Rear disk breaks? How did that turn out?

[Deere Jon]

A bit over a year ago there was a few men attempting to install rear disk breaks on there first gens. How did that turn out, would you recommend that project to another. I am having some trouble WOOOOOOOOING all this stuff that the Cummings has the power to pull. Jon

 

[A Fritz]

I converted my drums on my 92 and am very happy with them.



IMHO they work(stop)much better, and it creates much less work for just checking them(climb under and look)not to mention less maint. /adjustment.



I could never find a method(that worked )to insure that the self-adjusters would work as they were intended to.



Self adjusters are not friends with water,snow, salt,rust... ...



The kit I put on was manuf. (put together)by TSM. Web site: TSMMFG. COM



Was also happy with how the parking brake works on the kit.



Going on 2nd year in service/no problems at this point, and I would recommend.



Dont know of any other kits, and I'm sure someone else has one.



Hope this helps.





AL

 

[PPeters]

I put on tsm kit also. Overall, better brakes. I had a couple problems with calipers that wouldn't seal on the flex lines, but got that straightened out.



AFritz, how did you hook up your ebrake? I tried using the stock cables, made a metal tab and welded it to the spring bracked on the axle approximately where the brake cable would have entered the back plate of the drum assembly. This holds the cable well, but I think my angles are a little sharp, cause the brake doesn't want to engage (read really hard to depress the ebrake pedal, then doesn't want to release). Did you keep the coil spring in place off the stock unit, or remove it?



Pat

 

[PPeters]

Pads for TSM brakes

Yesterday I called NAPA to get pads for my rear disk setup. The calipers are 76-78 El Dorado's (with ebrake). NAPA guy says DISCONTINUED I say look a little harder dude, can't believe they are not being made. He finds some in depot in Maryland (300 sets), and Kentucky (400 sets). Tells me I might want to buy a couple sets since they may be going end of life Maybe its just NAPA who is not gonna carry them. Called TSM and talked with Skip, he seems very suprised to hear this. Just more food for thought.



Pat

 

[HoleshotHolset]

That TSM kit is mighty tempting...



I don't find it hard to believe at all that they will discontinue those pads. Heck, they're only used on vehicles that have gone to the great guilded junkyard in the sky a LONG time ago.



Matt

 

[A Fritz]

Pat



I fabbed a bracket of 1/8" material(approx. 2"x3")and duplicated the hole/slot that was in old drum brake backplate,put approx. 30

degree bend on the bracket,put cable into bracket, held up under u-bolt/shock mount bracket as to achieve as straight of alignment with caliper p-brake actuation arm. after re-bending or putting more bend in, and making sure parking brake pedal and caliper actuator arm were in complete released state,aligned so cable pull would be straight and welded fabbed bracket to u-bolt/shock mount bracket. WHEW!



The issue with the(remove the spring from your parking brake cable, it will coil bind with the rear calipers)instructions,my thoughts were to have this spring along with the spring that is sent with the calipers to work together for complete release of the p-brake,and of which, mine does.



Can jack rear wheels off of ground after p-brake release, and wheels turn with very minimal drag.



I put on the two new cables from the yoke, probably didnt have to but I wanted to insure that maximum release would be achieved.



Apologize for windbagging but thought detail was neccesary,hope it helps.





AL

 

[Case500D]

Here is my experience

I installed the EGR rear disc system about 2 years ago. Today I am removing the system and installing 3" drums, shoes and 1" wheel cylinders. At first the discs seemed better, but as the pads wear the pedal travel gets worse. Plus in the winter they turn into a ball of ice. That makes stopping fun. I never did figure out a good way to get the e-brake cable to work either. I feel like I spent a lot of hard earned money for a product that was only thought up half way. The rotors, calipers and mounting brackets are of good quality. Very happy there. Didn't like having to notch the mounting bracket for my application. Should have been done. There were no instuctions to drill out the rotor to fit the studs. New studs should have been provided or rotors drilled. Shields should have been provided to keep ice and snow of the rotors and calipers. Not even sure what to say about the e-brake setup. Glen at EGR was good with customer service and questions.



After some discussion with a fellow TDR member, I think a different master cylinder needs to be found to make the rear discs work correctly. The stock MC doesn't supply enough fluid to the rear calipers to engage them at the same rate as the fronts. If a MC was found to correctly support the rear calipers, it would be a good system.



I have about 35K on the rear discs and the pads hadn't worn 1/8". When I removed them today you could see light between the pad and the rotors. So much for a slight drag.



This is my experience with rear discs, not bashing EGR. They treated me well. I understand that when you change/alter a vehicle to aftermarket parts you may not always be taking a step forward. I willingly tried the rear discs and hope I can save someone else some money by sharing my experience.



Jeremy

 

[A Fritz]

I agree with you on the notching of the brackets. Had to do the same on mine. Lots of $$ for something that should just bolt-up.



Not to mention cutting/grinding on something that has anything to do with stopping our rig's.



My rig is only used in the non-snow/ice conditions if I can help it pulling 8. 5k lb boat(no boating when it's snowing)and hauling firewood.



When i got my conv. kit, through a friend of mine who has a 4x4 center, he had installed this kit b4 and he said that I might have to add a proportioning valve if I had problems with the rear wheels locking up.



Not sure where or how the proportioning valve fits into the system and exactly how it works. had you pursued that possibility?



Sounds like you made your decision.



Unless they would come up with some kind of solution on keeping the iceballs off of the rotors.





AL

 

[PPeters]

I didn't have any trouble with iceballs this winter. We got about 225" of snow, so they had the opportunity to form.



