Anyone upgraded a full float 14 bolt to disc brakes?

[joeblow867]

Thinking when my current rears are ready for shoes/drums/cylinders, it might just make more sense to upgrade to disc brakes. I found a site that sells kits for about $400 if you delete the e-brake (adding ebrake is 250-300 more which seems kinda crazy.) Truck is a 97 with 14 bolt full float and big block.

14-Bolt GMC and Chevy 14-Bolt Rear End Disc Brake Conversion

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[GoToGuy]

Incoming!

 

[fancyTBI]

I think if you were to do it that lug nut 4x4 kit is the way to go. Or swap in an AAM 10.5 from a newer truck. Both with their own challenges.

 

[Schurkey]

Thinking when my current rears are ready for shoes/drums/cylinders, it might just make more sense to upgrade to disc brakes. I found a site that sells kits for about $400 if you delete the e-brake (adding ebrake is 250-300 more which seems kinda crazy.) Truck is a 97 with 14 bolt full float and big block.

14-Bolt GMC and Chevy 14-Bolt Rear End Disc Brake Conversion

Lugnut4X4 creates the most reliable heavy duty disc brake conversion kits for 8 lug vehicles. For GMC and Chevy 14-bolt rear end disc brake conversion kits, shop now.

lugnut4x4.com

Another in a long line of piss-poor "conversion bracket" "engineering" where the caliper is not properly supported.

Disabling the park brake is nuts.

You are ENORMOUSLY better-off to merely fix your existing drum brakes.

If you "just have to" convert to discs in back--and I'm not saying that's a good idea--make sure you use a Genuine GM installation as a guide, so you don't have the inherent problems of middle-school "engineering" or outright illegal brakes.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

I use the Lugnut kit on my last 2500 years ago and it was totally complete, worked great.

Today, for the cost, I'll just swap a newer rear in.

Either works fine though.

 

[99xcss4]

I think if you were to do it that lug nut 4x4 kit is the way to go. Or swap in an AAM 10.5 from a newer truck. Both with their own challenges.

I do not think that there is much of a difference but to grab a aam axle I am going right for the 11.5

 

[Jrgunn5150]

I do not think that there is much of a difference but to grab a aam axle I am going right for the 11.5

There's a huge cost difference.

10.5's are plentiful in self service yards and Marketplace part outs, would pay under 200 for one.

11.5's, because they have Duramax attached I guess, are 500 and up asking on Marketplace, and I haven't found one yet in a self service yard.

 

[TexasTahoe]

Yes, I did. On my 1983 K10, I purchased a 14BFF and totally rebuilt it. I converted it to rear disc brakes, and I got the calipers with the e-brakes designed into them, and I can tell you, that they are a total nightmare. They never adjusted properly. Time and time again, they failed to engage. It got so frustrating, that I ditched them, and went with a transfer case e-brake setup from Jess at High Angle Driveline who not only did my transfer case e-brake, but did my custom driveshafts front and rear. Once I made that change, the disc brake conversion worked perfectly. Remember, you cannot just put disc brakes on the truck without changing the brake proportioning valve, because the stock one will be too strong and send over 80% of braking power to the rear, which will cause it to lock up frequently.

My 14BFF e-Brake calipers were the ones from the Elderado Cadillac with the spring actuators.

 

[454cid]

I wouldn't bother with swapping in the 11.5" AAM axle. The early ones used the same hubs as the 10.5", and the late ones that use a larger hub have a larger bolt pattern. This means it's either no stronger at the wheel, or you have mismatched bolt patterns.

I was always unimpressed with the junction between the axle tube, and the spindle. Sure enough, I saw pictures of an 11.5 witch larger tires, on the old FSC forum, that hit a curb, and that's where the axle bent.

 

[Supercharged111]

I wouldn't bother with swapping in the 11.5" AAM axle. The early ones used the same hubs as the 10.5", and the late ones that use a larger hub have a larger bolt pattern. This means it's either no stronger at the wheel, or you have mismatched bolt patterns.

I was always unimpressed with the junction between the axle tube, and the spindle. Sure enough, I saw pictures of an 11.5 witch larger tires, on the old FSC forum, that hit a curb, and that's where the axle bent.

I don't think it needed to be stronger at the hub, at least not early in the GMT800 run. If you think about it, there was about a 100 ft/lb jump in torque with the updated power trains which an increase in only R&P can help with. That said, the 11.5 gives up the pinion support that the 10.5 has and the 10.5 is pretty well bulletproof as it is. So I'm with you, no real point in the 11.5. But I also don't see the point in swapping to an improperly engineered rear disc setup when the drums have more than enough stopping power and a highly effective parking brake.