Kevance:
The following is just my personal opinion and a record of what I learned and what I did.
Also, the hardware you use depends on what kind of statement you want to make with your truck and how much money do you want to spend?
I did mine the hard way years ago. In fact, my truck was the first straight axle with disk brakes here so it was all hit and miss for me. I used a big block Mustang master and a Wilwood proportioning valve and plumbed my own lines.
CCP and a couple of other vendors offer really nice (read expensive) self contained units but they are spendy. They also require some firewall modifications.
If you go the way I did, its very reasonable cost wise, and the parts are pretty much a bolt on affair with the Mustang master on the fire wall, and I haven't noticed the need for a power booster but that is personal preference.
My truck stops like a racing car and I can feel the brakes.
If you want power, a Granada or Maverick disk brake master has a small footprint booster you could use.
Booster size is really only a problem with big block motors because they tend to hit the valve covers and can block the throttle cables on the twin I-beam trucks. Small block shouldn't be a problem.
There are several different Ford length brake rods that go from the pedal to the M/C so hunt the bone yards. Try your original one first and then, if everything fails, cut and thread the rod and put an extension on it an make it adjustable. You need about 1/2" movement in the pedal before you start to feel the brake pressure.
I've already said that
if I had it to do all over again, I'd put the proportioning valve in the dash so I could adjust it from the drivers seat (and look cool doing it).
All in all, its not rocket science. If I can do it, you can almost guarantee anyone can.
**Since you're probably not going to want to go to the trouble to rig up an electric brake light switch on the pedal, look at the Ron Francis Wiring website. He sells a special low pressure hydraulic switch to replace the old ones. It is also DOT 5 compatible, and comes with a neat snap on plug for about $25.00. Solved my intermittent brake light problems.
Buy your soft lines and long hard lines from Inline Tube. Their Teflon/ braided stainless lines are about as cheap as stock rubber ones.
Give it a shot and experiment.
You're going to love your disk brakes.
BTW, here is a CCP unit on a truck Daryl and I are currently working on.
*If you noticed the yellow plate behind the booster mount, that is to close up the big hole in the firewall and has to have a smaller 1-3/4" hole centered and cut so the firewall rubber boot will fit and seal off the hole. We cut it oversize and it will be trimmed and fitted in final assembly so it doesn't stick out like that.
I hope this helps you out...
