‘14 2wd front brake swap

[Bob442]

Well it’s official and done. I’ll have to do some digging to get all the part numbers and sit down on my laptop to do a write up. But as I stated in my other post, no frame chop required and all over the counter parts were used.

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[Bob442]

I’m going to edit and add as I go along. I work long hours and don’t have much time so plz excuse till it’s complete.

Tools list:
-Basic grinding and cut off tools, angle grinder, Zip disks, flap disks
-welder capable of welding min 1/4” with good penetration
-some form or torch for preheat
-Ball joint press
-M20x1.5 tap / 18.5mm drill bit /or 47/64”
-1 1/16 wrench
-Inner tie rod socket tool or a 18” -crescent wrench
-9/16 drill bit /or file bit
-And finally a buddy with a lathe or a local machinest.

Parts:
-2014 z71 rpo (for aluminum knuckle)
-2008-17 2wd rotors, pads, calipers, brake hoses, wheel bearings, and all fasteners.
-2014 aluminum control arm lower ball joints
-2012-16 3/4t inner and outer tie rods
-99-2007 4x4 steering centre drag link

2 races will have to be made out of a higher grade steel, that’s the reason for needing a lathe, there is no easier way around this problem, the 2014 aluminum knuckles use a massive tapered ball joint, and really, who doesn’t like light weight ****!?

 

[Bob442]

I’ll start fab work with the hardest part, the lower control arm, now I spent as much time as I could looking for a aftermarket control arm that I could simply cut off there balljoint mount(race) and simply weld on mine. No dice. Only ones still in production are the DJM’s which is just a mess of metal around the balljoint.

So I gave my machinest both balljoint (old and new) told him needed to be the same OD and install height as the original, and ID snug fit to new bj

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[Bob442]

Next, it’s best if you can remove the lower control arm. Press out your old balljoints, and sand blast the area you need to work around, for best welding results.
Then followed by pressing in your new races, heating up all of the metal, to ensure proper penetration, and to get any impurities out of the metal. No need to get anything red hot how ever. I just pressed the new balljoint race flat, top and bottom of the exsisting area for the balljoint.

You will also have extensive trimming to do in order to get a good steering angle around the knuckle. This takes time, and I wouldn’t jump in and cut too much off, there is room for a gusset after but I like to play it safe.

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[Bob442]

Now it’s all down hill from here, you can fiddle fck a beautiful aluminum knuckle on your old beater truck. It’s pretty sweet.

Upper arm all you have to do is cut the rivets out and flip it over to the underside. Pending how low you go, you will need to space that balljoint down further to get proper camber/caster. For now I just used nuts as spacers, got someone to make legit balljoint spacers for future adjustment.

***If anyone has a part Number for a upper control arm that does lower the height of the upper balljoint, or/and sticks it outwards front the Truck, that would be very beneficial to future gowers and myself, application would be for a lifted 2wd***

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Now the center drag link, this is also the only way around using this knuckle, the HD trucks used larger tire rods and the taper matches to the knuckle. Here’s the easiest and best way to drill and tap that sucker To accept the new inner tie rods.

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With the inner and outer tie rods you will have to trim them pending on your ride height, and what upper arm you may be using, so far I trimmed off 1.5” off the inner, and .5 off the outer. By eye it’s straight. I recommend using moog tie rods, there threads go much further up the inners than stock (gm) parts

 

[ccreddell]

When I was doing research on this a few years ago, I found a front wheel bearing off of a Dodge 1/2T truck that bolted on to this spindle and had a 5 bolt pattern. It was 5x5.5, but could be drilled to 5x5 much easier than the 6-bolt spindle.

Oh, and then the 15" rotor (with 5x5 pattern) off of a 2012 or so Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 fits right on....

 

[Bob442]

When I was doing research on this a few years ago, I found a front wheel bearing off of a Dodge 1/2T truck that bolted on to this spindle and had a 5 bolt pattern. It was 5x5.5, but could be drilled to 5x5 much easier than the 6-bolt spindle.

Oh, and then the 15" rotor (with 5x5 pattern) off of a 2012 or so Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 fits right on....

Then what caliper do you use? And I’m running 6 bolt to use a 14bolt rear end. Make it match upfront.

 

[Blake293209]

Pretty neat setup. Having machine shop/tools to use makes the possibilities endless!

 

[ccreddell]

Then what caliper do you use? And I’m running 6 bolt to use a 14bolt rear end. Make it match upfront.

You could use the stock caliper, or the 2 piston Corvette caliper, or the 6 piston Corvette ZO6 caliper. You'd have to make a bracket for any of those. If you stay with the 6 lug pattern, then theres already parts for that.

http://www.silveradoss.com/forums/topic/64830-z06-brake-conversion/

 

[GarrettGmc]

Definitely interesting. An has me wondering how you could make it work on a lifted 2wd. I'll have see who makes what for the newer 2wd. I have fabtech spindle an upper arms