disc brake conversion kits????????????? expert opinions?

donivan65 wrote:And what about brake hoses Scott????? M1 says drill out the Van type,,,,my Blazer ones fit and then you go get the universal steel braided ones??? explain that process,,,,,,,,

I've been looking at the specs of the different calipers trying to figure out how I got away without drilling the brake hoses, but I think maybe it has more to do with the hoses M1 decided to use. He doesn't actually say what vehical they came from, and the hose specs on Napa doesn't list the unthreaded hole size either. I'm guessing, but think maybe the hoses were made for a vehical that used smaller bango bolts. When I bought the steel braided ones I just used the numbers you gave me, I didnt have a bolt with me to check it, but they matched right up to my bolts when I got home.

I know theres a difference, but cant remember.

Combination Valve and Proportioning Valve??

Ive always used charts like this , sometimes they are right in the mechanics manuals, http://www.dansmc.com/torque_chart.htm

Whoa, it says 7/16-20 max torque 70 pounds..

But the tire shop torques my 7/16-20 lugs to 100 pounds..

I used to be the king of over torque, and later an expert at removing broken and stripped bolts. I think the highpoint was over torquing the heads on a 350, the threads in the block broke loose, then causing me to chop my thumb open on the edge of some body steel. I tend to be a little more careful these days.

Scott,
Same hear. The tire shop did mine to 100lbs too... I think they tighten everything to 100lbs!!!

I also am on a brake hose hunt, I see Dons brackets are mounting the calipers rearward while the M1s move them forward. I tried the Blazer hose and am not seeing a good enough fit without moving the location of the hose retainer on the frame. Shock clearance is the issue Im running into there.
So Scott what did you end up using?

donivan65 wrote:That guy comes all the way from Texas and walks into MY STORE and buys his stuff,,,,,,and you can't switch calipers,,,,bleeder screws need to be up to get the air out of them,,,,,

I guess the calipers were mounted behind the axle on the 71 G10 because mounting them forward for clearance put the bleed valves down, so I swapped sides. It also helped with routing the hose.

That store you turned me onto was pretty cool, I walked around for a while and checked it out. They said they were about to get catalogs, but none at the time. I didn't bother to ask if they had a website.

M1 sent me some hoses, but they ended up being to short, your welcome to them if you want to try, just send me your address. I'll measure them when I get home.

Here's a snap of those hoses, I measured the unthreaded banjo opening at 7/16. The part number on the hose reads '63-36672 C', but I wasnt able to find that part number at any online auto sites. If you think they will fit your van your welcome to them.

I think at 16 inches they would be to short for mine to, got some coming in tomorrow similar to them but longer with a 3/8" banjo, see how those fit.
If nothing else I'm giving the guys at the parts counter a good work out.
Thanks,,, Joe

I was on the O'Reilly websight looking at rotors. The cheap ones at $20.99 weigh 13# and the ones for $32.99 weigh in at 16.4#. Why such a big difference in weight??? What are your opinions?

http://shop.oreillyauto.com/ProductList.aspx?PartType=2352&PTSet=A

Scott,
I'm waiting for your final list. And compare it to what I have collected. I see a lot of "Trial & Error" so want to wait until I see a "Sure thing" list of parts...

looking forward to the list its not an exact science??

The extra holes are so the bracket will fit on either the left or right side. Making it so there only had to be one bracket manufactured instead of a left and a right. It was alot cheaper that way. It just happened that I realised after the fack that the same double holed bracket could go either FWD or AFT of the spindle.

M1D

Just looking over a few questions being raised.

I think those hosses I sent that you find a bit short were given to me By Bear. I think they were ordered for a 74 Nova.

when it comes to callipers, it dosn't mater wether they were lefts or rights on some other application. The only thing that made them left or right was the bleader screw location. What ever calipers you buy just put them on the side of your van that puts the bleader screw up. I used the 74 Nova/G10/C10/many other full size applications calipers. I did not use the blazer caliper because I did not like the brake hose arrangment that goes with it. It was just too sloppy for the first gen, I wanted somthing a little cleaner.

Bolt torque: the torque sugested on that chart of 70 ft/lbs "lubricated THREADS!!!" is standard for bolts in "Tension" with standard nuts.( this is equivelent to a dry thread torque of somewheres near about 120 ft/lbs) these caliper mounting bolts will be subject to "shear" stress. They don't have to be excesivly tight, only tight enought that they dont move. 70 in plenty, but don't forget to add the resistance drag of the self locking feature. You probobly need about 80, lubricated. I have done up so many bolts in my life using torque wrenches that I pretty much dont need one any more. Besides this is not the space shuttle O rings you are installing. Just do them up nice and tight with a 3/8" drive rachet. Dont do them up with a 2 foot long extension on your 1/2" drive rachet and you will be OK. OR look up the torque GM used to install those bolts originally, they do after all hold alot more then just the backing plate.

Wheel lugs: as you call them are not bolts! they are studs. studs can have many different torque values depending on many variables for any given thread size. Automotive wheel studs are a high quality spring steel. They are "Half hard" metal that can flex without cracking. The main reason 100 ft/lbs lubricated (which is about 120 ft/lbs dry) is used is because of the number of threads that are engaged (9 minimun). Notice wheel nuts are much longer then regulare nuts. And thats why I went to longer studs on this brake conversion.
M1D