Front disc brake question 84 versus 71

[suburban99]

Hey all, I recently hauled a 68 short step home, front drum brakes. So i found an '84 frame and frontend for sale reasonable and bought it. Last week I came across a 71 c10 long bed fleet with disc brakes and power steering. Of course I hauled it home as well. Now should I convert the 68 to 71 brakes or use the 84 front end? Looks like the calipers on the 71 are a 1 year only unit, and the '84 calipers fit many years. Both rotors appear to be 1-1/4" thick, What would you do?

[raggedjim]

I really don't think either one is better than the other as long as the 84 aren't 1" rotors.

If the 71 calipers are different it's news to me.

Good luck, Rg

[lolife99]

With everything available to buy new,… what do you plan to reused off of with of these front ends?
Stock height spindle and maybe the dust shields.
Everything else need a to be new.
Just my
Opinion.

[68Gold/white]

I don't know what the 71 caliper uniqueness is, but it couldn't be much. Those calipers can still be had. Even IF the 84 stuff has the thin rotors, there's nothing about them to avoid...

I'd go the 71 route, just because a lot of its components are the same as the 68. DOn't ask me which ones are...

Either use ALL 71 parts or use ALL 84 parts, to be safe.

There's ways to mix and match them together. I don't have an hour to type all that out...LOL

THere's a guy here, that knows ALL the ways to mix and match, I do to... LOL

[suburban99]

I think I will use the 84. It has what appear to be newish rotors and calipers.
As well it has a sway bar. I try not to replace good components. Yes I am cheap. A bud has a pair of 3" drop spindles for a square body so those should fit at a good price. A couple pictures of the '71

[raggedjim]

Nice, start a build thread. Misery loves company!

[68Gold/white]

Check the thickness of the 84 rotors. If they are 1 inch thick, the spindles may be different. I don't know if drop spindles were made for the thick and thin rotors. My brother had a 84 SWB, it had thin rotors. I'm not sure when they started the thin rotor deal. If you called a parts store, they would be able to tell you if the bearings were different. That woul d tell you for sure what's what...

[raggedjim]

Light duty spindles use a smaller inner bearing.