Factory drum brakes on a loaded C10 are a liability. This Wilwood conversion gives you modern stopping power—critical if you actually use your truck.
Drums fade when hot. Discs don't. If you tow anything, haul anything, or drive in traffic, you need disc brakes.
This is a complete four-corner disc brake kit: front spindles, rear brackets, calipers, rotors, master cylinder, and all hardware.
Front disc kit: [Wilwood Front Disc Brake Kit for C10 (140-11018)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001MA0QZK?tag=rusttoroad-20)
Jack up the front, support with stands. Remove wheels. The drums should slide off—if stuck, hit the back side with a dead blow hammer. Unbolt the backing plate.
The kit includes replacement spindles. Remove the old spindle (upper and lower ball joints). This is the hardest part—ball joint nuts are torqued to 100 ft-lbs and rusted solid.
Make it easier: [OTC Ball Joint Separator Tool](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002STSKQ?tag=rusttoroad-20)
Bolt the new spindles in place. Slide the rotors onto the spindle studs. Mount the calipers with the supplied brackets and bolts. Torque spindle nuts to 120 ft-lbs.
Remove rear drums and backing plates. The Wilwood rear kit bolts to the factory axle flanges using a bracket. Mount the caliper, install the rotor, and route the brake line.
Rear disc kit: [Wilwood Rear Disc Brake Kit for C10 (140-11387)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001MA0R3W?tag=rusttoroad-20)
Your factory single-reservoir master cylinder won't work with four-wheel discs. You need a dual-reservoir tandem master with a proportioning valve.
Master cylinder: [Wilwood Aluminum Tandem Master Cylinder (260-15096)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001MA0TIC?tag=rusttoroad-20)
Replace all four brake lines with stainless steel braided lines. They're included in the kit. Stainless lines don't expand under pressure like rubber lines—better pedal feel.
Start at the right rear wheel (furthest from the master cylinder), then left rear, right front, left front. Use a vacuum bleeder or have a helper pump the pedal while you open the bleeder valve.
Vacuum bleeder: [Mityvac Pneumatic Brake Bleeder (MV6840)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NPR33E?tag=rusttoroad-20)
New brakes need to bed in. Make 30-40 gradual stops from 30 mph without coming to a complete stop. This transfers pad material to the rotors. Don't slam on the brakes for the first 200 miles.
- Front brake kit: ~$1,200 - Rear brake kit: ~$950 - Master cylinder: ~$160 - Brake bleeder tool: ~$60 - Stainless lines (if not included): ~$120
Total: $2,490 in parts. Worth every dollar when you're hauling a trailer downhill.
Soft pedal after bleeding: Air in the system. Re-bleed starting at the rear. Make sure the master cylinder reservoir never goes below half-full during bleeding.
Brakes pull to one side: One caliper might be sticking. Check for even pad wear on both sides. Rebuild or replace the sticking caliper.
This is a weekend project if everything goes smoothly. Two weekends if you hit rust issues. The result is a C10 that stops like a modern truck—critical if you daily drive it.
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