I got a 2001.5, A/T with rear disc brakes and love it. I had an upgraded transmission installed and upgraded my hitch to a real Class V hitch and pull with no worries. My rear disc brakes work well also.

 

I think the issue of rear disc is completely out of proportion with the reality of just how terrible the front brakes are in this discussion.

YOU WILL RARELY SMOKE THE REAR DRUMS BEFORE SMOKING THE FRONTS.

The front brakes on these trucks suck butt. The unit bearing cuts into the potential front brake rotor surface to the point it has about half the friction surface of what you would expect to see on a truck this size. With ABS disconnected and 35" dual mudders at freeway speed, I couldn't get rubber off the front, but could lock the rears (drums) just fine. In any quick stop from anything above 55mph, my fronts would smoke and fade.

Rears just not an issue with fronts that are so bad IMO.

Having said that, drums are stronger for parking, and can be VERY irritating if you drive dirt roads a lot. Mine sometimes drive me pretty nuts because they squeak on application. Didn't do it much before I got the exhaust brake, but after, I didn't use the service brakes as much and the drums would squeak every time I'd hit them the first time. Replaced the shoes a couple times praying the irritating noise would go away.

If you are genuinely concerned about braking power, forget the rears, and plan on doing the 3rd gen brake upgrade. There are folks here who have done the conversion to rear disc, and eh, it's a bit better. But those who have done the 3rd gen front upgrade, well, it's pretty impressive.

 

Good point. The fronts sure are not up to the task of stopping one these trucks empty, never mind loaded down.

 

I agree with the two previous posts, who cares what rear brakes it has just do the 3rd gen front upgrade and forget about it.

 

Because if you actually haul or tow something with the truck, the rears become very helpful. On an unloaded truck you're mostly right though.

 

Vented rotors are better at handling sustained heat, but are not better by design at applying braking force. Braking force is determined simply by the hydraulic force and leverage.

I'm gonna say that ANY sustained braking WILL smoke the stock fronts first either way. The only time I've smoked the fronts since doing the 3rd gen upgrade was when on a big fat hill I discovered my trailer brakes had failed while pulling a track loader. Not sure that I have EVER smoked the drums, but some folks running the GM cylinders might be able to.

My stock setup, I'd smoke fronts with some regularity. Maybe more often than most since I was towing regularly (tractors) and running 35" rubber.

Basically my point is that it doesn't really make much difference. I considered upgrading the rears on my rig, but the lukewarm reviews of performance difference made me decide it wasn't worth the hassle. Performance difference of 3rd gen fronts is SHOCKING, and brain dead, stoopid easy to do. Only real issue is that you need bigger wheels to clear them.

 

Since I started this subject I've been grateful for all the comments about disk vs drum. I'm currently sitting in an RV park in S. Oregon after driving some 6% downgrades with no brake problems towing the 8000 5th wheel (1993 automatic, 330K miles). That's because I stopped at Camping World and they adjusted the trailer brakes up where they should be. I can't make a panic stop but at least I CAN stop now.
So while I'm keeping the '93 I'm still looking at newer ones for the 5th wheel but rather than look for an 01 or 2, now I'm looking back and thinking a clean 97 or 98 of under 200K miles. They'll likely have a new tranny and lift pump, and be cheap enough where I can put a jake on. Unless that generation is a lot less rugged than my 93, they'll still have a lot of life left.

 

cost saving

 

My 01.5 came with discs on 4 corners. I like it, stops great and I have some cheap pads on there. I need to install some S/S brake lines and Hawk performance pads and I'm sure there will be quite a difference.

 

OP: Heh heh. They are a lot less rugged. Do a search for "unit bearing" I *think* the 97 and 98's use "press" rotors too. Which means to get the rotors off you have to press them off the studs on the piece of junk unit bearing. And they CANNOT be upgraded to 3rd gen brakes. Only the slip rotor setups can be upgraded.

Having said that, the earlier axles have a better mod. The diameter of the rotor doesn't change much but the inner edge of friction surface is a much smaller diameter so much more friction surface. Also this mod gets rid of the pile of **** unit bearings:

Ford knuckles! Pirate 4x4 has a pretty good writeup on it. Gets rid of the unit bearings, puts better brakes on, and improves the steering geometry- wider radius, but stronger steering.

PS I think the reason to go with the earlier truck is to get the 12 valve. Only reason I got an 01 is that the 12valve never came with the 6 speed. IMO 12 valve is a much more durable and reliable engine.

 

You've touched on something that's absolutely key here, and I never see it mentioned in any of the brake threads.

When you move from stock size tires which are a nominal 29" or 31" diameter (depending), to huge 35" or larger diameter tires, you can suffer a dramatic reduction in brake effectiveness.