Who has the best rear disc conversion kit?

[tampabronco]

Some you have to move the rear shock and some you have to grind the splines. Do you have to change the axles as well?

The kits look similar and the people I spoke to that have done it have all said it was worth it

 

[rastiss]

If you need the emergency brake to work well, stay away from Cadillac calipers. Snugged up with no slack they don't hold well. I would say if you had it set and it rolled down hill and into a tree it would likely hit just as hard as no emergency brake.....

 

[Broncobowsher]

This is probably worse then asking who's carb is best. Lots of variables.

Best performing, best price, best bang for the buck, best parking brake, best bolt on, best selection of brake pad materials...
My idea of "best" is probably very different then someone else's idea of "best"

 

[DirtDonk]

Because I have had very good luck with the inner-drum type parking brakes on other vehicles, I decided to bite the bullet and spend the big bucks on our #3025 kit with axles and the whole nine yards.

While I don't always like the idea of non-stock axle shafts, they're so stout and I'm so light-footed, I seriously doubt I'll ever brake or wear out an axle shaft. Famous last words, I know, but I lived on stock 28 spline axles for 30 years, so figure I'm being at least mostly honest with myself.
Besides, I paid the extra for the high-strength alloy version.

This does require the moving of the lower mount inboard, or higher up the tube, but that's not an issue for me. I like bolt-on, vs weld-on caliper mounts, the Set-20 tapered roller bearings, an appropriately sized caliper (these are rear brake application parts), and the aforementioned drum parking brake.

Just got it home, so won't have feedback on it's installation for awhile yet.
But even at 800 bucks it still gets my vote.

Paul

 

[bronconut73]

Yes...the WH rear axle set up that uses the Explorer calipers and emergency brake drum is probably the best set up out there. If you want good emergency brakes it is the one to grab.

Having said that. I have no vehicle inspection here in Florida. Since I have an automatic the emergency brake isn't quite as important. I run Chucks rear disc kit with very cheap S-10 front calipers
($12 bucks a piece).

I bought the kit in stages. Easier for me to afford it without the old lady bitchin'..
My brakes are phenomenal!
One day I'll get the Caddy rear calipers with the emergency brakes.
($75+ bucks a piece for reman., but Chuck says to use new ones).

Until then.....I don't really miss them....but I "will" do it one day.

 

[SteveL]

I have em with the caddy calipers and they work fine. I haven't taken the time to adjust the e-brake yet. The caddy set-up is 1/3 the price of the wh kit. If you go caddy get the brackets from bc broncos. most of the others you have to remove the caliper to bleed em. pita. You guys with the exploder kits, how weel does that e-brake hold larger tires?.Some of the guys told me they don't like 35s.

 

[phred]

Best as in easiest to install and best engineered or best e brake?

 

[rastiss]

I have em with the caddy calipers and they work fine. I haven't taken the time to adjust the e-brake yet. The caddy set-up is 1/3 the price of the wh kit. If you go caddy get the brackets from bc broncos. most of the others you have to remove the caliper to bleed em. pita. You guys with the exploder kits, how weel does that e-brake hold larger tires?.Some of the guys told me they don't like 35s.

No idea if they like 35s but caddy's won't hold my 33's. You need a lot more pull on the cables. With everything very snug, you can still push the e-brake pedal to the floor and not have near enough drag to be very useful. Mine will barely pass inspection. Need to figure out how to get more leverage IMHO. Other than the e-brake its a decent setup.

 

[gddyap]

The parking brake in the Explorer rear discs isn't very good as your tires get bigger. The drum is tiny and big tires just have too much leverage on them. They barely work with 35s.

 

[SteveL]

On the caddys, for more leverage or travel redrill the hole in the pivot bar out wider toward the end. I drilled the hole but never got around to adjusting it. I also have a keyed line lock on the 72 so it dont budge. Wish they still sold em, i want one one the 66. Great for security. A line lock wont pass inspection either because it's not a manual e-brake.

 

[rastiss]

I've been wanting to do a manual line lock with a key. I haven't been able to find one. I KNEW I had seen them years ago. So nobody makes them anymore?

 

[SteveL]

I bought mine from brakelock.com but they're no longer there. TSM had em in their catalog but I thin they're out too.

 

[chuck]

I find that the caddy brakes work as well as the explorers do if adjusted properly but none work as well as the stock drum e-brakes do. As said above to get less travel re-drill the lever.

 

[Cactus killer]

No idea if they like 35s but caddy's won't hold my 33's. You need a lot more pull on the cables. With everything very snug, you can still push the e-brake pedal to the floor and not have near enough drag to be very useful. Mine will barely pass inspection. Need to figure out how to get more leverage IMHO. Other than the e-brake its a decent setup.

You need to adjust them, they will hold very well If you are anywhere near the shop I will adjust them for free and you will see a major difference.
If they are adjusted you can't push the pedal to the floor.
We provide an adjuster tool with our disc brake kits to make it easier to adjust them.