Anyone here own or see a 70 C10 with factory disc brakes???

[68Gold/white]

I might take some heat for asking. I have read debates about the truth of this matter. Have not heard much in last few years. I have known of 2 such pickups.

First one was a doozy. I worked in an independent retail auto parts store from 1985-1998.
Had a customer come in, just happened to walk up to me, instead of one of the other guys. Said he wanted front brakes for his 70 C-10. I asked him if it was drum or disc. His jaw fell open...LOL. He said crap I've been to 3 other parts stores, they all tell me that my pickup has front drum brakes, IT DOES NOT!!!

He said he'd be doing business here, from now, was amazed that I even knew that disc was an option in 1970. I showed him the parts book, he laughed!

I have owned my 68 since 1980, had been investigating a way to convert to disc brakes shortly afterwards.

Moser lists axles to 1970 and newer for the 1/2 pickups as having the same width axle till the early 80's, these axle widths starting in 70, not 71. That would mean that the 6 lug axles in the 70 C-10's with front drum brakes would NOT work in 69 and earlier........

OK, what's your experience(s) with this???

[leddzepp]

Disc brakes started in 71. The end.

[RenoKeene]

I've personally never seen a 70' or earlier with disks that wasn't converted.

[krue]

So was this unicorn 5 lug or 6 lug?

[RenoKeene]

Maybe 8

[CG]

Originally Posted by leddzepp

Disc brakes started in 71. The end.

The worlds shortest truck story .... Sonny let me tell you a little story about 67-72 Chevy truck disk brakes. Disk brakes started in 71. The end.

[AussieinNC]

Factory disc brakes became available as an option in September 1970...call it a 70 or a 71...really...what does it matter?

[jocko]

If you're talking about a Sep 70 truck with an eggcrate grille, it's a 71. If you're talkin about a Sep 70 truck with front drum brakes, it's a 70.

[Mr Handy]

Member Rusty Sunshine has a 70 panel burb with factory 6 lug disks. It is a late 70 custom orderif i recall correctly. It certainly would not be unusual for GM to start using new parts when the old stuff ran out.

The Original gas tank in my 70 has the smaller 71/72 fill neck and takes the later grommet but still vents through the cap.

[AussieinNC]

Originally Posted by jocko

If you're talking about a Sep 70 truck with an eggcrate grille, it's a 71. If you're talkin about a Sep 70 truck with front drum brakes, it's a 70.

Does it really matter?

I have a 1970 chassis numbered frame with original factory disc front in it...pity its bent...

[B. W.]

I've turned a wrench for many years. You would be amazed at the number of people that don't know what year their vehicle is. My guess is the truck was a '71 but the owner thought it was a '70 ... in his defense it may have been manufactured in '70 even though it was a '71 so he thought it was a '70.

(side note: the BOM on my'71 K20 front axle shows a build date of Aug. 24, 1970, a very early first year disc D44 BUT it's still a '71)

[franken]

Even now, 2018 models are introduced in 2017 as 2018 vehicles.
Post #2, yay

[too much stuff]

Originally Posted by leddzepp

Disc brakes started in 71. The end.

There it is... If it was an option it would be listed on the spid. I have never seen a 70 model year truck with FACTORY disc brakes.

['70_402]

So if there was 6 lug discs for special order, why wouldn't you be able to buy replacement parts? That seems silly, the first time you changed our your brake rotors you'd have to swap wheels... makes no sense.

[special-K]

I have a father/son team I've known for years who are deep into these trucks. They offered me a '70 SWB rolling chassis/title/VIN-plate that they are convinced is factory original. It has 5-lugs and everything is riveted and appears original. Without the body I have no other references to originality. I feel it was either an early '71 titled in '70 mistakenly as a '70 (gotta check the VIN) or knuckles-out/axle shafts changed out. I hope to see it if I can go buy it.

[GASoline71]

Originally Posted by leddzepp

Disc brakes started in 71. The end.

Oh yeah? I have a 4 bolt main 327... so there!



