disc brake conversion. whats your fav and why?

Pretty interested in doing this for the obvious reason as well as a few other. The only one and I've seen is the D&D which seems like a nice kit but also quite pricey. What others are there and to those who have chosen why would you say you think its better? Do any of these brakes clear 14 inch wheels? Thanks for schooling me.
-steev.

I used the D&D kit. It's very nice and an easy bolt on. Dennis was quick at responding to questions, too, so good tech support. His kit will not clear the stock 14" rims, but they easily clear 14" Cragars and 14" ET mags that I have.

If you just buy the brackets you can buy all the rest of the components off the shelf at your local parts store.. mix of GM and Jeep.

Here's an install step-by-step on the HAMB (which you've probably already read)
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=159016

If you search the Old Econolines Yahoo group you'll find other options. I think Fred Carillo had a way of using junkyard AMC parts... if you can find any.

Here is another option
http://www.tsmmfg.com/1190.htm
http://carnut.com/tech/econo/econo1.html

Here is Vic's kit, it is a bolt on, full turning circle stop to stop. NO sway bar adapters needed for the sway bar to work. Kit comes COMPLETE with custom 1/2" lazer cut mounting plates, new bearings and races, new seals, custom stainless brake lines, custom cross drilled rotors, all plated parts and new rebuilt AMC Bendix calipers. Also, it comes with a new set of hubs that are face cut that no one else does it to. This insures when you put the nice flat rotors that there is NO rotor wobble from the hubs no being true.
Have been selling them for a long time and in regards to the comment as to pricey,, what is the definition of that anyways???? LOL
CONTRARY TO RUMOR!!!! The calipers are easily available rebuilt as well as the rebuild parts and pads the same as a Ford F-150,,, so YES the parts are easily available.

I sell the complete kit for $750 plus freight, EVERYTHING included. Or I can sell you the mounting plates for $150.
Kits are due to stock on hand as I build them.
I also sell a remote reservoir conversion for the 67 master cylinders as well as rebuilt masters.
vic
Just sold the last two in stock and working on more.

the kits looks very impressive. i guess my opinion is probably going to vary from guys that are trying to sell kits upwards of a thousand dollars. shit..my van wasnt even that much and im sure theres a ton of people whose didnt either. im well aware of all that is involved and i commend you for time, design, research and everything..i swear...but that d&d complete kit is almost a grand and it appears the only thing really being made is the mounting plate. pay to play...bla bla. hey...its just my opinion. your kit obviously has quite a bit more involved and is quite a bit more affordable. will 14 inch wheels clear with this kit? supremes to be exact. thanks.

Thank you for the compliment, I put a LOT of time into designing it. The kit is a take off from Fred's kit. His also a very good idea. I just wanted to do less cutting on the hub and wanted the rotor to be sandwiched in between the hub and the rotor. Unfortunately, not many automotive machine shops will face cut your hub, (stupid and I don't get it??) so, I remove the bearing races and cut the studs shanks BEFORE I remove the studs, (many past posts on this and the reason why),,that way the expanded base of the stud will not enlarge the hole and ruin it. This way the customer is insured a straight and true running hub, with no spun races or welded in studs.
Also, I found that cutting the AMC mounting plate to work left one side a little thin. So,, I just designed and made them out of thicker material.
In regards to wheel size, they will clear a few 14" rims, but I prefer to say that they will not and recommend 15".
One more reason for the 15" tires, is that you can get the same diameter in 15" and the 14" tires are on the way out, and you usually have to order them in advance IF you can find the size and tread in the first place. So, personally, not even interested in that hassle, especially if I am out on the road and have a blow out?????? Just my opinion on tire sizes.
Regards to the amount spent,,, after working on countless customer trucks with drum brakes and having them on my truck, I wont drive any of mine with drums ever again,,
NO SUDDEN turns in the rain!!! LOL.. I cant count the times they have saved my bacon....
vic

quick rundown fellas, obv we need the bracket, from there, specifically what rotor/caliper do you use?

so far all i have found is you can use niether:
1)f-150 caliper- what year??
2)gm g body caliper- self explanatory
3)rx-7 rotor?? what year theres 3 generations of rx-7's!
4)which brackets are specific for which caliper?

thanks in advance im just trying to get my facts straight before i tackle this

The D&D kit refered to as "almost a grand" also includes the new MC and bracket and it's $900. The Master kit is $609 without the MC. It will allow 14" wheels. The only stock 14" that won't fit are the tube type wheels. Any others will fit.

