Disc brake conversion

Anyone done a disc break conversion? I found a company that makes a kit but I spoke to the owner of the company and he told me I'd need to hunt down a 61-66 pedal and push rod (due to mine being a 67) now is this something I can fab to make my 67 set up work or do I just hunt down the 61-61 pedal and push rod?
Thanks in advance!!

This sounds odd, Your 67 should already have the dual master cylinder and if in good condition with a few minor modifications should work well. Lots of conversions done, I'm still good with drums.

Ok I'll look into it more then, I was going to replace the drums but given that I have to replace everything in the front I figured I'd price out the disc kit and it doesn't seem unreasonable

vic old skool has a bitchin disc break set up...he is onthis site contact him..out of so cal

jadedstem wrote:vic old skool has a bitchin disc break set up...he is onthis site contact him..out of so cal

Hey thanks man! Looking into it because everything needs to be replaced anyhow so looking at all options.

If Your 67 dual master cylinder is working, remove the check valve for the front circuit and upgrade to probably D&D you've been talking to ?
67 pedal has different offset for the mechanical brake light switch and the push rod is shorter for the dual chamber inside the master cylinder.
Since there are more 61-66 pedals for the single cylinder, Dennis at D&D made the bracket to use them with the newer off the shelf master cylinder. 67 one year only dual is ok if it is still working or has been rebuilt/sleeved.

Well, another post that didnt go through,,, hmmmmm
Perhaps too many pictures again. Anyways,, I appreciate the good words about my disc brake conversion from jadedstem very nice of you.
 The 67 dual master is just fine for your conversion. When I first found the difference in the pedals no one was aware of it or why. The person who advised you of the differences didnt have it correct. The early push rod is about 3/8" shorter than the 67 and the pedal has a shorter offset in it in order to use the longer 67 ecentric bolt. ALL manufacturers were or had to use a dual circuit master cylinder begining in 67, and so the single circuit early hydraulic brake light switch would not work if that side of the circuit failed. Hence the mechanical type.
 It is VERY IMPORTANT to remove your front circuit residual valve or you risk locking up the disc brakes. A drum brake has springs and a 10lb valve is needed to offset them, a disc brake has nothing to retract the pistons and can or WILL lock up. Here is a picture of how to remove the residual valve. I have new brass seats if you need one.
 Yes, I do make a disc brake conversion using the AMC calipers. CONTRARY to some peoples comments,, the parts are readily available. Rebuilt calipers at Rock Auto and so on, pads and parts still used on many cars to include the F series trucks and others.
 In my kit I include replacement hubs that have been face cut to insure no rotor wobble as standard part of the kit. In order to face cut the replacement hubs, I have to supply new races and bearings so they are included in the kit at cost. The kit includes new bearings, races, seals, ceramic pads, custom cross drilled rotors, grade 8 fasteners, custom brake lines, all parts zinc plated and a laser cut COLD ROLLED steel mounting plate. The kit comes complete as a bolt on and needs no adapters for sway bars.
Will fit some 14" wheels, but recomend 15". Unfortunetely,, there is not an unlimited supply of the factory slide brackets so I sell them as I find them.
 I also make a 67 master cylinder remote reservoir adapter. It will stop any water from getting in the breather slots from the OEM cap, and you no longer have to lift up your mat or carpet to service it.
 Here is a picture of the master cylinder adapter that I sent D&D to work from.
vic

Here is the pictures of the 67 master cylinder remote reservoir conversion. The OEM cap with two breather slits underneath the bolt. These are here to allow the bellows to breathe, but also they allow water to get in around the bolt. With the factory cap they tried to add a spring tensioner piece inside in order to push down on the gasket. Unfortunetely it still allows water intrusion and pitting of the master. Its hard to avoid getting water on top of the master cylinder.
The conversion gets rid of that issue and at the same time allows the reservoir to be mounted up high and you no longer have to lift up your carpet or mat to service your master cylinder. Unfortunetely they raised the price of the blue hose to over $4 bucks a foot, so now using a red colored hose for hydraulic fluid.
vic

Wow! Thanks for all the info I think I'm starting to understand it now, been doing a ton of reading on this. Do you sell a ready to install kit by chance?

Thnx,, yes as I said above,,,it comes complete as a bolt on kit with the following.

Custom Cross Drilled, chamfered,slotted and plated vented rotor

AMC Caliper with factory slide mount, all caliper hdw and caliper zinc plated

Ceramic pads

Laser cut cold rolled steel mounting plate

Econoline hub that has been face cut for no rotor wobble

New bearings, races and seals

Grade 8 fasteners

Custom high performance brake lines

vic

Randall711 wrote:Anyone done a disc break conversion?
Thanks in advance!!

I've installed two different disc brake conversions on my Econolines. The first one I installed was the "Roger Mingle" set-up ( http://www.carnut.com/tech/econo/ ). This set-up uses the very large older GM calipers. I ran with this set-up for around 36,000 miles. I thought it was a good conversion until I received the caliper bracket kit from D&D Disc Brakes ( http://www.dddiscbrakes.com/ ). The kit included caliper brackets and mounting hardware along with a list of brake parts needed (I picked these parts up from my local O'Reillys). There were also brackets to relocate the sway bar. This kit uses the GM metric caliper and spaces it further away from the wheel. I run 15" rims but I've been told by others that it's possible to use a 14" wheel with the D&D set-up. So far I've only put a couple of hundred miles on this conversion and I'm very pleased with it. We will be testing it more by making a 1000 mile round trip to the Mid-South Econoline Meet beginning next week!

