[Junqueboi]

I second the comment on bringing the entire assembly home & disassembling it there. The U-pull-it yard charged about $100 for a complete unit which was a great deal. The particular yard I went to had probably twenty Blazers & Bravadas & approximately half had disc brake rear ends.

Perhaps three of the vehicles I checked had the G80 limited-slip option. All the Chevy/GMC examples I saw had the GU6 code (3.42 ratio gears) and the four Bravadas I checked out all had the GT4 code (3.73 ratio gears).

It definitely helps to have an RPO list in your pocket to compare with the vehicles' glove box SPID labels.

4wd rear end assemblies are a little wider than the 2wd units.

A small worm gear hose clamp (like for fuel lines) makes releasing those e-brake cable clips much easier -- clamp it close to the edge and it pinches all three tabs inward just enough to pull the cable through the "hole". Hard to explain.

[MNBob]

BUT I like the factory S-10 setup better w/ the only cable running down the drivers side (when you see it, you'll understand) eliminating the cable routing headaches around the exhaust pipes.....

Sounds great, I would like to eliminate the exhaust pipe rubbing as well. But how could this possibly work? At some point something has to pull on the passenger side lever.

[David Jones]

Pricing at the Pull A Part has the disc brake rear end assembly at $136.13 plus a "core charge" of $26.75. I'll need to put a pencil to the other parts and see how it works out. I would much rather pick at it at home..... I really don't want the rotors but it might be nice to have one of them to mock up the fit before I buy new ones and the old calipers would be useful as a core at the auto parts store.

[MNBob]

I was going to get the loaded calipers (RC10994QS and RC10993QS (staggered shocks)) at Rock Auto (cheapest place I could find for metal pistons). But they are hitting me with $56.25 for each core so it may be worth it to go get an old assembly. Plus, I would get one backing plate assembly (I need one 2WD and 4WD for staggered shocks).

[mrennie]

Originally Posted by wheelspin

David,
Lokar makes an excellent E/brake cable kit that eliminates the need to use the old heavy oem cables. They feature smaller diameter Teflon lined housings that you cut to length after laying them out for your setup. I used this kit on both of my rear disc conversions from drums.

Do you recall what that kit cost? My eventual plan was to spend a long winter's night researching brake parts catalogs, but that kit sounds handy.

[David Jones]

It does sound handy.

[wheelspin]

Originally Posted by mrennie

Do you recall what that kit cost? My eventual plan was to spend a long winter's night researching brake parts catalogs, but that kit sounds handy.

Around $120 from Summit about 6 years ago. Sure it's a lot of money when you can score the stiff, rusted, and precurved oem cables for $20 from the yard. The Lokar's are about the size and flexibility of a Harley clutch cable, easily routed and trimmed to your correct length, and the kit comes with a machined brass block with set screws to join the front & rear cables.

[Region Warrior]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

David -

Was there a reason you didn't want to just grab the whole housing and take it home?

That would (a) be less work out in the field, (b) allow you to pick it over at your leisure at home, and (c) perhaps give you the ability to grab additional parts off it later that you might otherwise have forgotten or overlooked.

K

Agree, easier to take the whole assembly.
Plus you can sell the axles, case, and housing, etc. Or at least get $ for it at a metal recycler.

[MNBob]

I looked on Summit and there were a lot of Lokar kits. Do you have a part number?

[David Jones]

Many thanks to Howard (HJones1313) for the 10 page tutorial on his quest to install S10 rear disc brakes on his 70 GTO. LOTS of good info, answered some questions I had......posed some new ones that I think will be answered when I get started on my own conversion. I hope to go see what the Pull A Part might have available this Saturday AM but the 60% chance of rain may get in the way.

[David Jones]

Originally Posted by MNBob

I looked on Summit and there were a lot of Lokar kits. Do you have a part number?

Look up Lokar's site. They show it. I had a quick look yesterday. Summit does carry them.

[David Jones]

I made my 1st brake pulling run through the junkyard. Came up empty. Pull A Parts site lists 5 possible S10 donors and I found 3-4 others they didn't list. All but one started life with discs but all were picked clean.
Gotta love the humanity walking around in a junkyard.....

