14 Bolt brakes

[Tomahawk715]

http://www.diy4x.com/brakes.htm

Has anyone installed this kit??? I"m split between this one and the one from Blue torch fab

[Tomahawk715]

Well due to the lack of any feedback I've gone ahead and bought this kit. I'll let you all know how I like it.

[ChalkOutline]

thanks, I have an M1008 with a 14bolt, keep the info flowing.

[Tomahawk715]

Well I can tell you right off that the 14 bolt with drums wont work. You can barely squeeze the ubolts on between the springs. There is no way to run brakes either. So--as has been said here in old posts--you have to switch to the discs or move the springs inboard. That requires plating the inside of the frame--removing all the mounts and swapping them side to side. Alot of work and on road handling would surely suffer.

Not to mention that its cheaper to buy a kit and everything else you need to convert cheaper than redoing the drums- it pretty much is a no brainer. Oh and you also prob shed 50 to 100 lbs of weight off the arse end.

The Dana 60 fit in the front with little issue. I ended up buying a high steer kit from Ballistic Fab for that.

http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/...es_p_1246.html

Going down to work on it again weekend after next-I'll try and take some photos-I've got the axle installed right now with no brakes--So hopefully I will have the kit and will be able to install the discs then. I forgot to take pics with the drums on but trust me when I say it was TIGHT. I'll take a few before the brakes and after I get them on.

[Tomahawk715]

Oh before I forget--the ubolt plate from the stock springs will work so dont dork it up--U bolts were for a 3/4 ton chevy--9 inch--which gave plenty of length. Now I cant remember how thick they were but it was the thinner of the two options. 3/8th maybe??

And as is shown in most of the kits- all the parts are stock chevy stuff--calipers-rotors--and i'm going to use the little rubber hoses from the same 3/4 ton setup and then run my own hard line- mounting plates are from the kit.

I'll also try and remember to get the NAPA part numbers I'm using.

[ChalkOutline]

Thanks for the info and I look forward to the pics and progress report!

My m1008 had an HD Dana 44 swapped in by a PO, I think it was done to swap gearing.

[bluesman2a]

Sorry, just saw this...
I've got the BTF plates on mine, it's one of the few things from them that I REALLY like. They are nice due to the fact that they offer MANY options for optimum clocking on the calipers.

That said, I have also ordered a lot of stuff from DIY4X in the past and I have never been disappointed. Their stuff is simple, straightforward, probably over-built, and it works.

Remember when mounting your calipers you will need to clock them down LOW on the rotor to clear the springs/perches/u-bolts. Where mine is 7-8:00-low you will probably need to mount yours at 6:00.
Example:

[Tomahawk715]

Yeah the DIY4U stuff just looked overbuilt--which is perfect.

I really liked the extra holes in the BTF plate but didnt care for the spacer setup that they and everyone but DIY seems to have--That was the decider for me--I wanted to bolt to the axle.

[Tomahawk715]

I'm not slackin on this thread--the parts wont get to me for about 2 weeks--they didnt have one of these kits built so....

[ChalkOutline]

no worries!