Steve's 64 Short-bed Project

[SteveCanup]

I had my windshield replaced yesterday...$70 for the glass and $75 for installation for a total of $153 with tax...no pics, but life is good. I have read two threads on here about the front disc brake kit from Speedway which impressed me. So I ordered the kit last night. $279 with free shipping and, the best part, it will be here Thursday. I just have to purchase a dual reservoir master cylinder and I will be good to go...also I may be squirting paint on the truck later this week. Stay tuned....
Steve-

[SteveCanup]

Nope...no paint this week, still to much minor bodywork to be done. However, the UPS man brought me some goodies today...
Looks like a disc brake kit...

Now to obtain the correct master cylinder and get this thing braking properly!
Steve-

[TurnAroundTrucks]

I will be following.... I have the same kit and will be right behind you installing mine so please keep the "how to" posts coming....

[SteveCanup]

Thanks...I will. I am waiting for a master cylinder that I ordered yesterday. Its for '73 and up F-150. I am going to stay with manual brakes for now but might possibly update to a booster later. I drove 150 miles round trip yesterday to visit my brother and go to a small local cruise-in and my brakes were pulling to the right. It's certainly time to update. There is a thread on here "Straight Axle Disc Brake Swap for 61-64 F-100's" where the owner (64f100sixcylinder) did a step by step pictorial of the same swap back in January of this year. Another thread you might want to check out... "Suspension and brakes upgrade: I've been busy" (Holly100) and he did the same with pics and also installed a Sid's drop axle. Both threads were excellent and helpful to me and because of them I decided that this an upgrade that I could and should do. Good luck on yours, and btw, that frame looks really nice.
Steve-

[SteveCanup]

Hot, humid and muggy...temps around 90 degrees. That makes it perfect to pull the truck under the carport and start on the disc brake conversion...


I had reversed my wheels and today I realized that I will need to move the air nipple to the outside or change back to regular wheels...the caliper is going to hit the air nipple...



Removed the drums and backing plates. I took my time with the extreme heat. Caliper brackets mounted up. I still have to remove the original brake line.


Changing out the outer race for the bearings and I forgot to get a pic of the 'boss' on the caliper that you have to grind off...


Rotor installed...so far so good...


Caliper installed...and, that's as far as I got this evening...the brake line is going to be a "bear" to remove...grrrrrr.


Hopefully tomorrow I can get to the drivers side and then break the brake lines apart and get the master cylinder on...stay tuned...
Steve-

[bruceandersson]

You may need to get the later wheels that are made to clear disk brakes.

[TurnAroundTrucks]

Looking great! Cannot wait to read about your master cylinder change.

[SteveCanup]

My wheels clear the discs with no problems at all....except for the air nipple which is on the inside of the wheel because I "reversed" my wheels and left the air nipple on the inside. I test fit the wheel last night and when I spin it the air nipple slaps against the caliper. At road speeds it would be torn off pretty quickly and I would have a flat. The fix is to weld up the air nipple hole and drill a new one on the outside. Again, I had a 'set' of wheels that were given to me that were from an early 90's F-150 (which btw had disc brakes.) I reversed two of them for the front of my truck and when I did...I left the air nipple (valve or whatever it is called) on the inside.

I think that many guys on here are confused about disc brakes and wheels. The only wheel that will NOT work with discs is a smaller wheel...that is, a 14 inch wheel, especially if your discs are 11 1/4 or larger. I read a post on someone else's post about disc brakes not fitting "innie" wheels....oh yes they will fit.

Now I am done....off of my 'soapbox'....
Stay tuned...
Steve-

[Holly100]

Nope...no paint this week, still to much minor bodywork to be done. However, the UPS man brought me some goodies today...
Looks like a disc brake kit...

It's Christmas again!

