disk brake conversions parts

I found an interesting thread on the pirate 4x4 site. They are using rotors off a 94 ford f700 bus(rockwell bolt pattern) and rear ford f550 calipers to do a disk brake swap. The caliper mounts looked easy to fab, and minor machine work to get the rotor over the hub. The thread was is the general 4x4 section. Parts and machine work were around $550.00-600.00 for the front axle. I thought this might help anyone thinking about doing this.

i forgot to mention that there were a few threads on this, but 1 with pictures. I used the search feature and typed in rockwell.( Rockwell wheel brakes w/ pics ( 1 2 3 4 5)
DriveTime )

I know this works for the 5T but I didnt think it would work on the deuce.

There are several people that do this. Just from memory: Chuck's trucks in FL, there is a place in Decateur AL, and I think USA 6x6 does them.

Disc brakes on the deuce Rockwells is a popular conversion due to the availabilty of them, toughness, and ability to be swapped into other vehicles for offroad use. Generally you have two choices for brakes; Pinion brakes or wheel brakes. Stock drums are removed due to weight and the fact that mud will tear them up. Pinion brakes are not the best for street as the differential can cause some interesting things to happen at the wheels but for wheeling...theyre pretty much the norm'. Wheel brakes are ticket for big tires that are gonna see decent amounts of road time as usually the minimum is going to be a heavy 42" tire and they're only going to get bigger from there.

Past 'hands on' experience would have me leaning toward Florida as vendors would go and also definately check out Differential Engineering, and see if John Stazworks has any brakes in the works...one of those guys up north had some reasonbly priced brake kits a little while ago.

Also- discs would be cool on the deuce but it's gonna be some time and money. Is brake fade a question? Are there reasons for this option to be viable?

I looked at converting Casa Azul to discs and contacted a guy that is somewhat a brake GURU that has been involved is off-road racing circles for years. this is what he told me...

DRUMS ARE BETTER!

Unless you are constantly in a wet enviornment. He also explained that dics take about 30% more force to do the same thing as a drum, thus if your going to do the conversion "correctly"...

You should increase the size of the master cylinder & booster.

I respect the guy for telling me to leave my brake system alone.

The size and weight of the drum is an indication of its ability to dissipate heat, I think the deuce drums can handle about 12 KW ea....
If you are concerned about water and mud, drill holes in the drum along the pad contact area to help get rid of it, thought about doing that on my deuce and experiment a little...
...I have to stop giving away ideas....

Drilling holes in the drums to let out water is nothing new. Some guys would do that on the M37's and M715s to aid in getting brakes back after higher water crossing. It's been done on other stuff too. Water is fine and leaves the drums relatively quickly and harmlessly but muds another story. Get in deep stuff and churn it all up and that grit will EAT the brake lining up and can score the drums. That's why guys who mud alot convert to discs if they had drums. It's too much to maintain.

Bjorn, just make sure to put a light countersink in the inside of the hole. I've seen it straight across or staggered like drilled rotors. It gets rid of water very efficiently.

spicergear said:

Drilling holes in the drums to let out water is nothing new.....

Click to expand...

Not the first time I "re-invented" something.....

Yep...I'm working on 'the wheel' in my spare time-

I like the idea of full-disc brakes and have plenty of air pressure to work them since Bendix has engineered in the ratios in designing the calipers on their OTR conversions. Rotors might take a little figuring out just to get the closest match to the mil. hub.
But everything I've researched leads back to 'no conversions for the late full-air brake five tons'. The reason given is that the axle flanges on mil. axles don't have the same number of holes as the caliper brackets. If that's the only thing holding this conversion project back, then we gotta get some more imaginative people looking at this.

All around disks with full air brakes would be ideal for me. Air brake disk systems would be so much $$. I can dream...

Yeah, everybody I've talked to says drums are better although they're not the one wrestling 1600X20s and 80# brake drums off and on to do a brake job. Jouquin Suave is right about drums being better and Cranetruck has a good point on ventilating drums for all the right reasons. I'd be trolling the truck wrecking yards for parts and doing my own machining to get a disc conversion project off the ground. I've looked around and know I couldn't afford this addiction/hobby if I had to pay anybody else to do the fabbing.

I bought a front and rear set of the disc conversions from usa 6x6. Everything fits ok. I haven't been able to try them yet as the truck isn't running yet. I can tell you that it was the worst buying experience I ever had. It took numerous phone calls regarding missing parts and after numerous attempts still ended up with two calipers for one side.

Cletus said:

I bought a front and rear set of the disc conversions from usa 6x6. Everything fits ok. I haven't been able to try them yet as the truck isn't running yet. I can tell you that it was the worst buying experience I ever had. It took numerous phone calls regarding missing parts and after numerous attempts still ended up with two calipers for one side.

Click to expand...

unfortunately this is a common issue for usa 6x6. buyer beware. there is already enough print on this site alone for me to never buy from them.

I think the duece brakes are fine as is. I can stop any of the trailers I own with the truck even when both the truck and trailer are loaded. Anyone who does a lot of mud and does not do a good wash down soon after is asking for trouble.

I like the idea of disc brakes on a light truck or car because of the ease of service and the savings in weight but really saving weight in a duece?

Cletus said:

I bought a front and rear set of the disc conversions from usa 6x6...it was the worst buying experience I ever had. It took numerous phone calls regarding missing parts and after numerous attempts still ended up with two calipers for one side.

Click to expand...

Pardon the paraphrasing...but I have a question. Are they still trimming the wheel studs with a blow torch and leaving all the slag on it? Regardless, it sounds as if their QC and BS is still as good as it has always been-

Hey,
Hot rodders to the rescue!
http://www.chtopping.com/CustomRod4/
Enjoy
PBR

No more people can be burned by USA6x6. Their shoddy business tactics have burned enough people, that they could not get enough business to keep their doors open.