Need Help Advice On Rear Disc Conversion On DRW DUALLY

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Schurkey

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1998_K1500_Sub

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I'm...not sure any more.

Kinda thinking there's a deleted post that I should have quoted but didn't; and now that post is history.

Or I've got brain damage.

The video WAS posted in post #21. You (@Schurkey) then responded to it and your post was numbered #22. Someone deleted post #21, and the posts were then renumbered (evidently). I know this because I remember referencing that video in one of my posts (now #25) in this thread, and in my post I referenced the video as being in "post #21".

So you're not brain damaged!
 

ForeverFalcon40

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I created a new post that will have a series of videos showing people HOW TO CONVERT

 

Keeper

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Thank you FF40 for doing the documentation... and the cautions from others. My dually has worn out the backing plates and they are not available anywhere that I can find ( gm 15622343 and 15622344). My disc conversion is coming up fast. I will start a thread also as I get going.
 

ForeverFalcon40

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Thank you FF40 for doing the documentation... and the cautions from others. My dually has worn out the backing plates and they are not available anywhere that I can find ( gm 15622343 and 15622344). My disc conversion is coming up fast. I will start a thread also as I get going.
If you got questions feel free to ask on the youtube video b/c then we can put question to visual. If you don't feel like making your own lines or having someone make them for you. Someone commented and posted a link where to buy SS braided ones. I love SS braided so I would have went that route...they look a little long but looks can be deceiving.
 

454cid

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Thank you FF40 for doing the documentation... and the cautions from others. My dually has worn out the backing plates and they are not available anywhere that I can find ( gm 15622343 and 15622344). My disc conversion is coming up fast. I will start a thread also as I get going.

How are the backing plates worn out? Welding them were the shoes rub and then grinding the welds flat is not unheard of with drum brakes.
 

Keeper

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How are the backing plates worn out? Welding them were the shoes rub and then grinding the welds flat is not unheard of with drum brakes.
Yep. That's the option. Will probably do just that until I can find another donor truck. Matching those grinds exactly scares me. The rear disc conversion kits scare me also. I tow a lot. A full 800 upgrade is the only long term solution in my mind, seeing as how I love my 400, and hate the looks of the 800's.

The reason I need another donor truck is because I already bought an 04 4x4 dually sight unseen as the donor truck for the entire brake system. It was supposed to be a rust bucket, and had been parked for two years in a field, and it was cheap cheap. But after some simple fixes, it fired right up, shifts and drives. It is the LLY duramax, alison 6 speed, and is a Centurion. It appears to not be a donor truck after all, unless the frame doesn't pass muster. If it does, then I'm right back where I started... looking for a cheap 800 4x4 dually to part out.

Bottom line is, I have always wanted to upgrade the brakes on my baby. Those discontinued backing plates are accelerating my decision making.
 

Schurkey

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Matching those grinds exactly scares me.
Not that critical. Weld up the grooves, leave some of the original contact surface alone. Grind the weld down to the level of the original surface. A hand-held angle-grinder would be fine.

If you wanted to be really fancy, you could center-punch some divots into the ground-down weld material, to kinda mimic the "texture" of the original contact pads. Then touch the divots with the grinder again, to knock-down the high spots. The pads are embossed so they hold a little grease.

The rear disc conversion kits scare me also.
Good. Proud of you. I don't doubt that there's GOOD disc conversions; but the bottom-feeder "Flat Brackets" get all the publicity here.

A full 800 upgrade is the only long term solution in my mind
Wise, from a performance/price consideration.

"I" would keep the drums unless pretty-much everything was worn-out--backing plates, drums, shoes, hardware, wheel cylinders. But that's me.

The reason I need another donor truck is because I already bought an 04 4x4 dually sight unseen as the donor truck for the entire brake system. It was supposed to be a rust bucket, and had been parked for two years in a field, and it was cheap cheap. But after some simple fixes, it fired right up, shifts and drives. It is the LLY duramax, alison 6 speed, and is a Centurion. It appears to not be a donor truck after all, unless the frame doesn't pass muster.
Nice. Really nice. There's your "heavy-duty" tow and work vehicle, so brake upgrades on the other truck become less critical.

I did something like that once. Bought a '93 Lumina as a "parts car" to fix crash damage on a '92 Lumina. Both had the "big" (Ha. Frickin' six-popper. But at least they're 4-valve DOHC) engine, the sport suspension, and both had the same paint code. The silly thing ran so good that when I was done robbing fenders, hood, steering column, bumper cover, etc...I had to flip the crash-damaged parts upside down on the lawn, and jump on them to push the dents mostly out. Went to the Treasure Yard for a bumper cover and steering column. Then I put the rumpled parts onto the parts-car and drove it for ~50K miles until the head gasket popped.
 
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