88-00 Fullsize GM --- Rear Disc Brake Conversion

88-00 Fullsize GM --- Rear Disc Brake Conversion

88-00 Fullsize GM --- Rear Disc Brake Conversion 1988-1999 Chevrolet C1500 Pickup 1995-2000 Chevrolet C1500 Suburban 1995-1999 GMC C1500 Suburban 1999-2000 Cadillac Escalade 1988-1998 GMC C1500 Pickup Sierra 1995-2000 Chevrolet Tahoe 1995-2000 GMC Yukon, Denali, XL 1500 This kit is compatible with GM 1988-1999 pickups and 1995-2000 SUV's with light duty five lug rear ends. Verify your vehicle has the 10 drum size. Even if your vehicle is listed above, if it doesn t have the 10 drum then this kit will not fit. It is the buyer s responsibility to check proper clearance and function of all brake parts to their existing suspension components and wheels/tires before driving the vehicle! For any questions or suggestions, email info@friendlychopshop.com

1 & 2 Remove stock brake drum. If it has never been off then it may require a little persuasion with some penetrating oil on the center bore and a hammer or air-chisel at the outside lip to push it off the axle. Sometimes it helps to spin the drum and work your way around. 3 & 4 Remove stock brake internals. Since these aren t being retained, it is easiest to cut springs with a cut-off wheel. Then remove the brake line at back.

5 & 6 Remove emergency brake cable from drum backing plate by squeezing retainer clip. Then remove 4 bolts from axle flange. Since the drum backing plates won t be used and pulling out the axle shafts is a pain, we usually opt for cutting the backing plate into two halves with a cut-off wheel (as shown), plasma cutter, or the good ole cutting torch, aka fire hatchet. If you wish to retain them, then remove the differential cover and pull the C-clips to allow the axles to come out. 7

8 With all that out of your way, you can start to put on the kit. 9 The brake-hose bracket is assembled to the inside of the axle flange and the caliper bracket goes to the outside of the flange, with the letters TOP on the top. The caliper should be oriented to the rear of the axle. (These parts should be coated first but are shown here raw)

10 & 11 Slide the rotor over the studs and hold in place with a couple of lugnuts. On some axles it may be necessary to remove a small amount of material from the outer diameter of the flange in order to slide the rotor on. This can be done with a 36 grit roloc wheel or with a grinder. 12 Apply a small amount of blue thread-locker to the supplied 7/16 brake pins and then assemble the caliper. If yours is a non-ebrake kit, make sure that the supplied pad spacers are installed in the calipers.

13 & 14 Hook up the supplied leader hose with banjo bolt and crush washers on each side of the eyelet. The other end of the hose pushes through the hose bracket and is held on by the supplied retainer clip. 15 When retightening the brake line, make sure to use a wrench on both the brake line AND hose. Failure to do so could strip out the hose bracket. Repeat these steps on the opposite side of the axle and bleed the system using standard bleeding techniques. If your kit is a NON-ebrake system, then skip to 21. If it is an e-brake kit, then follow steps 16-20

16 The e-brake mechanism works as an internal ratchet. Remove the spring and completely depress the lever to grab the next tooth of the ratchet. You should notice the pad getting closer to the rotor and then returning less with each cycle. Do this as many times as possible until it cannot grab the next tooth due to compression against the rotor. (refer to the directions supplied with the ebrake calipers for further information on proper adjustment). After this you can reattach the spring. 17 & 18 After repeating caliper installation on the opposite side and bleeding the system, cut the stock emergency brake cable stops off just past the crimp, leaving as much cable as possible. Clip the cable into the bracket and slide on the supplied cable stops. The new stops will have a set-screw in one side only which pushes the cable into the hole on the other side, giving it a better grip on the cable. The plastic coating on the cable should be removed so that the new cable stop will have contact from its set screw directly into the metal cable. It is best if you leave the extra cable length past the cable stop intact until you reconnect the splice and finish adjusting the system.

19 & 20 Snug down the cable stops and check the e-brake pedal to experiment with engagement. There are adjustments in the stock cables on the driver side frame rail as well as adjustments in how much cable you leave sticking through the new stop. The idea is to have enough pressure to get a firm e-brake pedal, but not so much that there is drag when the pedal is released. After a driving test, it can be shortened as shown. 21 **NOTE: other cable provisions may be necessary depending on suspension modifications and where the axle sits in relation to the frame. It is your responsibility to ensure that all of the brake parts (especially cables and calipers) have proper clearance to the frame and suspension components during complete cycling of the suspension! Make sure your system works properly throughout the suspension s travel before driving the vehicle. **NOTE: most systems with ABS will work perfectly with this set-up as is. However, if you re experiencing rear brake lock-up in hard braking situations, then an in-line proportioning valve can be purchased to fine tune the rear brake bias. Congratulations, you re now drum free!