14 bolt disc brakes

[tbshakie]

I know going from drum to discs on a trail truck is easy on a 14 bolt, but that's not my question:

I bought a 1999 K2500 Suburban to haul the family and toys around, super nice shape. Brake pedal was kind of mushy, so I figured the rear drums may not be adjusted correctly. I put new caliper and pads on the front because the insides were wearing a lot faster than the others on 1 side (caliper wouldn't go all the way out 4 the new pads.....so new calipers). Rear shoes looked good, original drums. The right rear arm that keeps the adjuster from backing off was bent up. So I took it off and bent it back. Rock Auto had a close out on a set for drums for $25 a piece, so I bought them. Drivers rear went on perfectly, passenger rear was a *****. where the shoes meet at the top, one side kept flipping up. you push it down and the other side flips up. Long story short.......I finally got the drum on. Adjusted everything till you hear a little drag then backed off slightly. Pedal feels much better.

Went on a couple hour trip a few days later with the family. Fill up gas when I found a cheap station. 8 mpg. Something is wrong. Get on the highway. Drums are not balanced. ****. Drive farther..............big vibration. Pull over thinking I have a flat tire on the side of the highway. All 4 tires have air. No idea. Get back on the highway and get off at the next exit. It starts to rain. Pull off in a hotel parking lot and do a walk around again. Lug nuts are all tight. Then I hear something sizzle. The rim on the right rear tire is hot. I then splash water on the right rear brake drum. Steam.

I then drive 3 miles down the road to a hardware store and buy a set a screw drivers to back off the shoes. Adjuster wont budge. In the process of laying under the truck in the rain I burn my shoulder on the exhaust. Shirt was wet, so its a steam burn!

I take the wheel and drum off and remove the adjuster completely. With transmission in neutral, I still hear something dragging inside, so I take everything off and put the drum back on. Bolt tire back on and go. Brakes feel just like they did before. Truck has more power. 14 mpg.

At this point I am ready to send this thing down the road. Wife and kids want to keep it. Besides the balance issue, I don't think I have a drum issue. Something is screwed up with the right rear brakes. Truck of this year are notorious for chewing through front brakes and hardly using rears.

My options are to send the thing to a local mechanic to figure out what's wrong with the rear or to put on disc brakes. ABS is currently unhooked, but I want to fix that (clean the front sensors). In a hydro boost application with ABS, where is the check valve? Is it in he master cylinder or the ABS control module box? I don't want the rear brakes dragging and I don't want to bypass the ABS either. I would install an adjustable proportion valve. I have done a net search and found nothing on the check valve. I want to do it right, or not at all.