Might not be the right place for this because this thread is about disc brakes. But... my old man has a 1970 CST/10 that has FACTORY cruise control. It is listed on the SPID on his glove box door. He and I have been told by many a truck dude that cruise control was a dealer option only and was a factory option after 1971. My 1972 GMC C/15 has dealer optioned cruise control and it is NOT listed on the SPID on my glove box door.

Didn't mean to hijack... just interesting.

Gary

[lolife99]

Originally Posted by leddzepp

Disc brakes started in 71. The end.

truth. ^^^

And every 1970 truck I have been around has the wider 71-72 rear axle dimensions, except 6-lug axles.
But that doesn't mean they didn't make the 1970 model trucks with the narrower 67-69 housing.

['70_402]

Originally Posted by GASoline71

Oh yeah? I have a 4 bolt main 327... so there!



Might not be the right place for this because this thread is about disc brakes. But... my old man has a 1970 CST/10 that has FACTORY cruise control. It is listed on the SPID on his glove box door. He and I have been told by many a truck dude that cruise control was a dealer option only and was a factory option after 1971. My 1972 GMC C/15 has dealer optioned cruise control and it is NOT listed on the SPID on my glove box door.

Didn't mean to hijack... just interesting.

Gary

My 70 CST had factory Cruise also... never worked, but it was there.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by special-K

I have a father/son team I've known for years who are deep into these trucks. They offered me a '70 SWB rolling chassis/title/VIN-plate that they are convinced is factory original. It has 5-lugs and everything is riveted and appears original. Without the body I have no other references to originality. I feel it was either an early '71 titled in '70 mistakenly as a '70 (gotta check the VIN) or knuckles-out/axle shafts changed out. I hope to see it if I can go buy it.

Just to add, this is something that has been "seen" quite often. Everything at the DMV was done by hand back in the day and as stated new models typically come out in Sept/Oct of the previous year, so I've seen a lot of vehicles "titled" as say a 1970, but the VIN, body style, and everything else point to it being a 1971 because the DMV "titled" it as a 1970... because it was Sept/Oct/Nov/Dec 1970 when it was purchased.

Also, don't forget, some of these trucks could have been wrecked months after being brand new, and used parts were a lot cheaper, so maybe a 1971 truck that was in a minor wreck in July of 71 needed a front clip, a new one from GM was $$$ so a junkyard 69/70 clip was put on, forgotten about, and 50 years later everything looks to have been original...

But no, been around these trucks a long time too and never seen one.

[Stocker]

As far back as I can remember (mid-Sixties) new model-year vehicles have been traditionally introduced in September of the previous calendar year, no doubt adding a degree of confusion. My 1972 K20 was built in August 1971 (dunno when it was first sold) and it's definitely a 1972 model year truck. I forget the month I bought my first new car, a 1968 Camaro RS, but it was late fall or early winter in 1967.

[68Gold/white]

I didn't start this thread for the purpose of being a know it all.
The aftermarket catalogs that I used to look up parts, in the day, were written from and with factory knowledge and information.
I'm still looking for at least a few 70's with factory disc brakes.
Thanks

[bill3rail]

Interesting reading here.

[stsalvage]

Just to put it to rest GM even put a sticker on the tail gate to show the truck had Disc brakes.Now we all have to go back to production date.The grill and bumper was the only rear change for the 1970 to 1971 and some trim options.See that Yellow and black sticker on the left upper side of the tail gate that how bad GM was about telling people that this truck came with disc brakes

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Wouldn't shock me a few 70s came with disc brakes. A transition period perhaps. For example, supposedly side mount batteries started in 71. No doubt they did, but my 71 battery (May build) had top posts, and the original positive cable to support it.

[volksworld]

i put the surburban disc brake crossmember in my 70 in about 1980 so i'm sure if he worked in a parts house in the late 80's there were already converted trucks running around....yes the 70 housing was wider and could use the later 5 lug axles....and a stolen 71 could have been re-titled ...4 pop rivits is a much easier conversion