AFritz, sounds like we did the same thing for the ebrake setup. I didn't replace my stock cables, just reused them. Did you use stock cables? I'm having to replace mine now (very corroded) so should I purchase stock ones?



BTW, the NAPA part number for the brake pads is TS728B, $11. 49 for a set of 4.



Pat



PS

Jeremy, I was a little frosted about having to drill the rotors also. Skip @ TSM was not as helpful as I would have wanted him to be, kinda took the "... buy my stuff and you figure it out" attitude. He didn't act that way until after the check cleared. I had looked into the EGR setup also, went with TSM because they were about $200 cheaper. Guess you get what you pay for

 

[boatpuller]

My TSM kit is still in the box, but from what I've heard about these rear calipers you need to have the emergency brakes hooked up or you will have the trouble that Jeremy had, the parking brake has a threaded piece that keeps the piston from going all the way back into the caliper.



Jeremy,

If you haven't removed them yet you might want to try getting the other set of calipers that will work on them that doesn't have the parking brake, they will stay just like they were when your calipers were new.



Caleb

 

[A Fritz]

Pat



First off my answer to your question is yes I used/replaced the 2 cables(one to each wheel), and yes they were factory style cables gotten I believe from carquest.



The old cables were cruddy/rusty but still seemed to operate pretty freely. I got the new cables b4 I started the conversion, and as long as I had it apart and considering what I was spending on the conversion, I just put the new cables on.



Yes now that jeremy mentioned that about having to drill out the rotors, I also had to, and I have to agree with you Pat that TSM needs to inform buyer's about things like stud hole size issues,having to notch mounting brackets or maybe these problems should just be corrected,so we can get a applicable product for our money.



Pat, ice ball response was to Jeremy's post. SORRY.



Probably dumb question, EGR?? Abbreviation for?? Or is this another manufacture, or kit? DA





AL

 

[Philip]

Here is the EGR site.



http://www.egrbrakes.com/

 

[Case500D]

I am glad to hear that some of you guys are having good luck with the rear discs. Not sure why I didn't have better luck. I already have them off the truck and the backing plates on. If anyone is interested in a cheap set of rear discs, PM me. Just pretty disappointed for spending close to $1,000 for a set of rear brakes that don't perform well.



We tow quite a bit and I am also concerned about the legality and safety of the aftermarket brakes if there was ever an accident. I doubt our insurance would look too kindly upon them. Rather not take a chance.



I have driven two trucks with the drum brakes set up properly and they can put the disc setup to shame. I can easily lock the duals up on the W-350 with 3" shoes and 1" wheel cylinders. I know the drums will be dependable.



I guess this is kind of like one style of turbocharger working for some situations and not for other.



Now I can put some more money into engine mods , crap I mean the headgasket:{



Jeremy

 

["Mad Max"]

how about for a dually?

Fellas , will these kits work on a dually application? I haven';t researched any of this yet so the answer may be just a matter of looking, but I figure if one of y'all already know.....

... and I need the parking brake...



If the park brake won't work easily, how about a rotor/caliper mounted to the driveshaft? Anyone see or hear tell of a system like that?



Thanks,

- S

 

[dan brooks]

How hard would it be to adapt a hydro-boost system to a 1st Gen truck? A few guys have installed the HB on Jeeps after going with 35" or larger tires and rear discs, and it is supposed to make a helluva difference. Maybe that is an area that hasn't been considered... but should be?

 

[MidwestMotorman]

hydraboost and brakes

First off... has anyone used the disk brake setup off of the Dodge 01. 5 and up trucks onto our rears? Stock parts and accessibility would be great.

GM has been running 14 bolts and rear discs for some time now. Those boys talk about the Eldorado swap for the older 14 bolts, but now there is enough newer factory production out there. If the eldorado swap works for us and them, why not convert to factory GM 14 bolt rear discs??? For $1000+ and lots of hassles with conversions, why not install factory parts??? Or buy a whole disc brake rear end...



Secondly... a hydroboost swap takes a HEALTHY power steering system. This is something that a lot of first gen trucks do not have. Too many power steering input seal leaks and weak pumps. Remember low fluid will equal NO brakes, but I guess the same could be said of our vacuum boosted trucks when the vacuum pump goes out...

I have not forgotten all the hassles of my second gen power steering/hyroboost system. You definitely had to run synthetic fluid or you had steering troubles and stiff brake pedals.

I would think that the 73-87 GM big block/6. 2L diesel truck hydroboost system would be a direct bolt in. Maybe a little plumbing work. I do have a few systems from GM trucks and olds diesel powered cars laying around here.



Anybody out there used a newer Dodge disc brake rear or a factory GM disc brake 14 bolt setup?

 

[Philip]

Sam



The conversions from both company's listed in this thread are for SRW only. The conversion kits do not clear a set of 16" duals. Even the Dodge factory disks on the later trucks had to go to a set of 17" rims to clear the calipers with duals.

 

[MidwestMotorman]

If I remember right, the GM dullies use disc brakes on 16" rims with the 14 bolt rear. I believe they started in 02 on the one tons.

 

[PPeters]

A Fritz, no problem on the iceballs I agree with Jeremy that a shield should have been provided for the cash spent. Still, I'm happy overall with the braking that I get over the stock drums. If I was doing it all over again, perhaps I would look harder at the 3" drum conversion that Jeremy is referring to.



Pat

 

[PPeters]

Replaced all my ebrake cables this weekend. Made all the difference. Ebrake works fine now, releases clean. I left the coil springs on the stock cables, nice positive release Just don't let your hand dangle down there when you pull the lever, I bet it would leave a mark.



Pat