Rear disc brake conversion

[muddrivermike]

Ok everyone. Im trying to figure something out in my head here..Im always having to adjust my rear shoes all the time,And im really tired of doing it. I want to switch to the disc brake set up but a couple of things I have an issue with. 1 is the style...One set up uses the 8 lug chevy rotors with the dual piston front calipers,with no E brake..The other uses rear El camino SINGLE piston calipers WITH the E brake..I know there is a option for a T case parking brake set up that Ive found...Id like to have the parking brake but dont want single piston calipers..I have also wondered if its possible to somehow use front Dana 60 brackets and calipers and rotors like I have on the front..I know that the front spindles are 5 bolts while the rear is 4? Im a great mechanic,I weld,fabricate metal,And whatever else you know we usually do to our trucks,HAHA..So with this being said,Anybody have any input? Id like to somehow use the ford components If I could.. :-B

 

[Rons beast]

Hey Mike,

I did a quick Google, and found that Summit makes a rear conversion kit for Fords. It does use the single piston calper with internal parking brake.

You should never use a dual or 4 piston rear without the same type of caliper on the front. What you want to avoid is having the rear brakes lock before the front, ( or apply more braking force than the front.) That is a recipe for disaster!

That being said....if the rear brakes are assembled correctly, they are self adjusting and should never need to be adjusted by hand.

If you do go with rear disc, be sure to get the proper proportioning valve.

good luck and let us know what you come up with.

 

[Bully Bob]

Like Ron said;

....if the rear brakes are assembled correctly, they are self adjusting and should never need to be adjusted by hand

There are left & right side adjuster screws for the self adjusters (manual as well).

If they get mixed up.... they will actually "un-adjust" :angry:

 

[muddrivermike]

Thanks guys..As for the adjusting screws,they are in correctly...Im turning 40 inch tires,,And Im pretty sure the brakes dont like the sand and mud that gets into them.Ill have to check the summit site..The problem is that I have dana 60s front and rear.And most of the time summit and the others sell those kits for the 9 inch. I have papers I printed out for the conversion and it does say something about taking apart the proportioning valve and changing something inside it..As for the 2 piston calipers,I figured I never have a problem with the front,So it would work in the back...And those chevy kits are 2 piston frt calipers..Obviously I cant wash out the mud and sand out of the drums,So I think its just wearing them down slowly.I just dont want to put a single piston in the rear and wear those down fast due to inadequate stopping ability.

 

[Rons beast]

So the problem seems to be the sand and mud getting in the drums, not the brakes themselves?

Do you drive the Bronc on the road getting to the "fun' site? If so you need to be careful about overdoing it on the rears. The relativly short wheelbase and high roll center on these trucks can make them very dicey with the wrong brake bias.

The mud holes around here have "rince off" areas where drivers can rinse the mud off prior to going home. ( some locals have made it mandatory before getting on the highway)

If that isn't available, do you think a pump sprayer with water would work?

Just trying to figure a solution for ya.

 

[muddrivermike]

Its not really a problem for me. More of an upgrade. I want to ditch the drums anyway. It was my daily driver up until a year and a half ago. I've been driving a company truck. But I'm trying to change jobs and if so ill be driving it again. I just don't want to deal with the adjusting every month or two. I also looked at those summit kits. They are nice,,and pricey..ill see want ill end up doing..time will tell

 

[washbee]

If you go to a rear disc brake conversion, it's always recommended that you go with an "adjustable" proportioning valve. The reason being that the new rear disc brakes stop more effectively and offset the balance originally set by the factory. Remember, the front brakes do 70-80% of the stopping. The adjustable proportioning valve will bring things back into balance. The original proportioning valve has a spring and a plunger that makes the balance correct for drum brakes, that why you've seen the write ups about "gutting" the original proportioning valve. Personally, surgery on a precision valve doesn't sound to smart to me, especially when they offer ones with a **** on them that you can dial in to stop "safely". Using disc brake set ups with more than one piston only increases the clamping force and thus increases your issue with the proportioning valve. Buy the kit with the El Camino calipers and the "E-Brake", that way, you don't over complicate the swap, you still keep an e-brake (which everyone really needs) and get the adjustable proportioning valve. All this stuff is readily available at any of the Bronco vendors and caliper and pad replacement will be a sinch. ("The more you bypass the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain".....Scotty/ "In Search of Spock")