Currently there are 2 options that we are aware of for after market brakes on our trucks
1. Blackbirds, TSM, or DIY versions of disc brake conversions that use Eldorado calipers if you want to retain a parking brake (I believe they are required by law for on the road vehicles). While being somewhat of an upgrade from our marginal drum brake setups it uses a single piston caliper designed for a passenger car not a full size truck, that may or may not be pulling a trailer with a lot of additional weight.
2. Putting in a super duty axle. The problem here is that you now have a metric bolt pattern in the rear (Thanks Ford engineers!). Your options are A: Run different wheels for the front and rear B: Run wheel adapters that will space your wheels out a minimum of 4 inches (2” per side, and don’t forget SD axles are already wider). C: Change the front axles over to 99 and up as well.
Tech51 and I are working on a hub conversion that will allow you to purchase and install a super duty rear axle while retaining your 8x6.5 bolt pattern. The purchase of new wheels, wheel adapters etc. will not be necessary and you will have the stopping power of brakes designed for your vehicle. The first axle should be in the next couple of weeks and more information will follow. These will be available for purchase through a site vendor and instructions will be included for install etc.
We’re still working out a few of the kinks, trying to find the best source for hub production etc. Just wanted to get the word out there, let y’all know what we’re doing, see how many of you may be interested in these, and get a discussion going.
We will also recommend the purchase of a SD drive shaft as well so the companion flange on the SD axle can be re-used, although you could use the pinion yoke from your OBS axle and keep your drive shaft. Transferring the OBS yoke will presumably mess up the pinion seating depth etc. and require adjustments to be made for your gears to be setup properly.
This should be a fairly easy swap for most of you, however some welding will be required for the relocation of the shock tabs. The axle that I purchased had a removable shock mount that sat on a pin, it will allow us to swap it from the back to front mounting location and clock it accordingly for the shock mounting. We can then tighten the U bolts for the shock mount and tack it when it setup properly.
The current plan (and the first two sets being made) is to use machined 4140 Chromoly steel hubs, although the possibility of nodular iron casting (OEM style) is not entirely out of the question. These hubs will be made in the USA specifically for our OBS application. Nodular casting might reduce the price but would most likely require us to use a Chinese manufacturer and we are not willing to send any of your money over seas.
We’re still working on pricing and options but it looks like the hub conversion will run somewhere around $500-600. Pricing will be reduced if we can order these in larger numbers (group buy).
If you have any questions feel free to ask, we’ll be glad to answer them as best we can.
So who want’s a set???
1. Blackbirds, TSM, or DIY versions of disc brake conversions that use Eldorado calipers if you want to retain a parking brake (I believe they are required by law for on the road vehicles). While being somewhat of an upgrade from our marginal drum brake setups it uses a single piston caliper designed for a passenger car not a full size truck, that may or may not be pulling a trailer with a lot of additional weight.
2. Putting in a super duty axle. The problem here is that you now have a metric bolt pattern in the rear (Thanks Ford engineers!). Your options are A: Run different wheels for the front and rear B: Run wheel adapters that will space your wheels out a minimum of 4 inches (2” per side, and don’t forget SD axles are already wider). C: Change the front axles over to 99 and up as well.
Tech51 and I are working on a hub conversion that will allow you to purchase and install a super duty rear axle while retaining your 8x6.5 bolt pattern. The purchase of new wheels, wheel adapters etc. will not be necessary and you will have the stopping power of brakes designed for your vehicle. The first axle should be in the next couple of weeks and more information will follow. These will be available for purchase through a site vendor and instructions will be included for install etc.
We’re still working out a few of the kinks, trying to find the best source for hub production etc. Just wanted to get the word out there, let y’all know what we’re doing, see how many of you may be interested in these, and get a discussion going.
We will also recommend the purchase of a SD drive shaft as well so the companion flange on the SD axle can be re-used, although you could use the pinion yoke from your OBS axle and keep your drive shaft. Transferring the OBS yoke will presumably mess up the pinion seating depth etc. and require adjustments to be made for your gears to be setup properly.
This should be a fairly easy swap for most of you, however some welding will be required for the relocation of the shock tabs. The axle that I purchased had a removable shock mount that sat on a pin, it will allow us to swap it from the back to front mounting location and clock it accordingly for the shock mounting. We can then tighten the U bolts for the shock mount and tack it when it setup properly.
The current plan (and the first two sets being made) is to use machined 4140 Chromoly steel hubs, although the possibility of nodular iron casting (OEM style) is not entirely out of the question. These hubs will be made in the USA specifically for our OBS application. Nodular casting might reduce the price but would most likely require us to use a Chinese manufacturer and we are not willing to send any of your money over seas.
We’re still working on pricing and options but it looks like the hub conversion will run somewhere around $500-600. Pricing will be reduced if we can order these in larger numbers (group buy).
If you have any questions feel free to ask, we’ll be glad to answer them as best we can.
So who want’s a set???