Disc Brake Upgrade Reference Thread

[rain_man]

thanks capt

[jocko]

Wow, what a thread. This is a very helpful one. Have seen several comments that discs will not fit the original 6 lug steelies. A couple questions -
1. Can a spacer be used to make the original 6 lugs work with a disc set-up (i.e. I've not tried it yet - where does the interference actually occur between the caliper and the original 6 lug wheel? is it a wheel diameter thing or backspacing thing, etc)
2. Captain Fab, you mentioned aftermarket and later model 6 lugs would work. Which later model 6 lugs? (all 88-up 1500's?) and what company makes stock-appearing steel wheels that will fit discs? (I've looked at stockton and a few others, but seems their stock looking wheels are not quite stock looking - they are missing the air gaps in between the wheel center and rim, at least on some of the wheels I've seen. Seems later model 6 lugs (88-up) were 16 inch rims? So are you saying that aftermarket steel wheels would also need to be 16 inch to work?

I've got 15 inch truck rallies also in addition to the stock steelies, and I'm pretty sure they will work - but I'm going to a bit of effort to just run steelies and poverty caps - looking for the simplest to keep that look yet eventually upgrade to front discs.

Thanks a lot folks, great thread.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by jocko

Wow, what a thread. This is a very helpful one. Have seen several comments that discs will not fit the original 6 lug steelies. A couple questions -
1. Can a spacer be used to make the original 6 lugs work with a disc set-up (i.e. I've not tried it yet - where does the interference actually occur between the caliper and the original 6 lug wheel? is it a wheel diameter thing or backspacing thing, etc)
2. Captain Fab, you mentioned aftermarket and later model 6 lugs would work. Which later model 6 lugs? (all 88-up 1500's?) and what company makes stock-appearing steel wheels that will fit discs? (I've looked at stockton and a few others, but seems their stock looking wheels are not quite stock looking - they are missing the air gaps in between the wheel center and rim, at least on some of the wheels I've seen. Seems later model 6 lugs (88-up) were 16 inch rims? So are you saying that aftermarket steel wheels would also need to be 16 inch to work?

I've got 15 inch truck rallies also in addition to the stock steelies, and I'm pretty sure they will work - but I'm going to a bit of effort to just run steelies and poverty caps - looking for the simplest to keep that look yet eventually upgrade to front discs.

Thanks a lot folks, great thread.

If your plan is steelies w/dog-dish (poverty) caps, the bolt pattern of the wheels won't be distinguishable.

I did a disc swap on my 68 & ran poverty caps on OE 5-lug truck wheels up front w/poverty caps on the OE 6-lug wheels for the rear for several months before swapping the rear axles to 5-lug.

If the concern is a spare that fits all 4 corners, Wheel Vintiques, Early Classic, & Stockton each make an OE appearing steelie in various sizes (they don't have to be 16's).

[jocko]

Thanks Scoti, that's good info. Good point about the 5 and 6 / front and back - not a big deal visually (but that spare thing..... I better find a jack too, I keep forgetting to pick one up - then I can worry about tires). Also, thanks for the 15 inch info.

[raycow]

To add to the wheel discussion, you might want to look at factory wheels from a 71-up K-10. These trucks had disc brakes with 6 lugs, and at least some of them had 15" wheels.

Ray