clowndodge01

Ok before I hear the mean people about doing a search....I spent the last few days searching and found nothing. So here's my question.....I have 2001 with drum rears I want disk, so can I take a rear end out of say a 2002 or any other year with disks? Or is there someone out there that makes a conversion kit? Cheapest route is most likely finding a rear end, what y'all think?

Crallscars

I just learned something, I thought all the 2500's had rear disc.

If it were me, I would research all the parts that were different between what you have and what you want, then visit a junk yard.

Probably a different master cylinder, maybe a different proportioning valve, then there is ABS.

patdaly

Pretty sure it is a straight bolt in, except for perhaps E brake setup?

I know someone converted using a whole rear not that long ago and it was easy cheesy.

Rear discs started at 2001.5 MY.

Here is the swap thread......

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...rear+disc+swap

KATOOM

I'm sure this is another thing you dont want to hear but.....why are you wanting to do this swap? The rear drums are more than adequate as long as they're adjusted properly. There's just as many negative things about the rear discs as there are regarding the drums brakes, like disc calipers hanging up from corrosion. I really dont think there's any gain in stopping ability as much as rear disc brakes are a marketing tool. People visually prefer discs.

In saying that, its not just a simply swap of axles. There's other things like proportioning valve, different master cylinder, etc.....

patdaly

Most everyone who has done the swap has left all that in place and it works great..........

A worthless bit of trivia, the 1994-1996 Caprice 9C1 squads had Disc rears, and were the only ones to have it, yet from GM they had the same Prop. valve and MC as the drum rear cars, and those things were scary good........

clowndodge01

They are a pain, I change the internal out at least twice a year. So if someone out there can find some heavy duty stuff to go back there in those worthless drums...I'll keepum if you point me in the right direction.

KATOOM

I are you saying that you're having a problem with the internals of the drums? If so then I can probably say that you'll have the same problems or worse with discs. Its commonly stated that the calipers stick in high corrosion areas because there's nothing protecting the discs from road salts or calcium chloride.

clowndodge01

For whatever reason the springs inside keep snapping and falling off inside I have a stage 3 ATS on the way and have no idea what to do with these drums or how to make them work like they should.

KATOOM

Wow..... Not sure what to tell you about that since I've never heard of the springs snapping for no apparent reason. And multiple times too. Maybe your parts store is selling you crapola brake components or they're installed incorrectly.

clowndodge01

yea autozone and advance, parts all made in china I think they are really trying to destroy us from the inside hahah

KATOOM

Trying?..... Heck I'd be happy to go back to the good ol' days when we complained because it seemed everything was made in Japan. At least Japanese stuff was generally quality. Everything from China is either already broken when it gets here or breaks shortly after.

patdaly

LOL, You are too young then......... Go back to the 60's when "Made in Japan" was worse than the present day "Made in China"

And I am serious about that..........

gorms

Get a hardware kit from Dodge or other reputable parts company and dont over stretch the springs to hook them. Should last a good while as long as you keep the drums adjusted.

If this hasn't been established yet, the disc and drum axles are different, can't just swap backing plates out.

KATOOM

I'm not divulging my age but I will definitely agree that anything American made earlier than 1970 was clearly superior.

totalloser

I'm sort of surprised to see complaints about the rear, on mine the front was always the problem. Even with 35" mud rubber on duals I could lock the rear up at freeway speeds- but the front would be smoking (literally) from a panic stop from 55 before going 3rd gen brakes on the front.

The drums squeak if not adjusted and driven on dusty roads (irritates me, so I manually adjust them) but when working properly the only advantage disc has is sustained applied cooling of the actual friction surface. But I have never smoked the rears, and I have hauled 14k down some grades here and there. One time I had the trailer brakes go out hauling 12k and 100 miles of mountains and 3rd gen fronts and it was still the fronts that smoked, not the rears.

I realize this isn't the issue, but a major swap seems extreme without considering these performance issues. I'd just figure out the failure issues.