El Dorado Calipers

[1977Waggy]

What's happening FSJrs? I want an emergency brake to go with my rear discs on the 14 bolt. I thought I might be able to find a used set from a salvage yard but I am not having any success, not that I should have expected this to be an easy search. I have seen prices on reman. ranging from $76 to 110/caliper depending on whether or not they come loaded with the necessary hardware. Would it be in my best interest to just go ahead and get one of these sets or continue to try and find a set of used ones? I looked into doing a t-case emergency brake, but the prices on something llike that is just too much.

I feel that an emergency brake is very important. I guess I don't like the stress placed on the driveline on an incline without an parking brake. Should I not be concerned with this? I will be running a TF727 with a D300. Those of you who have added rear discs, what did you all do e-brake or no e-brake?

Thanks,

Charles

[BRUTUS]

I've said it before and I will say it again: I went to two dealerships for GM and neither could find edorado calipers with e-brake levers attached. I had a picture AND a part number with me and they still couldn't find them. The "loaded" caliper just means that it comes with pads.

I am so used to NOT having an e-brake it doesn't really bother me but I also have a manual trans that I trust much more than the park pin in automatics. I usually can get creative with how I position the tires so that I don't need one. So I don't have an e-brake now. I am considering getting a t-case brake when/if I get the stak 3speed. I have also toyed around with making the brackets for the e-brake and doing cutting rear brakes with typical e-brake handles.

Doing a line loc is another option but I am not sure I would trust the weight of our rigs with a line loc. I suppose that worst case if the line loc leaks, you still have park to keep it from moving.

[J10Mike]

Is this the caliper and brackets you were speaking of? These are reman for a 77 Eldorado.
It was $150 for the pair. Oddly enough, I never ran cables to them. Oh well.
http://12.29.16.230/mmimages/DiskBrakeConversion/caddycaliper.jpg
http://12.29.16.230/mmimages/DiskBrakeConversion/Prear.jpg

[BRUTUS]

Since you aren't using them, could I pursuade you to send a set of them to me temporarily so I can model and reproduce them? I will pay shipping both ways!

PM me

[Headhoncho]

I found a junkyard caddy from the 80's with e-brake rear calipers on slotted rotors. Could these be used in place of the 70's eldorado calipers?
I want to do a rear disc on my 14 bolt eventually.

Thanks, JR

[Elliott]

The mounting brackets would be different I think and the pistons are smaller in the later units.

[crazydog]

I do not think I have seen a 14 bolt rear disc brake bracket that does not use the 1976-1978 Cadillac Eldorado calipers. The Dana 44 kit I purchased from SteelTech Solutions used the later calipers from the 1985 Cadillac Seville.

[1977Waggy]

I guess I will go ahead and get the reman ones.

Charles

[rawdave]

I bought these...

A little pricey but the cable mounting plate and return springs are already there...

http://www.tsmmfg.com/3120.htm

[1977Waggy]

rawdave

thanks for the link. Not necessarily a bad deal since you are getting everything you need. I was wondering if the remanu ones would have all the springs and returns and such, probably not. Yeah, thanks for the link.

Charles

[crazydog]

O'Reilly has the rebuilt calipers with hardware for less than $75.00 a side. That does include the core charge but not the pads.

[Kaiser]

I bought a transfercase disk brake for my FJ62 (I know its not a FSJ, but its a universal). Cost me $230 shipped. I imagine that once youre all done with the Eldo mount conversion that you'll be around that. Might be worth looking at Man-a-Fre. Just a thought.

[rawdave]

O'Reilly has the rebuilt calipers with hardware for less than $75.00 a side. That does include the core charge but not the pads.

These don't include the spring and cable connection tab. I know, I ordered them before ordering the ones from TSM. And my brother was the counter guy so we did a lot of searching before ordering.

[mark]

i need to get my sons xj with 14 bolt through insp.it failed for no ebrake.could i run just one caddy caliper on the pass side and the 3/4 ton caliper alredy on there on the driver side?would it pull braking?77 each and nearly a 40 $ core is kinda pricey.i would prolly get it through insp and then put the other back on.it stops great now.i know ill have to fab an arm but prolly wont be able to reproduce the spring part of it.does this caliper require special mounting bolts(pins)or will the ones now work for it?will they clear 15 in wheels without grinding them down?

[BRUTUS]

Mark,

The problem with running an ebrake on one side only is that if the truck is parked on a hill an open diff will render the ebrake useless in reality. If you just wanted to put it on to pass inspection I think it should work. Depends on who you get to do the inspection.

It shouldn't pull during regular braking. It would pull if you were driving with the ebrake engaged obviously. It should use the same bolts that are already on the caliper you have.

