Budget disk brake conversions?

[N8.]

  Last week I picked up my first Datsun, a 1971 521 pickup. Unknown mileage, rusty, but running. It runs well enough for now with stock carb and emissions, the brakes however.. aren't great. And living in Idaho, it snows.. and I need to stop! But I don't have preformance brake conversion kit money. Do I have any options? Maybe something I can junkyard pull from? Thanks!

 

  -N8

 

[Slow Loris]

A beauty! Hey I saw this truck for sale, glad someone bought it. Congrats. 
 

The experts will chime in about upgrades, but I was impressed with how good stopping power you can get out of the drum brakes. I replaced everything brake-wise on my 521 but kept it all drum. New drums, shoes, wheel cylinders and a dual circuit master. It stops very well when in good adjustment. 

May be a different story if you think you’ll be driving this truck on ice…I’m not that brave!

 

 

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

There is a bolt on disc conversion.  @mklotz70 ? Aren't you the expert here?

 

 

[mrbigtanker]

Welcome to the 521 family, cool truck. What @Stroffregen said that's one contact there is a few others that make a cost effective front disc brake kit for these trucks. And they work great. Also did you at least go through your drum brake set up and make sure no leaks and pads are good and did you adjust them as well. very east to do for now to make you safer. Drum brakes do work fine just have there limits as well. 

Edited February 27 by mrbigtanker

[banzai510(hainz)]

16 hours ago, N8. said:

And living in Idaho, it snows.

Options?

1)Yes tighten the brakes up

 

2) drive in summer, 521s on wet and snow is not good

[mrbigtanker]

http://www.bluehandsfab.com/320520521620-disc-brake-kit.html

[mrbigtanker]

 

[datzenmike]

Disc brakes won't stop you faster than what you have and most especially in winter conditions. Disc brakes are more fade resistant from heat build up from repeated high speed or long down hill stopping, which almost never happens. There are fewer parts so easier to replace pads. There's no adjusting every three months and no maintenance.

 

Like Hainz says, adjust them to bring the pedal back up, bleed them if mushy, replace wheel cylinders if wet or leaking. If shoes need replacing get the premium ones that are more aggressive. Four 10" drum brakes are going to stop you fast!

 

Fix up what you have and start saving for front disc conversion late next summer.

[mainer311]

Disc brakes also don't lock up when misadjusted, which is exactly why I got rid of my drums.

Edited February 27 by mainer311

[Crashtd420]

I don't think Mike klotz is making any more....

 

You can try...

https://www.silverminemotors.com/products/front-brake-upgrade-custom-made-bracket-for-1964-1977-620-520-521-310

 

 

Edited February 28 by Crashtd420

[wayno]

Drum brakes work fine as long as they are kept up and adjusted properly every once in a while.

 

The only reason I moved on to front disc brakes was because I did not keep the drum brakes adjusted properly, and I hauled heavy loads a lot and I needed the brakes to last longer, drum brakes do not last long before fading because of heat, going downhill for a couple miles in traffic became an issue for me with heavy loads of firewood, I also used to hang glide and driving down gravel mountain roads at 10mph they would also get hot, so I figured out how to put disc brakes on my 521 back in 2003(before Ratsun existed), I used early 720 brakes, but moved on to 1990 D21 V6 2wd dual piston caliper brakes, but the 1986 Nissan 720 brakes work just as good, but it is not a bolt in package, parts need to be found and/or made, the heading says Budget.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

It's like comparing points to electronic ignition. Points work fine, but who wants to adjust points every season?

[mklotz70]

Yep....I don't make them anymore and they were definitely the most expensive.  The kit wasn't cheap and then the other parts needed added to the cost.  If you can do any kind of machine work or have a friend that can do it, the older, steel bracket design is on my website.