Now to obtain the correct master cylinder and get this thing braking properly!
Steve-

This is a really good kit. The instructions are a bit vague but anyone with basic skills can do this. I guess the only "tricky" or custom items would be grinding the nub of the caliper that interferes with mounting and then punching out and pressing in a new bearing race. FOR ME, the hardest part was pressing in the stupid, rack-a-frackin' bearing seal. I personally have issues getting seals to go in straight I like how the kit came with better-than-stock, one-piece sliding caliper bolts too.

[Holly100]

Hot, humid and muggy...temps around 90 degrees. That makes it perfect to pull the truck under the carport and start on the disc brake conversion...


I had reversed my wheels and today I realized that I will need to move the air nipple to the outside or change back to regular wheels...the caliper is going to hit the air nipple...

Steve-

Did slide the caliper all the way in? I thought my wheels wouldn't clear until I realized the caliper was still slid out (away from the truck). I easily, with pads in, hand knocked the caliper all the way in against the outside pad. Clearance is clearance, Clarence.

[SteveCanup]

Good thought about the caliper. I need to make absolutely sure that the caliper will clear the air nipple. If it does (or would) that would make my day. I agree about the boss...nub...(or whatever you call it) grinding part, but that wasn't too bad. I was nervous about removing the outer race but that went pretty smoothly and the inner seal did too...I think I was just lucky with that part. I had my neighbor, who is a mechanic by trade, take a look at things before I proceeded. Thanks for the input...It's greatly appreciated!
Steve-

[SteveCanup]

I can't think of anything better looking (automotively speaking) than disc brakes on an old vehicle. The Speedway kit is installed, new brake lines, new brake fluid, new master cylinder...new attitude (me, because I'm glad to be finished wallowing under this beast.) Hopefully tomorrow I can have the tires dismounted, weld up the old air nipple holes, drill new air nipple holes, mount the tires and go cruising.



I will give feedback on this when I get the wheels on the ground...stay tuned...more to come...
Steve-

[SteveCanup]

And btw for those who were wondering about my brake switch, which WAS on the old master, several months ago I mounted a brake switch under the dash that is activated by the brake pedal. I don't think I had covered that on here. Those pressure switches can go bad without you knowing it...don't ask me how I know that!?!!
Steve-

[SteveCanup]

One more thing I forgot to mention...I think...I used a 1973 (and later) Ford F-100 manual disc/drum master cylinder. It was $16 on ebay with $10 shipping; it was delivered in 2 days. None of the local part stores had this master cylinder in stock. The pedal, after bleeding the system, feels "just right." Just an FYI...

[TurnAroundTrucks]

Great feedback Steve and good looking pictures. Looking forward to your feedback after you get the wheels mounted and you drive it.

[therealjoeshmoe]

just put the valve stem in backwards and re drill a new hole to put a valve stem on the front..

[Holly100]

And btw for those who were wondering about my brake switch, which WAS on the old master, several months ago I mounted a brake switch under the dash that is activated by the brake pedal. I don't think I had covered that on here. Those pressure switches can go bad without you knowing it...don't ask me how I know that!?!!
Steve-

What switch did you use?

[SteveCanup]

I'm afraid I don't know. I already had the switch laying around. It looked a lot like the type of switch that you find in your door that turns your interior lights on and off. It was threaded on one end with a lock-nut and had two electrical prongs on the other end. I ran my brake lines through the switch after I installed it under the dash where it would work off of the brake pedal arm. I've had it in almost a year and have had no problems. Any parts store should be able to hook you up with a switch that you can install. I did have to drill a hole through the bracket under the dash to install it in. Hope this helps....
Steve-

[SteveCanup]

just put the valve stem in backwards and re drill a new hole to put a valve stem on the front..

That's a great idea...sounds like it would work, have you done that before?

[SteveCanup]

Old air holes welded up...new holes drilled...tires mounted and I took my first ride this afternoon....AND IT WAS AWESOME! The truck feels totally different with discs on the front (as far as braking.) A good different... I would definitely recommend this upgrade to everyone. Power boosters are okay, but in my opinion, really not needed. Money and time well spent. Now...back to bodywork and paint...
Steve-