I'm sure Vic offers a great product, but the two conversions above are the only ones I can speak of from experience. If you decide to go with one of these conversions have the lug studs machined off like Vic preaches! I know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thnx,, I have two types,, one is the K/H AMC conversion and now that same conversin used on two different trucks for over at least 8 years???????  same pads, same, same and still trucking,,,,  The Bendix calipers on many other peoples and still running just fine.
 Mine is basically the same as Eugene's were with some refinements. The original ones used the Gremlin, etc,, used the factory four bolt bracket that you had to machine in order for the Econoline hub to fit inside of, and or remove some of the hub material itself.  I didnt like either as boring the AMC bracket out left a very thin and weak part, and also didnt like the idea of machining off some of the hubs strength. Also, preferred the sandwhich setup that locked the rotor in between the hub and the wheel, not on the other side and weaker. With that I designed the full 1/2" thick mounting plate to add strength, after that I increased it to Cold Rolled steel as even stronger (as if it really needed it anyways)... just better as long as I was buying the material anyways.
 What a lot of people don't realize is that with mine or Fred's its not an unlimited supply everyone, so when people get their pantys in an up roar all I can do is laugh to myself,,,, LOL...
 I would never sell anything that I wouldnt also use myself, and if there is a flaw that I am responsible for I am not interested in it anyways... The slide bracket is the whole key to the AMC setup and I would NEVER even think of trying reproduce a factory part. Its strong and I am not interested in making them or anything to do with it. It will far outlast any of our trucks or all of us put together in all of our life times,,, so no big deal.  If you like it, thats just fine, if not thats okay also. There are not enough people wanting to, or will spend the $$$$ anyways,,, and not an unlimited supply of the slide bracket in the first place,, LOL..
   I am familiar with all of them, and have a set of Pringle ones here that I would happily give away for freight and packing. As typical and also by his instructions on the net,, of course these hubs and studs are wasted (welded in like so many others I have here),,, Ohhh,,, lol...
Two things that I hope everyone pays attention to, is firstly the correct way to remove the studs and 2ndly get someone to at least face cut your hubs no matter whose you use..

vic

Ok let's get down to brass tax lol how much for the ready to install kit you listed? If you need to pm me the price that's fine, I'm in the market

I wouldn't mind that info myself vic. And awesome explanation and how it works. Thanks.

Vics setup is slightly more than the other kits but there are quite a bit of upgrades and extras he does that are not included in the other kits, some of which he feels are imperative, like machining of the hubs. Contact him direct and he'll get you a price.

I sent him a message a few days ago but haven't heard anything back yet..

I am sorry,, but it is a combination of hundreds of phone calls each day wanting help, emails, behind on orders already and not healed yet from the motor cycle accident. In addition now, I have been taking care of my Mom who now has cancer and I just put her in Hospice. Medicare insisting that some has to stay with her at night after the home care people have left.
This has left me very tired, working in the heat to try and catch up, still answering and helping a lot of people, and no computer from 4pm to 10am...
I am sorry,,,,,

AS I posted previously,, these disc brakes depend on the availability of the slide brackets that I posted pictures of. As I cannot get to the bone yards as often now as I could before that also creates some supply issues besides running for materials and working on orders. I appreciate your wanting some pricing and so the kit is $800 now as I have been absorbing the increases in materials even after other peoples kits were raised a long time ago.
I sincerly appreciate the interest, and believe I can put together a few kits here with what I have in stock. I have not even had the time to look at how many calipers and factory slides that I have now??? I know that I have several that have already been blasted, plated and rebuilt and that I have some of the custom rotors in stock. Please be patient with me, as I do have committments for peoples orders that I am desperetely trying fill firstly..
Sincerely,,,
vic

Not a problem Vic.. When things calm down for you let me know and will make a deal I got plenty to do on it at the moment anyway so it's not like I'm waiting on brakes. I can do them down the road.

Vic, sorry to hear about your mom. I know how those things go as my mother in law just recently had a stroke and is also in hospice. Hope everything works out for you.

Hey Vic, Do you have any part numbers for the brake hoses for the AMC set up? I see you have "custom brake hose" in your parts list. Is that the only way to get the right hose. How about the rear axle brake hose. Any source for them? How much is your remote kit for the 67 MC?

Thanks in Advance.

Duane in Tennessee.

Duane,,,,  No on the part numbers as I have them made according to the ends.  The frame part is exactly the same as the Econoline of course, longer and then using the AMC type end. I forget the angle on that part of the fitting but can find out...
  On the rear hose it depends on the year. The replaceable hose type has a thread on it that is different than the distribution block on the rear axle so they need to use an adapter for it in order to make a stainless line... I may have one that I had made for myself if you want it.
  The remote kit is $90,,,,
Thnnx


vic

Not Zeenks Veeks ... you just can't keep a good dog off your leg ... lol

When I get a dog, I will name it YIKES,,,,,    yikes,, he is back,,, LOL
vic

Man I just drove the 1961 Econoline truck up from Orange County to Seattle this weekend and Im very interested in the disc brake conversion kit. Is it for all four wheels and how much. Let me know if you are still selling these kits? My wheel bearing went out in Bakersfield and I had a mechanic do some serious magic to get me on the road so I would rather do the conversion instead of putting a new hub on with drum brakes.

Thanks

Man, I'd be white knuckling it through the Grants Pass area LOL