Front disc brakes

[GTS61]

I have a 61 GMC stepside pickup with a 305 V6. I was wondering how much it cost and where is the least expensive place to get the disc brakes. Thanks for all you guys do with helping rookies like me!!

Thanks
Greg

[AZKen]

You have torsion bar suspension. No known kit available. Much work involved if using a bunch of donor stuff. I would try to be satisfied with the good drum brakes you have. and concentrate on some other area. Is there some issue occurring?

[jrmunn]

I agree with AZKen about using drum brakes from my experience driving a 1964 GMC 1500 for more than 40 years with front and rear drum brakes. Disc is probably better, but I have always been able to stop when I needed to. The truck came with "power" brakes (which were actually vacuum assist) when my father got it, and he removed the power assist because it stopped too quickly for his liking. My main concern has been brake fading, where use of lower gears to keep speed under control helps a lot. But the single pot system in these old trucks is a hazard. As I have related in other posts, I lost all hydraulic braking when a front hose broke open. The only brakes at that point were the rear "emergency" brakes that were thankfully good enough. Then the cable broke on the emergency brake a couple of weeks later, which made me realize how lucky I had been. So I think the most important improvement (which is probably needed for disc brakes anyway) is a dual master cylinder that operates front and rear brakes independently. If I can do it, it can't be too hard a job. I got a dual master cylinder for the first year that they were used on GMC pickups, and it fit. The hardest part was bending and flaring the cross-over line that I put under the engine and connected at a pre-existing fitting. Good luck with your truck project. These are hard working trucks, but they do have limits and need some fixing now and then.

JRMunn

[James]

I agree with jrmunn. You will have to have a dual master cylinder (for a disc/drum setup) and a proportioning valve (for the correct front/rear brake pressure). Here is some picture I did on my 64 1500:
https://6066gmcclub.com/album.php?albumid=323

I do have more pictures if you want to see the brake lines/routing, let me know.