14 bolt swap park brake cable options

[Crocky125]

Swapping a 14 bolt into my 86 k10 and need to figure out how to set up my park brakes. The 14 bolt cables are bolted to the backing plate. My k10 cables are pressed into the backing plate. 14 bolt RH cable is a lot shorter as well. What can I do to make it work? A I can do a line lock but I'd prefure a brake

[JacobSchni]

following.

[jrfuel32]

I have a 1972 c30 14 bolt swap same problem. Subscribing

[Crocky125]

Looks like the more common solutions are swapping 1983+ 14 bolt backing plates or a drive line brake.
Neither really are in my budget. Got the axles for $200

Anyways its all about keeping these axles cheap like I got them. So a t-case brake is at least $500 and I haven't priced out backing plates but they probably arnt cheap. I need new cable as the current ones are siezed. So I may have to resort to building something which I don't mind. I'm just looking to see if someone's solved this easily before.

[Crocky125]

something like I might need to build. Red lines are the cables

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[Crocky125]

Just looking at 10 bolt brake options and 14 bolt brake options it looks like both offer a 11x2.75" pad set. So if my 10 bolt has that size of shoes would that backing plate bolt up to my 14 bolt?

Aldo I see 83+ plates are only for 13" shoes. No way my 11" shoes would work probably?

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by Crocky125

Looks like the more common solutions are swapping 1983+ 14 bolt backing plates or a drive line brake.
Neither really are in my budget. Got the axles for $200

Exactly, I ran into that on my Polar Bear Burb. Post 84 discusses it.

Sounds like you have a pre-1984 14 bolt FF and it most likely has 11” drums if it came from a 70’s truck. If you want it to be clean and look completely bone stock (for the 84 and later park brake cable design) you basically need to find 1984 and later 13” 14 bolt FF backing plates (and drums) with the push in brake cables. Those can be a bit challenging to find as most boneyards won’t allow a complete axle to be torn down just to rob the backing plates and drums and I never found these backing plates new or repopped anywhere. Luckily for me, I did find a bone yard with a 14 bolt FF in the core pipe to prune parts from. A lot of people talk smack about rear drums but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Pee on rear disk swaps in a big truck! (unless a complete late model rear axle with factory disks is used. The bolt on disk brake kits look frightening to me)

[slotard]

What scares you about the disc kits? As far as I can tell most appear reasonably stout.

[Caminuvik]

A bit in the same boat, have bought an 82 1/2 ton with up graded running gear springs etc. with the 2 bolt parking brake. Took in for out of province inspection and failed one reason was that the backing plates had slots cut in them which is a fail here in B.C. I have another axle assembly but with the push in parking brake, the drums (outside) are really rusted, haven't got a look as 5 of the 16 hub bolts are still rusted in (waiting for PB blaster to work.). If I understand correctly the older drums will not fit with the newer backing plate??
From other posts it seems the holes were cut for adjustment as the some backing plates were set up for automatic brake adjustment, and I guess mine are in that group.
Is my only solution finding a set of drums from newer truck and going with new shoes and parking cables? This seems like it is going to get expensive!
I wish to compliment this forum and posters as in the last days I certainly have increased my knowledge, unfortunately as the more your learn, the more you realize you don't know.
Thank you

[Axle]

Nothing scary about the disc kits, but its the fronts doing the most work, so I see no point in swapping to a rear disc setup. And rear discs can't be ignored like rear drums. =-)

Alex.

[silverbear]

Hey Crocky, where did you end up with this? I have an 86 K10 that I swapped in a 99 14ff with 13" slip on drum brakes that I am having a bit of a challenge with the parking brake cables. My passenger cable (push in style) comes out of the rear side of the backing plate so I knew my original cable would not work. I ordered a replacement (same as the van that the axle came out of). It appeared to be the same style as my original, only longer. I hooked it up, with some slight modification to the brackets. I thought it was working properly but after a long drive this weekend, I found that the passenger side is hanging up and dragging that brake. I am investigating my cable hook up and routing but at the same time I ma exploring options/alternatives for making this correct.