Not sure if they will clear 15" wheels. It will be close. Here is a pic of mine with 16.5" rims for comparison:
http://www.jasonhabrock.com/jeep/lift/images/mockup8.jpg
There might be 0.75" clearance there but I am not 100% sure. It will be close and you might have to do some minor grinding worst case.

[mark]

thanks brutus!
thats a great pic.his 14 blt has det locker and is an automatic.right now i just wanna get it through insp even if i remove it afterwards till we figure something else out.it brakes fine now with the 3/4 ton calipers.i ordered one for the pass side 2day and will get it 2morrow but it will be minus the arm and spring.do you think it will work for just an hr or so without the spring or will it stay locked once the ebrake is pulled?what are you going to do for the arm and spring?
thanks again!
mark

[mark]

is that a bracket from tsm?mine is a tsm also but it is 2 pc witout the square spacer u have.

[BRUTUS]

is that a bracket from tsm?mine is a tsm also but it is 2 pc witout the square spacer u have.

Mine was from TSM. Mostly because I liked the fact that I was doing business with a Colorado company.

Christian (Hutti on this board) is giving me some calipers with the spring and brackets attached. I am going to model the brackets in Solidworks so I can reproduce them if needed. I am sure that ace hardware would have a spring to "copy" the OEM design.

I think if you don't have the spring, the brake is going to stick until you "drive" enough clearance into the pad. Not a good plan if you ask me. I would try to rig some kind of spring in there to help the return.

[rawdave]

i need to get my sons xj with 14 bolt through insp.it failed for no ebrake.could i run just one caddy caliper on the pass side and the 3/4 ton caliper alredy on there on the driver side?would it pull braking?77 each and nearly a 40 $ core is kinda pricey.i would prolly get it through insp and then put the other back on.it stops great now.i know ill have to fab an arm but prolly wont be able to reproduce the spring part of it.does this caliper require special mounting bolts(pins)or will the ones now work for it?will they clear 15 in wheels without grinding them down?

According to the TSM website, the caddy calipers will not fit a 15inch rim without grinding.

[mark]

i have the eldorado calipers (rebuilt)and i have a set of the seville calipers too.im using the arm off of the sevilles and i just fabbed some springs to pull the arm back(it looked as if the smaller seville calipers had a bracket that sandwiched as spring that pushed the arm back)my question is do i put the spring on now pulling the arm back then bleed the brakes?or do i just bleed the brakes 1st without the arm then see where the hex for the arm lines up?
thanks
mark

[rawdave]

i have the eldorado calipers (rebuilt)and i have a set of the seville calipers too.im using the arm off of the sevilles and i just fabbed some springs to pull the arm back(it looked as if the smaller seville calipers had a bracket that sandwiched as spring that pushed the arm back)my question is do i put the spring on now pulling the arm back then bleed the brakes?or do i just bleed the brakes 1st without the arm then see where the hex for the arm lines up?
thanks
mark

Bleeding method according to TSM:

http://www.tsmmfg.com/Troubleshooting.htm#1

[Hutti]

yup....gravity bleeding is the way to go. Be patient! It will take a while.

[mark]

i ran into a snag.i have the tsm kit and 3/4 calipers on it now.the braided hose kit is also from tsm(short ones that go to calipers)fri he said(skip at tsm)that the banjo bolt was either 3/8 or 10 mm on the eldorado caliper.i went to the parts store because none of the spares i had around would fit.it wound up being 7/16-20 thd.this was too big to go through the banjo ends on his hose kit.if i drill it out it will cut away the cavity in the banjo end where the fluid runs.disgusted for now i gave up.i just called him and he said it was ok to drill it out and he was sorry for forgetting to mention that the caddys are 7/16.ive already fabbed up a block at work to solve the problem by using 2 banjo bolts.
just thought i would post this so anyone else doing this might be prepared.

[rawdave]

Guys,

just wanted to post an update on my brakes just to encourage you guys as you build yours.

I pulled my nephew's trailer today ~ 6000lbs loaded and even without a trailer brake controller, I could stop the trailer easily. Once a trailer brake is installed, this thing should stop on a dime.

Keep working on them, they are definitely worth it.

d

[mark]

Guys,

just wanted to post an update on my brakes just to encourage you guys as you build yours.

I pulled my nephew's trailer today ~ 6000lbs loaded and even without a trailer brake controller, I could stop the trailer easily. Once a trailer brake is installed, this thing should stop on a dime.

Keep working on them, they are definitely worth it.

d


how do u like the ebrake part of it?did u use stock cables?does it hold very well?im doing ours 2nite

[rawdave]

how do u like the ebrake part of it?did u use stock cables?does it hold very well?im doing ours 2nite

Mark,

Still working on cables for the e-brake. The sterling 10.25 rear required me to lengthen the cables. Unfortunately, since you have to have a vehicle to buy anything from a parts store, I ended up needing custom ones built. I will let you know when I order the custom cables.

D