Rear disc and axle upgrades for our trucks?

[riotwarrior]

I meant did caddy brakes have enough to stop our fully loaded trucks.

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Don't know the size of piston on them but they are large, I"d have to compare a 1/2 3/4 ton chev front caliper piston with the caddy, this may prove some interesting points,

Anyone know the size of a front GM 1/2 or 3/4 ton calipers piston?

I will dig out my caddy calipers and measure piston diameter. They bolt to the same adapter plates so I wonder what the difference is.

 

[franklin2]

They do have some sort of line lock type thing on the older bucket truck we have. It has that and a regular parking brake.

 

[jaluhn83]

I would be very very cautious about using a line lock for any sort of parking brake - eventually the brakes will leak off and you'll have no way of knowing when/if they're going to release until the rig starts rolling.

For sure term use when supervised or augmenting a real parking brake (ie for winching) they're wonderful units.... but I would never trust one for a true parking brake.

 

[The Warden]

I meant did caddy brakes have enough to stop our fully loaded trucks.

I don't have any hard data to back this up, but given their size compared to the truck front calipers some other kits use, I suspect they don't have enough...which is a big part of why I decided to stick to drums; I want all the capacity I can get, and keeping a functional mechanical parking brake is a big imperative for me...and the SD setup seems like more trouble/fabrication than it's worth.

I would be very very cautious about using a line lock for any sort of parking brake - eventually the brakes will leak off and you'll have no way of knowing when/if they're going to release until the rig starts rolling.

For sure term use when supervised or augmenting a real parking brake (ie for winching) they're wonderful units.... but I would never trust one for a true parking brake.

I've never really thought about line locks before (I've only seen them a couple of times, and frankly forgot they existed)...but, how practical do you think a line lock would be for a boat ramp or such, especially given that our parking brakes tend to be subpar on a reverse incline? And, how expensive/difficult to install are they? I assume there isn't any negative effect on line pressure in normal application...

 

[Bashby]

Tow truck guys use a sort of line lock, I think it's called a lever lock. They generally use them on the front wheels so with that and the parking brake all four wheels are locked and less likely to drag the truck when winching a car out. Some of them have an electrical switch built in that you wire into the horn circuit, so if the pressure bleeds off the horn will sound before the brakes release.

 

[Bashby]

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/d...n=Mico+Incorporated&mc=MIC&pt=N2502&ppt=C2389

That's the one I was talking about, as opposed to a line lock like drag racers use to hold the front brakes while doing a burnou. They are activated electrically and are way less suitable as a parking brake.

 

[riotwarrior]

Tow truck guys use a sort of line lock, I think it's called a lever lock. They generally use them on the front wheels so with that and the parking brake all four wheels are locked and less likely to drag the truck when winching a car out. Some of them have an electrical switch built in that you wire into the horn circuit, so if the pressure bleeds off the horn will sound before the brakes release.

As I mentioned previously it is a Mico Brake system, here is one of their Lever Locks

http://www.mico.com/products/brake-actuation/brake-locks/lever-lock

Really common in industrial applications like forklifts and so forth.

They are OK for quick on off and get going but I'd not trust one for a parking brake. First it is still tied to the main hydraulic system so if there is failure in that system you have no backup!

Second the bottom line, here where I am it's not legal for PARK brake use.

We must have a secondary MECHANICALLY actuated braking system as a backup to the primary hydraulic system.

One nice thing about MICO Lever locks in winter...cables don't freeze up!

I'd use the Mico setup for additional braking as mentioned for winching etc however I would not replace a mechanical system with it.

JM2CW

Al

Oh still need those GM caliper measurements if anyone has them

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

Why not get a 99-04 super duty 10.5 and redrill the bolt pattern and use van disks? Keeps the parking brake, you get disks, updated parts and it rolls right under! I do believe the e brake cables need to be messed with though.

Need to reposition the spring perches and shock mounts as well....but I have seen drilling the hubs for our pattern done.

 

[Garbage_Mechan]

Why not get a 99-04 super duty 10.5 and redrill the bolt pattern and use van disks? Keeps the parking brake, you get disks, updated parts and it rolls right under! I do believe the e brake cables need to be messed with though.

Bingo!!! We have a winner.
For a truck used for it's intended hauling purpose just skip the Caddy caliper deal. Not enough brake and crappy park brake. People that tow heavy have actually switched back.
Get a rear for a 2000 to 2004 F250 or 350. Redrill hubs. Use van rotors, and 2000 park brake cables. Now you hve discs designed for the job, good parking brake, and the rear is wider so the rear track matches the front. Win, win , win!
Yeah, there is a few more details, but it is on my list for sure. have all the details somewhere from PSN or PSA.

 

[kuskoal]

For what it's worth, the 05+ axles are wider to match the rear and had a different brake setup. Shouldn't change anything though as far as mods. The shock mounts need to be moved, the leaf perches sit .5" higher than the 10.25, blah blah blah its awesome. Flange yoke too!

 

[jaluhn83]

Tim, a line lock would be a reasonable idea for a boat ramp, though I wouldn't want to leave it for long.

These units are basically a selectable check valve installed between the master & brake cylinder(s). When you turn it on, the check valve is allowed to function and when you depress the brakes it holds the pressure on the brake cylinder side, thus holding the brakes applied. Then when you turn it off, the check function is disabled and a functions just like a section of straight brake tube - no restriction to flow in either direction.

These are very effective for holding brakes when you need all 4 wheels held on with max pressure - ie winching, utility trucks, tow trucks, etc. The problem is that eventually the pressure will leak off, allowing the vehicle to start rolling.... not good. It's also dependent on the service brake system and booster for function - so it's not a true emergency brake.

Also note that on a dual master system like most of the idis, you actually wind up with 2 separate line locks - one for each circuit.

 

[jaluhn83]

I'd be hesitant to redrill hubs / rotors - not only do you need to make sure the bolt holes are in the right spot and concentric, but the hub center aligns the disc / rim and is almost certainly different between the SAE & Metric systems.

My gut feeling is that you could use SD brake parts (caliper brackets and parking brakes) on a 10.25 without too much trouble - I'm thinking the physical size is close enough to be able to make it all work together without too much trouble.

 

[The Warden]

Also note that on a dual master system like most of the idis, you actually wind up with 2 separate line locks - one for each circuit.

That was going to be my next question...whether one line lock could handle two circuits or if you'd need one for each? Actually, for what I"m thinking, a line lock for the front brakes coupled with a properly functioning parking brake for the rear should suffice...especially since, if the parking brake's out of adjustment, the rear brakes wouldn't be fully applied with hydraulics anyways...

 

[jaluhn83]

You can get units that have both circuits in one unit, but that depends on what you can get... Either way I think they're quite pricey ($300+ IIRC)

Might be able to find one in an old utility truck or something though - the units themselves are pretty much universal. Just make sure it's in decent shape and flush it out.

No reason you couldn't have one on just one circuit.

 

[Garbage_Mechan]

For what it's worth, the 05+ axles are wider to match the rear and had a different brake setup. Shouldn't change anything though as far as mods. The shock mounts need to be moved, the leaf perches sit .5" higher than the 10.25, blah blah blah its awesome. Flange yoke too!

Actually the 05 up axles, while being wider than the 99 to 04 axles are way too wide for an OBS, looks like a jeep with 3/4 ton axles under it. The 99-04 axle is wider than the 97 down axle and makes the track with mathc fron to rear.