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Spindles and Disk Brakes for a 77 620?


frenchsquared

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First off, Hello.
New to Datsun's but not cars or minitrucks. I have a nice collection of toys and Im a pretty good at doing all my own work.

Looking forward to getting to know this community. Picket this 1977 up about two weeks ago. Dropped it 3" added new wheels and I am about to install a weber and header. It has 94,000 original miles. Runs ok but the I think the carb leaks from every seal possible.

 

datsun-side-mags.png

 

I have spent a while reading in google and it seems 720 parts will fit the 620. However, I did not find any clear info on what parts. 

I figure I need upper controls, lower control arms, after market spindles, rotors and calipers. 

 

But is there other stuff needed as well? Tie rods work?

 

I think I saw that the shock mounts wont work. They need relocated can someone confirm this? 

 

Long term plan is to bag the truck. Is it better to get a disk brake upgrade for a king pin truck, keep the king pin set up and bag it as is.
That will get the truck lower or is it better to get the 720 parts and bag it on those?

 

Short term is the get it 2" lower and drivable for a while. I am also working on a B2200 and I want to finish it before tearing into this one. 

 

If there is a thread on all this, please send me a link. I really have been searching in google the last few days and didn't find anything clear. 

 

Thanks. 

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Welcome :)

 

You cannot just bolt on disc brakes to a drum brake truck, if it was possible everyone would do it and there would be threads about it, it can be done but it takes fabrication skills and extra suspension parts.

I have done it to my 1971 Datsun 521, but it took years to get it dialed in, and there is no dedicated thread about it from me as I did it before this forum existed, I have wrote about it but I cannot recall any of the threads now.

I for the most part discourage doing this as I have had the upper control arm bolts break several times, but again I did this to a 521 not a 620.

There are kits out there like Mike K's that bolt onto to your kingpin front end, Mike's use the later 720 vented rotor/calipers, they work correctly without having to fiddle with them, I believe he makes/has made them for the 620.

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Be carefull of what you read on the internet.  720s have the steering box & idler arms on the outside of the frame rail. 620s are on the inside of the frame rail.  720s are disc brake fronts as are the 78 & 79 620s. 84 720s went to vented disc brakes & different calipers.

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Welcome :)

 

You cannot just bolt on disc brakes to a drum brake truck, if it was possible everyone would do it and there would be threads about it.

 

Yes you can. Wilwood makes a kit. Very easy and well priced. It just bolts on. Im not running out and buying it because it is for the kingpin trucks and I am not sure I am keeping that. As for fab skills if I have to I will change the entire front suspension. This truck will lay on the ground and it will have disk brakes. Just deciding the best way to it. Im sure I can make an S10 front end fit under it. 

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Be carefull of what you read on the internet.  720s have the steering box & idler arms on the outside of the frame rail. 620s are on the inside of the frame rail.  720s are disc brake fronts as are the 78 & 79 620s. 84 720s went to vented disc brakes & different calipers.

 

Thats why I am asking here, figured if it actually works then someone here will have done it. 

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Yes you can. Wilwood makes a kit. Very easy and well priced. It just bolts on. Im not running out and buying it because it is for the kingpin trucks and I am not sure I am keeping that. As for fab skills if I have to I will change the entire front suspension. This truck will lay on the ground and it will have disk brakes. Just deciding the best way to it. Im sure I can make an S10 front end fit under it. 

 

OK that may be true, but you were asking about what 720 parts that will bolt onto a 620 kingpin truck, you said,

 

Quote "I have spent a while reading in google and it seems 720 parts will fit the 620. However, I did not find any clear info on what parts" End Quote

 

You can do it with a combination of ball joint 620 LCA/tension rods, lengthened 720 upper control arms(how I did it) and any Datsun truck ball joint disc brake assembly made till 1986, I am even using the 1990 Nissan hardbody V6 dual piston caliper setup on my 1971 Datsun 521 truck, everything between the upper and lower control arms bolts right in once the control arms are done/installed, but them control arms are not bolt in, they need modifications, and it can be done with the stock shock towers you have, but stuff needs to be modified/changed.

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Yes you can. Wilwood makes a kit. Very easy and well priced. It just bolts on. Im not running out and buying it because it is for the kingpin trucks and I am not sure I am keeping that. As for fab skills if I have to I will change the entire front suspension. This truck will lay on the ground and it will have disk brakes. Just deciding the best way to it. Im sure I can make an S10 front end fit under it. 

 

Wilwood doesn't make anything for a 620.  Other people make caliper adapter brackets that fit wilwoods to 620 kingpin spindles.  You're still stuck with kingpins and bushings that are becoming more scarce by the day.  No one makes a bees knees kit to convert kingpin to balljoint...please don't mention beebani crap.  

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Yes you can. Wilwood makes a kit. Very easy and well priced. It just bolts on. Im not running out and buying it because it is for the kingpin trucks and I am not sure I am keeping that. As for fab skills if I have to I will change the entire front suspension. This truck will lay on the ground and it will have disk brakes. Just deciding the best way to it. Im sure I can make an S10 front end fit under it. 

 

Just to clarify, Wilwood does not make a kit for the 620. There are other people making kits using Wilwood calipers. 

 

You'd really butcher a 620 to fit S10 suspension?

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Why not mention it Matt?  Do tell. 

 

I have many many very happy customers out there who have done the swap with great results.  Upper and lower arms bolt right up, little bit of welding to do for the lowers.  Allows you to use spindles, hubs, brakes, etc. from '86-'98 hardbody pickups.  Keeps the stock track width and has full adjustability for camber and caster.  Perfect for bags.  I even make bag brackets and external shock mounts to go with the bags.

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Whats wrong with beebani? 

He is one of them that I have looked into. 

 

No, I wont use an S10 but I will either bag it on the kingpin or I will just use a complete front end from something. Haven't done enough research to define the something. 

 

Im leaning towards a bolt on brake upgrade and keeping the kingpin know that I know it will lay from on them. 

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I've driven a number of 620s with king pins over the year and I never thought there was anything wrong with them. Yeah, the trucks drive like antiquated crap, but it's what we're used to and expect from them compared to newer designs. 

 

And then I started to rebuild them on my current truck. What a bunch of crap they and the pivots are! 

Disassemble then reassemble them and let us know what you think. 

 

Though I put mine back together just fine, I wasn't going to keep them. I got a set of Beebani's upper and lower control arms and a set of Hardbody drop spindles. I also installed a set of QA1 coilovers to lower it even further. Oh man...such an improvement in ride and steering over those king pins. 

 

If you have the means, dump that stock crap. 

 

Oh, and bags are for groceries and taking out the trash.

 

Just a fun jab from an old school mini trucker. ;) 

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