Dennis in Oregon
www.dddiscbrakes.com

The AMC conversion uses the Gremlin,Hornet,type BENDIX single piston sliding mount (same as the F-150 and Dodge). You can get rebuilt calipers from Rock Auto, etc, etc,, and they use the same pistons, hdw kits and seals as a Ford F-150, the rebuilt calipers are about $26 bucks or so. However, the supply of the slide units at the junk yards here is gone, a few here and there and have never been real plentiful. If you get the unit at your bone yard that is good as I can sell you the lazer cut brackets and away you go....
The rotors are Mazda RX7 rotors and the stock ones are about $22 bucks, easily available. I supply stainless brake lines as standard and have them in stock if you want a set. The pads again, are easy to get as the same as the Ford F-150 and several other cars.
vic

Old Skool wrote:The AMC conversion uses the Gremlin,Hornet,type BENDIX single piston sliding mount (same as the F-150 and Dodge). You can get rebuilt calipers from Rock Auto, etc, etc,, and they use the same pistons, hdw kits and seals as a Ford F-150, the rebuilt calipers are about $26 bucks or so. However, the supply of the slide units at the junk yards here is gone, a few here and there and have never been real plentiful. If you get the unit at your bone yard that is good as I can sell you the lazer cut brackets and away you go....
The rotors are Mazda RX7 rotors and the stock ones are about $22 bucks, easily available. I supply stainless brake lines as standard and have them in stock if you want a set. The pads again, are easy to get as the same as the Ford F-150 and several other cars.
vic

does your complete kit come with the slide units?

Yes,, the slide bracket is the key. If you can find the units, I have the lazer brackets I designed and its easy then. Like I posted before, its a very good idea to face cut your hubs, as when the drum brakes are swagged together as a unit, any wobble does not matter because you turn the drum which makes it straight. If you mount the rotor onto a hub that is not true, the rotor has to also wobble.
vic

does dennis' kit require the hubs to be machined?

I can only vouch for mine, definitely not into a battle of words, especially as few of the sliding brackets are around. Personally, I have cut enough of them to think it is important enough to do. My lathe just went down, and had to go last week to an automotive machine shop and have them cut the last two for me until I get mine back up again. Cutting them is exactly the same as cutting a rotor on the brake lathe, its not that hard to do. I simply don't think its worth the gamble when selling mine and make sure its straight and true.
One REALLY IMPORTANT thing to remember, is MAKE SURE YOU CUT THE SWAG off of the studs when BEFORE you remove them, I have a half a dozen hubs here that are toast!!! and another four of them with studs welded in. Years ago LOL,, I OWNED an automotive machine shop and literally replaced hundreds of drums, and it was well known to cut them, and had an assortment of sized cutters for different sized studs, as well as the crimp/swag tool to do it, it seems it is a lost art and so old skool (LOL) no one even knows about it any more. Don't remember who, where or how many times I have posted this, but the killer is Pringles setup, right in the picture it shows the expanded stud with a wheel nut on it and a hammer,, LIKE WOW!!!
VIC

my pop has a repair shop and still has an old brake lathe in the corner, can easily cut the hubs, looks to be the right way to do it.

as for the calipers, i have a shelf full of rebuilt units that have been there longer then im alive and im pretty sure there's a pair of those bendix jammies, gotta cross reference part numbers.

i recently did the brakes over, late model ranger master,willwood prop valve, all new hard lines and replaced all the rubber with stainless braided. so im set in that aspect.

it seems my needs lie in your brackets and those sliders.

if we can we work somthing out that would be great and much apriciated

Here are the fine points of the bracket, not hard to do at all..
vic

The D&D kit is a simple bolt on. IIRC, I took the drums to a machine shop to have the hub & drum separated, but that was it. The kit has been working fine for me.

Vic, your kit is very impressive.

Hellfish,, Thank you,,, the kit doesn't need any adapters and is really a simple bolt on if you buy the whole unit from me, nothing for you to do, except put it on.
It clears everything, lock to lock without hitting anything, sway bar clears, etc, etc. The problem has always been and still is finding the sliding brackets on a Gremlin, etc, so its never been a big supply of those parts, all the past conversation about not finding pads and parts is a bunch of malarcky. I think its a good kit, but not like it has ever been a volume thing...
If someone has a Gremlin and or finds the brackets, I have the lazer cut mounting brackets for sale anyways so still makes it pretty easy.
Can't stress it enough to everyone though, CUT THE SWAGGED part of the studs off, BEFORE you push the studs out, no matter whose kit you use. Its not a wives tail, believe me..
vic

I think Vic meant the Roger Mingle setup when he said "Pringle". Personally I think machining the hub for trueness is a good idea no matter whose kit you use but I wouldnt say its required with any of them. Im sure over the years someone has beat on the hub of your vehice at some point in its life so why not have it cut for complete accuracy and true? It certainly won't hurt and can only help in braking performance.

Old age, over worked. Yep,,, Mingle not Pringle... lol
You took the words right out of my mouth, and could not say it any better..Right on, right on..
I krindge when I see his picture, the enlarge stud staring at you and a big hammer right there, all set to ruin another hub..
BTW,, I just threw out 10 hubs in the scrap heap today,,spun races, welded studs and holes way too big for any oversized studs,, Really hurts to pay $20 bucks for core that is junk when I get home with it...

vic