The 66 i just purchased has no brakes at all i am guessing blown line or leaky cylinders. Should i attempt to fix, or do a disc brake conversion. Assuming the drum style brakes need a complete overhaul, is money better spent on a conversion?
Should i buy a conversion kit or what is the best route?I do not have a ton of experience is a disc conversion difficult and what is required?.I have read some of the info on the brakes forum but there does not appear to be much info for a 66' stepside shorty 300 3spd. Great knowledge base here thanks again, maybe oneday i will be able to pass on knowledge i aquire through this process

 

Welcome to FTE 6T6 Shorty,

There are several articles on the subject here. There is also a great article at Mongrel Motorsports website also ddavid is a member here too. Google up Mongrel Motorsports website.

I will tell you to go with the Power Disc Brake Upgrade from a donor truck. I presume we are talking about a 66 2Wd (a 4X2). What's req'd id swapping your drum brake components, spindles, backing plates, hubs & drums, master cylinder and fron brake lines, brackets & hoses for the disc brake system.

you need the spindles, caliper brackets, calipers, rotors, brake lines, master cylinder, proportioning valve, booster [if you get a power disc system] and the mechanical/ movement sensative Brake light switch & Bracket from inside the cab, on the brake lever down by the steering column.

I would recommend getting a 73-79 system from an F-100 or an F-150 with the PDB set up. the spindle is removed by taking the nut off a cross pin that locks the king pin into the spindle, knock the dross/lock pin out by tapping on the threaded end carefully. once the lock pin is out, the spindle should come out with some persuasion. then the spindle will be free.

Some people swap the whole I beam but it's not necessary. It's also NOT Rocket Surgery or Brain Science!

Do your homework & research and join the thousands of us who enjoy the security and better stopping of fine OEM FoMoCo power front disc brakes. I believe there is a decided advantage to using OEN parts, they're always available and not difficult to locate like specialty after market "kits" are.
FBp

 

Thanks FBP. I wish I could make money on my site with all the hits the disc swap page gets.
Here's the link with the complete how-to for 65-66 2wd trucks.
It is not hard, nor particularly expensive. When you figure the cost of rebuilding the drum brake system properly, I think it's quite cost effective to vastly improve your braking. I elected to go with manual, non-boosted brakes as my sports car background causes me to dislike overboosted American style brake systems, but that's just me. Adding the booster in-between changes virtually nothing on the swap itself, just adds another part. The only 'hard' part is bending the new metal lines, which isn't really hard, just time consuming.
The only improvement I would make to my personal swap is a better brake light switch as the plastic one has a habit of popping back up through it's sleeve if the brake pedal is released too quickly. A nut on each end would be a better design. I just need to tour the junkyard again for a solution.