rear disc on a 67

[RED67]

Have drum on rear now and want to convert to disc....can I goto the junkyard and get a rear disc off of any older chevy car or truck????? or do I need to buy aftermarket????

[John Fabris]

there are some kits to convert your rear to disc, or with some fab work, you can use a ford nine from a lincoln continential... I have the nine under my 67.

[OhOneWS6]

Look up CaptainFab Search for Impala caliper bracket or camaro caliper bracket. I'm doing mine soon with the F-body calipers.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=249073

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=375640

[Mike Quillici]

Is there really an appreciable benefit from converting the rear to disc?

[chris71]

Originally Posted by Mike Quillici

Is there really an appreciable benefit from converting the rear to disc?

havent done it myself, but i have heard it is noticeble but not drastic, remember your front brakes do the majority of the braking 60-70%, it all depends why you want rear disc, alot of guys get them for bragging rights or so you dont see the drums through the wheels if you have big expensive wheels. maybe someone who has done the swap will chime in

[chris71]

Originally Posted by RED67

Have drum on rear now and want to convert to disc....can I goto the junkyard and get a rear disc off of any older chevy car or truck????? or do I need to buy aftermarket????

dont forget that you will need to get a different master cylinder as well, a disc/ drum MC is different than a disc/ disc setup. disc brakes require more volume and I beleive less pressure to operate than a standard drum setup.

if you go with an aftermarket kit at least you will have tech support if you run into a problem.

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by Mike Quillici

Is there really an appreciable benefit from converting the rear to disc?

Not in my opinion....at least not for the cost involved. I have been told by brake guys that 90% of your stopping power comes from the front. If you look at how frequently the front pads are changed as opposed to the rear, I would say this is a pretty fair judgement. Is $500 to slightly improve that 10% stopping power in the rear really worth it? If you got big bucks, I say go for it. But if not, disks up front and drums in the rear work just fine.

[Mike Quillici]

That's along the lines of what I was thinking. . .I like your logic.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by leddzepp

Not in my opinion....at least not for the cost involved. I have been told by brake guys that 90% of your stopping power comes from the front. If you look at how frequently the front pads are changed as opposed to the rear, I would say this is a pretty fair judgement. Is $500 to slightly improve that 10% stopping power in the rear really worth it? If you got big bucks, I say go for it. But if not, disks up front and drums in the rear work just fine.

Is this assessment based on regularly maintained drum brakes where the adjusting mechanism is actually adjusted like intended? Many people don't use their parking/emergency brake (never adjusting the rears). When this is the case.... the rears last much longer cause they're hardly workin'.

Discs recover quicker vs. drums in extreme conditions (heat & water exposure).

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Is this assessment based on regularly maintained drum brakes where the adjusting mechanism is actually adjusted like intended?

Yes.

[ERASER5]

In the newer cars/trucks the emergency brake adjusts the rear drums. In the 60's and 70's, applying the brakes while backing up adjusts the brakes. Remember, the front drums do not have an emergency brake, yet they were self adjusting. Taxis used to have the auto brake ajusters removed because they backed up so often that the brakes screwed up.

I looked at going with rear discs or going with the "big" rear drum brakes. The cost was just too much for so little increase in stopping power. I'll wait a while longer.

Front power disc brakes are another story all together. I spent a little less than $1k, but that included all new brake hardware from the brake pedal to the brake shoes. As well as all new suspension and steering parts. Basically, I have a new front end. Best money I ever spent on the truck.

[Sinister]

It's a lot nicer to change out brake pads then brake shoes.

[ERASER5]

Yea, there is that.

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by Sinister

It's a lot nicer to change out brake pads then brake shoes.

Yes it is, and that was pretty much the only reason I considered doing it

[atgilford]

Ask yourself that majic question, how often do you change either...

[unclewatts]

One other point is that rear disk brakes also come in handy if your hauling a heavy load.

[capev86]

70% of your braking comes from the front. best source for a brake upgrade is another GM truck. those aftermarket kits are all the rage, but they use an e-brake in the caliper, not the seperate drum parking brake that is the better way to go. also, i'd prefer to have truck parts on my truck, not a mix of aftermarket and car parts that are out of place. year 2000+ 1/2 ton trucks have 6 lug wheels regardless of 2 or 4 wheel drive and disc brakes on the rear. i'd say do a retrofit if you can find a good condition donor in the junkyard. you get modern TRUCK brakes and its easy to get replacement parts at the local store. you don't have to send away for custom stuff. i may put factory rear disc from a 3/4 or 1 ton pickup or burb on my 72 burb 20 that has 8 lug rims. for now those big factory rear drums are pretty good, especially with disc brakes up front.

note: a drum shoe system can hold a wheel stationary far better than the caliper mounted e-brake because it has more surface area to clamp with. also, you always have a good e-brake because it isn't used for normal braking and you don't have to mess with an e-brake cable to change the disc brake pads. chrysler had the caliper e-brake design on the 87-88 daytona but came out with the seperate drum brake system for all their 89 and newer cars. it is a very slick setup that makes me realize how ridiculous many of those aftermarket kits are). looks don't always mean practical.