M35A2 brake upgrades

I just got a bone stock m35a2, great shape except for leaky wheel cylinders. I have to some NOS that came with the truck and all new brake shoes, but would it be worth changing the front brakes to discs while keeping rear brakes original? Or better to just go discs all around?

nicholasktu said:

I just got a bone stock m35a2, great shape except for leaky wheel cylinders. I have to some NOS that came with the truck and all new brake shoes, but would it be worth changing the front brakes to discs while keeping rear brakes original? Or better to just go discs all around?

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Pull out your wallet and see how much money you've got.
If you have enough, go for it.

Otherwise, maintain what you have.

Mullaney said:

.
Pull out your wallet and see how much money you've got.
If you have enough, go for it.

Otherwise, maintain what you have.

Click to expand...

If I can find good reliable new manufacture wheel cylinders I might do that, it has a new master cylinder and booster on it (single channel).

Are new wheel cylinders reliable? Or do they often start leaking like old ones?

The problem isn’t the wheel cylinder bores. The problem is the cups that hold the fluid back. When they get old, they get brittle and don’t seal any more. All you really need is a new set up cups, a drill with a hone and a place to work on them. Here is a rebuild video:

Looks like I'll be keeping the drums, most disc brake kits aren't made to fit the stock wheels. The brackets used in Hank's Deuce project are no longer available, that fab company isn't doing truck parts anymore. With new wheel cylinders, master cylinder and booster I should be fine for normal driving.

Only option for front disc brakes is the Boyce kit. I tried getting drawings from Black Rock Fab but they don't have any drawings either. There is a 15" conversion kit but it doesn't fit stock wheels.

nicholasktu said:

Only option for front disc brakes is the Boyce kit. I tried getting drawings from Black Rock Fab but they don't have any drawings either. There is a 15" conversion kit but it doesn't fit stock wheels.

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Where is this 15 inch kit you speak of?? I've got 22.5-inch rims and should be able to fit those rotors...

Its Gearhart Engineering, he is still making the 15" kit. Its expensive though, and he's not selling many anymore. I want to design my own kit because the fab shops others used won't make them and got rid of the drawings.

nicholasktu said:

Its Gearhart Engineering, he is still making the 15" kit. Its expensive though, and he's not selling many anymore. I want to design my own kit because the fab shops others used won't make them and got rid of the drawings.

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I actually just emailed him over the weekend, and yea he hasn't made any in over a year and isn't planning to for the foreseeable future. Sourcing parts like the rotors, calipers and hose is no biggy. I'm really just trying to get something with some decent brackets already made or even drawings and I'll make them myself, but I need a starting point. I would do the Boyce kit, but I'd really like a bit more stopping power that the 15 inch rotors would give...Let me know if you ever figure some good brackets, I will gladly buy them from you in a heartbeat and piece my own brakes together.