EGR Brakes Rear Disk Conversion

By WMIF

Start off by chalking the front tires, then lifting the rear axle and placing on jackstands. Make sure the parking brake is NOT on and trans in park.

Remove the wheels and set aside.

Remove drum with help from a rubber mallet if needed.

Use a 9/16 socket to remove the 8 bolts that hold the axle to the hub. Carefully pull axle out. Be careful with the gasket. Set aside

Theres a little lock piece hammered in to the adjuster nut to keep it from moving. Use pliers to pull this out. Then using the special socket, remove the adjuster nut. Gently pull on the hub until it start moving. There is a bearing that will fall in your lap, then keep going. There are 2 bearings housed in this hub. The smaller diameter goes in the front, the larger in the rear. Keep this in mind when going to reassemble.

Now use your brake spring tools to remove springs carefully from the shoes. Then remove the shoes and the parking brake cable form the backing plate.

Remove the seal from the back side of the hub, then remove the larger bearing. Place the hub on a piece of plywood, with the studs pointing up. Now use the BFH to hammer the studs out of the hub. Careful not to mare the hub.

If you got slotted or drilled rotors, make sure you use the correct side (left or right). Flip the hub over and and clean the surface thoroughly. Then take the rotor and set on back of the hub. Now tap the studs from the backside until they stop moving. I used an old stud. Then set aside.

Notice the larger shoulder on the new stud. This is for the rotor.

Now go back to the axle and use a 19mm socket to remove the 4 bolts holding the backing plate on. Using a 3/8 wrench, remove the hardline going into the wheel cylinder, and gently bend back a little.

EGR supplied 3 brackets with the kit. One has an "H" shape with 6 holes (red), one a "C" shape with 4 holes (blue), and a "(" shape with 2 holes (green). First put the "H" bracket on the rear side of the axle, on the differential side of the flange, using two 1-1/2" bolts. Now use two 2" bolts to put the "C" and the "(" bracket on, opposite of the "H". Now using two 1-1/2" bolt the "H" to the "C". The nuts and washers should be on the differential side of the brackets. Once everything is loosely bolted up, tighten down.

Now pack the bearing with fresh wheel bearing grease. Put the large bearing in the back of the hub, then install the new seal. Put a coat of grease on the seal surface as well. Slide hub onto the shaft, then slide the smaller bearing inside. Now thread on the adjuster nut. This nut should not be cranked on. Tighten until there is no lateral movement in the hub, then give another turn and pound in the little clip.

Place the magnetic base with dial indicator on the new brackets and put the dial indicator on the face of the rotor. Make sure everything is tight, then by hand, slowly turn the rotor while watching the dial indicator. EGR says that .010" runout is good.

Take the axle and clean off any contaminants, then put some bearing grease on the splines to help it ease in. carefully slide the axle in and engage the splines. Don't forget to put the gasket on also. Torque the bolts to 90 ft/lbs.

Now install the caliper, making sure its the correct side. Install the short braided line, supplied with the kit, onto the caliper. Then carefully bend the hardline into position to thread into the flex line. EGR supplies brackets for mounting the lines, but I chose not to use them. The hardlines are supported well enough.

Before attachig the parking brake cable, we need to adjust the lever. Remove the spring on the caliper, then pull the lever down until the pads meet the rotor. If the gap is more than 1/4", loosen the nut at the pivot point and rotate the lever back against the stop. Tighten nut, and reinstall spring. There is a spacer supplied with the kit that needs to be drilled out to fit the cable. The spacer that is welded, the big part needs to be drilled to 9/16". I disconnected the parking brake cable right under the driver side cab, to make this part go a little easier. Now back to the caliper, push the cable through the spacer, and then into the bracket on the caliper. Slide cable into slot on the lever. Now you are done with this side for now. Repeat these steps for the other side, then proceed.

Now its time to bleed the brakes. I was told by Glenn at EGR that these calipers have a tendency to trap air inside them. Starting from the furthest point (back right) bleed until you have a steady stream. It will be a little hard at first, because of having so much air in the lines. Then go to the back left, and bleed until a steady stream. Give some pumps to stiffen the pedal, then go back to the right side and bleed, then left and bleed. Repeat until the pedal is nice and firm.

Before following the break in procedure, pull out and make sure you have brakes. The break in procedure from EGR says to make a complete stop from 40-50 mph, then drive to let air flow in to cool them down. Repeat this 2 more times, then park the truck and let the brakes cool enough to touch. After this initial break in, for the next 200-500 miles, just drive normal to finish the break in.

The conversion can be obtained from: EGR Severe Service Brakes. EGR also offers a complete bolt on brake upgrade kits including calipers, rotors and special fluid. They also offer a new rear disc brake conversion kit for 1988-2000, 2 & 4wd single rear wheel or larger 17.5 and 19.5 dually models. The kit fits either Dana 70 or 80 full floating axles. These conversion kits include single piston calipers, with or without parking brakes, rotors, hose and all bracketry.

EGR Severe Service Brakes
1041 Cinnamon Lane
Corona, CA 92882
800-468-2279
Glenn Maurer, Owner