Okay, so title pretty much gives it away. My brakes are done for. Need drums, shoes, wheel cylinders, e-brake cables etc. So im looking at two options, 1) replace all of the above mentioned items and away i go, or 2) convert to disc.
From what i understand, this is a pretty simple swap. Bit of 3/8 plate some bending, some drilling, set of chev calipers/ discs and viola.
To me disc conversion seems the way to go cost wise and especially labor wise in the long run. I read an article where they used later Ford D-60 rotors that go on the outside of the hub, that arent held on via the studs. Im not sure which way is the easiest to go with initially, or which is the best long term, but seems to me getting the rotor off without pulling axles would be a nice bonus.
I am interested in what you guys think, your opinions, and your experiences if you have any.

Questions:
How (if you can) do you operate a parking brake doing said conversion
Do you have to change the brake equalizer valve or master cylinder to get the most out of this swap, or at least a balanced system.

Sure im missing something but its late, and the idea popped into my head.

 

i know a guy with a 79 350 he made brackets for the chevy style calipers and he said he didnt mess with the proportioning valve at all. i would think about getting an adjustable valve like one ive seen from sbc if i remember right they were cheap and i believe summit racing offers some too.
he also had added hydroboost to this truck and it supposedly stops on a dime with heavy trailers

 

Hydroboost is another project im considering, especially since the diesel in there. But that would be for a different time. For now just planning on the F350 2wd vac booster and new vac pump. To be honest, for no rear brakes, bad booster and vac pump. it stops rather well, depending on how strong your leg is.

Is your friend a member by chance? If not maybe you could PM me an email or some way to get in touch with them to maybe get some measurements, heads up, and opinions

 

take a couple minutes and do a search on this subject. Everything from what calipers to use for e-brakes or not has been covered along with different rotors, brackets, etc.

It is pretty straight forward and actually cheaper than rebuilding drums if you can live with no e-brake.

 

board glitch = double post

 

That was my first stop was the search button. Apparently im not gifted enough to run the damn thing as when i type in D-60 rear disc conversion i get everything from alternator swaps to transmission swaps. Ill give it another shot.

As far as cheaper, that was my motivation for even looking into it. I figured about $75 at the JY for the parts and i have the plate layin around. Cheapest drums i can find are $168 ea.

 

Let me did into my little secret stash for you. I keep a work doc full of links for useful threads on stuff like this when I see them. That way they are easy to find when I need them!

As for the search - I typically go to a google search with "ford-trucks" or "FTE" included in the search. Seems to work a bit better than the search function here.

Here's a couple I have saved. Others I have labeled as for the 9". I'm sure there's some pertinent info in them & can post if you want/need.

Rear disks
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...p-finding.html

Has parts list for 8 lug rear disks 1977 Ford F250 4x4 - Dana 60 Disc Brake Conversion

Ed give part #s for 8 lug disks https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...sc-brakes.html

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...onversion.html

 

Ok so the later E350s had D60s with discs... shouldnt those be a direct bolt on theoretically and have e-brake? I think im confusing myself with all the info on 10.25 10.50 and D60s. The e-brake is not a must have, but i would definately like to have one again. My truck seems to find a way to roll on level ground quite often. I hate shutting it off only to start it 2 minutes later..... $300 starter that is no fun at all to change.

Anyhow, thanks chase for posting that stuff i really appreciate it, getting ready to read it now.

 

Ok so the later E350s had D60s with discs... shouldnt those be a direct bolt on theoretically and have e-brake? I think im confusing myself with all the info on 10.25 10.50 and D60s. The e-brake is not a must have, but i would definately like to have one again. My truck seems to find a way to roll on level ground quite often. I hate shutting it off only to start it 2 minutes later..... $300 starter that is no fun at all to change.

Anyhow, thanks chase for posting that stuff i really appreciate it, getting ready to read it now.

 

someone may have already mentioned it but... why not replace it with a srw axil out of a 3/4 or 1ton van that had discks? i understand that the lug pattern didnt change til 2011 instead of 97 like the trucks??? just my two cents

 

here's another option you can check out if you have the right brake setup--http://www.ncspecialties.com/autobody/reardisc/index.htm

 

wow deffinatly beat me to the point..........

 

I thought about this, especially to look for a 3.55ls but rear ends are not cheap, I may not have mentioned, but those that know me know im a budget kind of guy.

While maybe not as cheap as the chevy style... im really digging the fact that parts are the same front and rear. Seems like some pretty massive overkill for back brakes, but i guess they will never wear out... not exactly a bad thing. One thing i just noticed i found somewhat odd... it calls for 3/4 - 1ton rotors, but 1/2 ton calipers.

My next question i guess would be looking into a driveline parking brake. Anyone know of a setup to snag off of something, or would it have to be fabbed up. never really thought about how one works until now... cant really walk myself through it... researching to be done.
Thanks for the tips and enless info guys.

 

You've got a ZF 5 speed in your truck, right? There's actually a few driveline brakes designed specifically for it, I know they came on F450s from the late 80s to the late 90s. Are you running a divorced or married transfer case? The problem is, either way, it's a lot of work, and not really for someone on a budget.

The way the F450 brake is designed the brake unit bolts the the back of the transmission in place of the transfer case, and was only used on 2wd trucks. So, if you have a married setup it would have to go in place of your transfer case, and you'd have to convert to a divorced setup, which adds up quick... If you have a divorced case and a 2wd ZF, you'd have to get a 4x4 version of the transmission to bolt on the ZF brake, because the brake require a 4wd style output shaft and flange. So you'd have to get another transmission. But wait, there's more! The parking brake unit has several internal bearings and has it's own gear oil separate from the transmission, and since many guys who owned the f450's didn't know about it, they never changed or re-filled the oil, and so the bearing usually aren't very pretty. So, with all that said, you could make it work, but, there's cheaper options.

I actually thought about putting one into my truck, here's my thread on the subject: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...e-brake-2.html

If I were you, I would just keep the drums, it's a pretty big hassle to convert to rear disks and have a parking brake. From my experience, the drums work great, I can stop my truck with just the parking brake! Maybe you could get some good used drums at the junkyard? If not, I think napa has them for a good price. Looks like about $50 a piece: http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?A=NDA4401132_0325240781&An= 599001+101979+50028+2028036+502003+502999+26342&Ar =AND%28P_RecType%3aA%29

Sam

 

sorry, double post

Sam