['ol Pinion head]

It's common to get beat on such specialty core parts in the Pick-N-Pulls... have to go more often, & pay attention to what days certain sections are set

In the earlier responses, just don't get the "grab the whole S10 r/e" deal, it makes little sense, unless it has a limited slip carrier in it, which will carry some resale value. Have pulled these exact swap pieces many times. Have been pulling, using, & selling factory GM rear disc swap pieces since the first '79 Sevilles hit the early Pick-N-Pulls in the late 80's.

On the S10 rear disc swap, the items to pull are:

-caliper mount brackets
-calipers (for cores), try & buy them with nice parking brake cables attached (these will be modified)
-dust shields
-mtg bolts, always worth grabbing. Also, usually grab rear cover bolts & 7/16" headed u-joint strap bolts & u-joint straps.

a few diff parts pulling tips...
-if there is no hole & rubber insert plug in the lower portion of the rear cover from Pick-N-Pull workers draining the r/e grease, keep an eye peeled for an old '70's big Ford pickup in the yard. These often had really deep dog dish hubcaps, & they come in handy to drain the r/e grease in. Short of that, there are often other things to drain the grease in. Very few Pick-n-Pulls have enviro barrels along the rows. For r/e grease, usually, I'll find one of the next row of cars to go out, often they will be marked "Out" or Next Out", & then dump the used grease in the trunk well.

when pulling the c-clip axles, install a 5/16" boxed wrench on the pin bolt for the cross shaft in the carrier. Don't try & turn this small pin bolt loose by hand with the wrench or a socket, often it will stretch & break. Instead RAP the wrench with the side of the head of your hammer. By popping the wrench CCW with the hammer, one minimizes breaking the small diameter pin bolt & it will unscrew easily. Once the pinbolt is out, the crossshaft should slide out. Bump axles in & c-clips should drop. If not, use a long thin screwdriver to get the c-clips off the axle. Usually its fairly straight forward.

Good luck on next trip!

[David Jones]

Thanks OPH!

[FrankieT/A]

I recommend a 6 point wrench they're not common but they are out there. I'm pretty sure this swap doesn't work on BOP axle. It has to be a C clip axle. Anyway, the 1/4 inch spacers you need you can get on Epay from S10 warehouse for $30.00. For E brake cables this simple. Take the cables from the S10. Where your two cables come together on your car, cut the pellets off. Pull your cables out of the casing from the drum side. Cut the pellets off the S10 cables (which are plastic coated but no problem) feed them into your housings. When everything else is setup pull the cables tight at the junction and mark them. Take the cables while in your original housing off the car and bring them to a cable rigging place and they will swedge new pellets on for about $15.00. Voila! Factory looking cables cheap! I did this swap on my car and the whole thing with slotted and drilled rotors, new master cylinder and pads cost me less than $250.00. They work flawlessly. My car stops on a dime! Pedal feel is excellent. I'm in the process of doing a second on of my cars right now. But check out that BOP axle thing cause all my cars are C clip.

[David Jones]

My axles bolt in.

[john65ss]

Originally Posted by David Jones

Many thanks to Howard (HJones1313) for the 10 page tutorial on his quest to install S10 rear disc brakes on his 70 GTO. LOTS of good info, answered some questions I had......posed some new ones that I think will be answered when I get started on my own conversion. I hope to go see what the Pull A Part might have available this Saturday AM but the 60% chance of rain may get in the way.

Do you have a link to the tutorial?

[MNBob]

After thinking about some things: 1) considering the problems David had locating one; 2) I essentially need two for staggered shocks; 3) I am currently location challenged; 4) most salvage yard parts in Minnesota are badly corroded or rusted; I have decided to just purchase new/ rebuilt parts. I know this is going to cost more, but the summer working and driving season is short and I want to get going ASAP. I’ll keep track of my costs.

Frankie, thanks for the write up on the parking brake.

[David Jones]

Originally Posted by john65ss

Do you have a link to the tutorial?

I got it directly from Howard.

[David Jones]

Originally Posted by FrankieT/A

I recommend a 6 point wrench they're not common but they are out there. I'm pretty sure this swap doesn't work on BOP axle. It has to be a C clip axle.

I've read a number of accounts of people doing the swap and I honestly don't think any of them mentioned bolt in or c clip. There is one conversion done on a 1969 GTO in High Performance Pontiac a while back....if it had the factory rear end that would have had bolt in axles? Is that correct?

As long as the spacing on the outside (drum/disc) end of the axle mirrors where it was with drums, why would it not work?