You guys are amazing. I have a follow up question. So I have drums on the back. I am trying to figure out if it makes sense to swap them to disc. So what I am trying to figure out is in terms of parts, is it cheaper to change drums or disc? Like if I invest in the conversion will I eventually BRAKE even after N brake changes?
I am reading over willwood's stuff, I reached out to right stuff, and I will look at pirate jack. I feel like I have heard of PK before.
You ask a difficult question about breaking even if you go with rear discs because I don't think it's a purely financial question. But, regarding nothing but dollars, my opinion is that you'll never recover the cost of the conversion. It's simply cheaper to keep what you have. BUT...
You've got to make a long-term decision on what you want out of this car. And while most people will tell you that rear discs are a must for safety, performance, etc., there are those that run drums and are quite happy. The ONLY reason I converted to rear discs is because I have a used Dana 60 rear end, and I didn't find out until after the installation that it was missing e-brake hard parts, and those parts were impossible to find. I had to convert to discs just to get a working e-brake, which was included in the package I chose.
I looked back over my build notes and found that I spent $762 for a complete rear disc conversion kit. I *think* I got this from CPP, but I don't remember. If you want to search my build thread, I probably have the brand name in there. Look for posts somewhere around July 2015. It's possible you can get the conversion done for less (mine may have been more because of it being a Dana 60). You can also find cheaper brands, but you don't want to go too cheap when you're dealing with brakes.
I also looked at my notes and found that I got an aluminum master cylinder, dual diaphragm booster, proportioning valve, and brackets for $260 from Pirate Jack. Your mileage may vary - that was a few years back. I strongly suggest you look through my build thread regarding some posts I made last year on adjusting the master cylinder. I had mushy brakes, and no one on this forum and not even a mechanic found the problem. I eventually found it and documented it, and it has to do with installing a new master cylinder, potentially from any manufacturer.
And, back to your original question, you see that rear discs will set you back a few C-notes. I don't see how that would ever come out cheaper than keeping your drums even if you pay a brake shop to do all the current and future work for you. About 2/3 of your stopping power comes from your front brakes, so the rears don't get chewed up very fast at all - you may not EVER need to change your rear brake pads again on a car that isn't a daily driver. But, there are other reasons than dollars to convert to disc. I don't push one way or the other - I just put the info out there for you to make an informed decision.
If you choose to go with discs, either now or later, you MUST change the proportioning valve. This isn't hard to do, but you can't forget.
And one final opinion. I've changed my own brake pads and rotors for ages - when dealing with discs. I tried doing drums once and said I'd never do it again. Brakes are relatively simple when it comes to working on an existing system. Figuring out a whole brand new system can be daunting, but if you get some help and the right components, just about any DIY grease monkey should be able to do the maintenance. Even with drums, you can do it, I just found it 10x more frustrating than the simply design of discs.
BTW, no need to refer to yourself as an idiot. Idiots don't ask questions. There's a difference in naïve and stupid. Naïve people are welcome here on Steve's. A lot of us started out in the same boat as you, and even those with considerable experience are still naïve in many areas. Electrical stuff still gives me fits.
