72 3/4 ton rear brakes

[NorCalC20LWB]

Getting ready to redo the rear brakes, would like some advise please. Are all brake parts for a 72 C20 the same? The rear end is a big 14 bolt beast (see pic) so I see that the axles need to come out to get to the shoes, etc. Other than new shoes and possibly brake cylinders, what would you all recommend replacing while in there? BTW, brakes seem hard as a rock but truck stops fine, already replaced the master cylinder/power booster, front pads, & resurfaced the disk. Thanks for any help/suggestions.

[jocko]

Not all the same. 72 C20s could have either an HO or Dana rear. Different width drums and therefore different shoes out there. Highly recommend always replacing the minor hardware when in there - buy the kit, includes pretty much all but the shoes and wheel cylinders (i.e. return springs, connectors, star wheel pad adjuster, shoe retaining pins, etc). Need new lines?

[newbraunie]

Here are pics before/after when I overhauled rear brakes on my C20. In addition to shoes and wheel cylinders it is good idea to install new spring/hardware kit also, they are inexpensive. Turn the drums if within tolerance or replace. Might want to put new axle bearings in while you have them out. Will need a special puller to get them out. You will need to remove differential cover to remove axles. I removed backing plates, cleaned them up and put a coat of paint on. Mine rear end is a Dana.

[newbraunie]

Yours looks like a HO rear end

[NorCalC20LWB]

Originally Posted by jocko

Not all the same. 72 C20s could have either an HO or Dana rear. Different width drums and therefore different shoes out there. Highly recommend always replacing the minor hardware when in there - buy the kit, includes pretty much all but the shoes and wheel cylinders (i.e. return springs, connectors, star wheel pad adjuster, shoe retaining pins, etc). Need new lines?

Thanks for the info Jocko, how can I tell for sure which rear end I have, HO or Dana? The kit sounds like the best way to go for sure, along with wheel cylinders and shoes, pretty cheap insurance. When you mention new lines do you mean the rubber hoses?

[NorCalC20LWB]

Originally Posted by jocko

Not all the same. 72 C20s could have either an HO or Dana rear. Different width drums and therefore different shoes out there. Highly recommend always replacing the minor hardware when in there - buy the kit, includes pretty much all but the shoes and wheel cylinders (i.e. return springs, connectors, star wheel pad adjuster, shoe retaining pins, etc). Need new lines?

Originally Posted by newbraunie

Here are pics before/after when I overhauled rear brakes on my C20. In addition to shoes and wheel cylinders it is good idea to install new spring/hardware kit also, they are inexpensive. Turn the drums if within tolerance or replace. Might want to put new axle bearings in while you have them out. Will need a special puller to get them out. You will need to remove differential cover to remove axles. I removed backing plates, cleaned them up and put a coat of paint on. Mine rear end is a Dana.

Thanks Newbraunie, hope mine turns out as nice as yours looks. Did not realize I had to pull the diff cover off, does that mean there is a retainer of some sort on the axle?

[newbraunie]

Originally Posted by NorCalC20LWB

Thanks Newbraunie, hope mine turns out as nice as yours looks. Did not realize I had to pull the diff cover off, does that mean there is a retainer of some sort on the axle?

When you pull diff cover, there is a piñon shaft lock screw. Remove it and piñon shaft. Push axle shafts in a bit from backing plate and you can remove C clips at axle end in the diff. Also you will need a spindle nut socket. Remove lock ring and spindle nut and the axle pulls right out. This is all for a Dana, yours looks to be a GM. I would ID your rear end first and go from there. The 4X4 sites have plenty of R&R info if you can't find it here.

[NorCalC20LWB]

Ok, if I am seeing this project correctly the first thing to determine is the rear end type. From looking at tons of threads it appears mine is an Eaton HO52, GM 9.5" differential (the pic above of the different bolt patterns shows this one, but it is sideways).

Now get a brake kit(springs, etc), shoes, wheel cylinder, change rear end fluid, and replace the rear rubber brake line(s). Possibly rear wheel bearings if needed. Looks like the axles on an HO52 do not have a retainer in the differential to remove.

Only confusion is what brake shoes to get, but that can be determined by drum radius and depth.

Sound like I'm on the right track?

[Yonash70c20]

I don't have much to contribute for ya, unfortunately, but I can tell you for certain, you do NOT have the HO52 axle, judging by your pic in the first post. Your diff clearly has 14 bolts in the cover, the Eatons are dang near perfectly round with only 10 bolts. What can't be pointed out in your pic, but could if you took a look at your axle, the Eaton also has a drop out 3rd member, so the front of it (where the driveshaft hooks up) can be unbolted and pulled out, like a Ford 9" rear.

[FirstOwner69]

I'm always willing to learn something new, but yours does NOT appear to be an Eaton HO52. Here's a pic of my HO52. Notice that the differential housing is cast with the axle tubes. Yours is not.

EDIT: Looks like YONASH beat me to it!

[RedRoad]

Looks like you have a late 14bolt semi floater. Stronger than a 10 or 12 bolt but the axles are still held in place with a C clip like the smaller axles. If the axle breaks you will loose a wheel.

[jerry moss]

Originally Posted by RedRoad

Looks like you have a late 14bolt semi floater. Stronger than a 10 or 12 bolt but the axles are still held in place with a C clip like the smaller axles. If the axle breaks you will loose a wheel.

what he said + someone swapped in a late model rear diff. there should be a series of numbers stamped into one of the axle tubes to help identify what you have. definitly not a 67-72 diff. probably from the late 80s early 90s.

[NorCalC20LWB]

Thanks all for the input, constantly impressed with the knowledge base here! Will look in the morning for identifying numbers, thanks again for the help.