putting 71-72 brakes on a 68?

[sixtyeightchevykid]

i want to upgrade to disc brakes on the front and i want to use 71-72 parts. i just was wondering if it was possible. i have been searching and researching this but cant seem to find a 100% answer. i was thinking that i could get the spindles, rotors, calipers, and ball joints off a 71-72 and that it would be a direct bolt in, is that true what else would i need?

[LONGHAIR]

Do you mean 66? If so I can edit that for you

[sixtyeightchevykid]

no i ment 68. so if you can fix that thanks. sorry about that

[LONGHAIR]

I would use the master cylinder and proportioning valve off of the newer truck too.

[sixtyeightchevykid]

can someone edit the title for me, needs to say 68 not 86

[LONGHAIR]

Done

[cpetersen]

Also make sure you use the 72 centerlink. You will also need to move the brake hose hold downs to the otherside of the subframe. I also used the master, pro valve and booster off of the 72. You will also need to change all of the front brake hardlines also. Its always a goodtime to change them since it is all apart. I think you will need to change the tie-rod ends too. When i converted mine. I rebuilt the whole frontend. I parted my 72 and put all the mechanicals into the 68.

[sixtyeightchevykid]

ok thank you for your help, should i just get the whole crossmember that has all the suspension stuff on it? and bolt it on the frame or just put the needed stuff on my 68?

[cpetersen]

Nah, I wouldn't. Just replace the wore out stuff. Makes a big differance changing the balljoints. I just had something funny happen, the only thing I didn't replace was the steering gear, i took it off and cleaned and painted it. Guess what now it is leaking. lol. I suppose I will get one of those quick ratio boxes.

[sixtyeightchevykid]

man that is no good lol i hate when something like that happens..
so i need the center link, spindles, rotors, calipers, and ball joints, the rubber lines. what about the tie rod ends?

[michael bustamante]

youll need to change you inner outer t rod ends and adjusting sleeve as well, or just get the steering rack from your doner 71-72. also front brake hardlines

[crakarjax]

Easiest thing by far is to get a '72 parts truck and just use the whole entire front suspension/brakes/steering setup. You will not have to replace the spindles unless you want drop spindles.

If you do this, the greatest benefit is that you do not have to remember which part is from which year.

Better yet, get a '73- truck to steal the setup from because replacement parts and drop spindles are cheaper. It's nice to have a '72 for spare parts to use on your '68 though.

[cpetersen]

Yeah you will need to change the tie-rod ends and sleeves. They won't fit in the 72 disk brake center link. My thing is you have it all apart you might as well put all new parts in. Mine drives better than my 2006 silverado.

[sixtyeightchevykid]

well i dont have the 72, the deal on that is a kid at school its his friends and he went off the road into a tree, and he would part out the spindles, rotors, calipers for 50 bucks. but he turned down 1000 dollars for the truck its self so i dont thin i can get the truck, but i can get the break parts still i just havent seen it yet to know the condition of everything i would need.

[crakarjax]

Tell him you want the entire suspension and brakes, and you'll give him $100...

[michael bustamante]

a hundred would be a heckova deal!!

[sixtyeightchevykid]

the 72 has drop springs too so ill try that and see what he thinks, he also has a posi rear end that he said he would sell me for 120 if i pull it my self so i might be getting some parts =D

[crakarjax]

mmmmm, posi....

[BILL FOSTER]

I put an entire 88 ifs on my 70 sw. Bolts on, reroute the brake lines using 88 proportioning valve and master cylinder. I had to buy 6 lug rotors to match rims.

[sixtyeightchevykid]

ok sorry its been awhile since i updated this, the deal with the 72 fell through and i didnt get any of it, but i have been looking int the 73 and later stuff becaust it is more common and cheaper at parts stores, so if there is more info on doing a swap from 73 and up, i could use that..

[BILL FOSTER]

68, I was restoring a 70 sb fleet and wanted disc. Another gear head told me that the front ends up off of 1/2 ton chevy trucks to 1988 will bolt up. It is good info. The anti sway bar and the rubber mounts didn't seem to be a perfect match but from what I remember the a arms bolted on with all the caliper assemblys. The motor mounts were different for my sb 350 and proportioning valve install location right on the front frame cross member. I think we just installed the different brake master cylinder right on the power booster too.

[54Caddy]

On my dads 68 we just swapped out the whole a-frame. It works fine still have the regular master cylinder off of the 68 with no booster, and the original proportioning valve of the 68 also and it stop perfect man.

[sixtyeightchevykid]

do you think i will be able to use the stock 68 arms ans just put in the later model spindles rotors etc.?

[54Caddy]

You should be able to man. As far as i know you can do the swap just with spindles. Hell look at the conversion kits they just come with the spindle not the a-arms. Go for it man.

[michael bustamante]

the ball joints will not work if you go this route, youll have to change to 73+ ball joints as well, good idea to swao em out anyways. If your modding on a budget, go to the scrap yard and pull the whole crossmember assy off a 73 and up truck. it bolts right in and you anly have to drill like 2 holes in the fram and youll save yourself alot of headache, if you do a search theyll be alot of info on this