Boxwood green and raven black on a 1969 f100 ranger ?

[colnago]

I just did the disc swap on my '67. I couldn't find a kit for a 3/4-ton, so I had to piece it together. A SWAG for the costs:

$50 for brackets and dust shields at a junk yard (the only thing you can't get new/rebuilt)
$120 for new rotors at AutoZone
$100 for rebuilt calipers at RockAuto
$25 for shoes at RockAuto
$50 for a prop valve on ebay (I got one from a junk yard, but the innards were stuck; didn't find that out until after the install)
$30 for a rebuilt disc/drum MC
$50 - $100 for misc hardware, tubing, brake fluid, etc
I don’t remember the cost of bearings or dust shields, but I got them through AutoZone.

I also bought a double-flare tool, and flare nut wrenches, but I don't count the cost of tools for a job, since I will use them again.

The best part of it is now I step on the brakes and ... stop!

Joseph

[1984mack]

Is there a Kit that does the whole conversion?

I currently building my tool box since this is my first restore I'm hoping the manules will guide me through
And tell me what tools I'll need to work on everything.
Mackenzie.

[colnago]

I think LMC might have a kit for the 1/2-ton. Some folks also swap in a front end from an automobile (Lincoln Continental, etc). I don't know anything about those, though.

I guess tools depend on what you're going to do. Some of my flare nuts were metric (grrr), and some standard, so I have wrenches for both. I have two torque wrenches (3/8" and 1/2"), socket sets (1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" drive) in SAE, combo wrenches, a couple screwdrivers, pliers, and adjustable wrenches (I try not to use these on small nuts/bolts, since they tend to slip and round off the corners). And a big @#$/^&* pair of Channel-Locks, for the occasional bolt that won't budge. This covers 90% of the mechanical.

I also have a vacuum gauge, pressure gauge, Mity-Vac, multimeter, stethoscope, etc. I try to do as much work myself as I can. These are old trucks. They're pretty simple. Some things take me a while, but there's a lot of support on this forum, and people are very willing to share their knowledge, so I'm never afraid to ask. I think the only things that I haven't done are a new exhaust system, and replacing a cracked flex plate.

I used to tell my wife, "I'm going to work on the truck for a while." Now, I tell her, "I'm going to swear at the truck for a while." I feel better telling her the truth. It's usually fun and rewarding to work on the beast, but I have been known to express my frustrations at times.

Joseph

[1984mack]

My fiance is a little upset about the truck and that I want to do it all myself since I've never worked on anything but I have the guts to do it so here it goes.

I was hoping to find a restored match for mine but it seems to not exist.

Mackenzie

[Lone Ranger]

Colnogo I was curious if switching to discs is really that much better. What percentage better would you guess? I like how cheap you said it could be done. Do you have discs in the back too? My 3/4 ton stops great and I've never had a problem with drums. Just harder to work on.

[1984mack]

From what ive heard it's 1000 times better, but I don't really know.

[1984mack]

You said you were painting your truck are you going with a two tone ?

[Lone Ranger]

Painting it solid green. Shot the cab this summer and hoping to paint the box soon. I did my last one all green with a white roof.

[colnago]

I had a drum/drum setup. Yes, it stopped, but I had two major issues. First, the brakes were soft, no matter how much bleeding I did. I could lock up the wheels if I tried. But if I were backing up, it was really difficult to stop the truck. Also, I had a booster, so it wasn't completely wimpy legs. The front discs are much more crisp. They come in sooner, and stronger. I feel that I can safely pull a load now, where it was much more "iffy" before.

Second, the front drums kept pulling to one side. I could keep it straight, but I always had to be aware of it. During the conversion, I figured I'd find one of the shoes cracked, but everything looked fine. I probably could have swapped in new drums and shoes, but decided to take the plunge and convert to discs instead.

It was a pain to swap everything, but after the fact, I'm glad I did. Also, I still have drums in back.

Joseph