alone, and do 6 lug disc up front. what trucks came with 6 lug front disc that i can get parts for to do this? from looking it seems that disc brakes and 5 lug came hand in hand.

88 to 99 C2500 light duty trucks came with six lug rotors.

Use the spindles, rotors, calipers, ball joints and outer tie rods & adjuster sleeves from the C2500 with Moog part # ES2020R/L inner tie rods to convert to the older center link. You will have to cut about 3/4" off each side to make the tie rod assemblies the right width to get your alignment correct.

You will need 3/4-ton lower A-arms for the ball joints to fit as the 1/2-ton used smaller diameter ball joints. 67 to 87 vintage will all work.

I just started this swap for my 67 C-10 and scored the setup off of a 93 C2500 light duty truck yesterday for under $60. The rotors & calipers fit inside and clear my 15" Cragar Soft-8 rims too.

Now I need to get me some 3/4-ton lower A-arms and some front end parts.

[lclippard]

68 TT, did you have 71-72 disc spindles before? i was looking thru parts and found these rotors, and im curious if they could be used on the 71-72 disc brake spindles with different bearings.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by lclippard

68 TT, did you have 71-72 disc spindles before? i was looking thru parts and found these rotors, and im curious if they could be used on the 71-72 disc brake spindles with different bearings.

No my 67 C-10 still had the six lug drum brakes front & rear so I needed disc spindles too.

I saw a thread where people tried what you want to do and the rotor placement was supposedly wrong so the caliper didn't line up with the rotor surface properly. Close but not right.

I'm sure you could machine the caliper mounting area to make up the minor difference if you had the tools but I don't think cutting any material away on a brake part bearing surface is a good idea.

I just priced out all the new front end parts needed for the C2500 LD disc swap (not including the C20 lower A-arms I still need to get) and the tie rods & ball joints can be done for under $145 locally. I'm sure rock auto can do it for much less. Another $100 gets you rebuilt calipers, new brake hoses, pads & wheel bearings.

All totaled I will have right at $400 into the swap with an all new front end to go with it.

[70STOVEBOLT]

Seems like I saw some info a while back where they offered a kit that included caliper brackets that will bolt onto drum brake spindles and also the calipers, rotors, hoses, bearings, seals etc.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by 70STOVEBOLT

Seems like I saw some info a while back where they offered a kit that included caliper brackets that will bolt onto drum brake spindles and also the calipers, rotors, hoses, bearings, seals etc.

Sounds like a Wilwood kit.

Some rare JL-8 optioned first gen Camaro's and all C3 Vette's did the same thing. Floating rotor over drum brake hubs with longer wheel studs and brackets to bolt up the Vette calipers.

I considered making my own kit using 6-lug 4x4 front rotors over the stock drum brake hubs and building caliper mount brackets to bolt up a set of calipers but chose to keep the nice calipers I have for use on my Camaro and go the C2500 disc swap route instead for the C-10.