I have a drum brake 02 D44. If I chose to convert it to disk what would I need? I am not interested in buying an expensive kit just hoping to purchase brackets and possibly rebuilt calipers and use later model rotors.
Any body done this with scrounged/03-6 parts? I had heard that the axel housing ends were different than the 03-06 is that also right?
I have always enjoyed modifying and tweaking things for a little bit better performance. This is a great article lots of detail and I appreciate the sharing. I have an F250 with rear disks and it has really taken a beating from road salt I really suspect that despite some opinions about drums vs disk many feel the disks are less maintenance. I think the rust has been a bigger problem destroying the drums.
So I am on the fence if it were cheap enough and I got a little bit more performance I would consider it. I noticed some finned brake drums in one of the articles some where I may need brake drums and if I could find a direct fit I would try those. I am thinking about a big brake improvement for the front seriously though. Again I like to swap parts when the brain can combine things to greater advantage. Am thinking of using the larger Jk 2011 up rotors and calipers this may involve later knuckles seems like it could be an easy swap. The axel stubs are heavier but the axel joints are the same size. Some have also swapped the early Grand Cherokee knuckles on later Cherokees successfully I don't know why those knuckles would not work but the Late TJ may have the extra shim distance built into it the Grand Cherokee may not. I really would like to run the wheel hubs though and there are swaps that work for bigger brakes there too with a little mod. I had an 86 bronco and I don't consider the hubs to be unreliable. There is a 30 spline posi carrier available too for the D30 and if I could find surplus 30 spline axel stubs to match from an old D44 that idea has been rolling through my head. I'm sure they are available for in exchange for my first born but if I were rich it would be another story. Parts are sure expensive and so it adds up too.
I have a drum brake 02 D44. If I chose to convert it to disk what would I need? I am not interested in buying an expensive kit just hoping to purchase brackets and possibly rebuilt calipers and use later model rotors.
Any body done this with scrounged/03-6 parts? I had heard that the axel housing ends were different than the 03-06 is that also right?
The TJ Dana 35 and Dana 44 housing end bolt patterns are the same across all models.
The compatible backing plates are found on the 03-06 TJ and any ZJ with rear discs. The ZJ plates will have to have the center bore opened up to use them on the Dana 44, left alone for the 35.
If you hit the buyer's guide on Rock Auto and plug in the TJ rear discs, that will also give you the compatible years of the Jeep Liberty in case you find one in a local salvage yard.
Don't forget you'll need to cut and flare your current hard lines to attach the caliper flex hose to. Basic but necessary.
If you missed it in the write up, you'll need "Rubicon retainers" to replace the flat retainers you have now if you have the 44 and that involves some press work. The Rubi retainers have a lip on them to compensate for the difference in backing plate thickness.
You just need the stock disc brakes, and probably a porpotioning valve. The retaining plate on the axles for disc brakes is different, so you'll need those, plus new bearings and seals once you pull the old ones off, plus someone to press the new ones on
I didn't know that all of the axel flanges were the same. From some pics I saw on utube it looked like the axel flange holes had to be modified to use the ZJ backing plates. Nice if you don't have to but even if you had to it did not look like a big deal. A ton of theories on the proportioning valve on Utube with modified brakes up front. I get the concern for brake balance bias. Looks like there are some easy but fun mods out there from mostly scrap yard stuff.
I didn't know that all of the axel flanges were the same. From some pics I saw on utube it looked like the axel flange holes had to be modified to use the ZJ backing plates. Nice if you don't have to but even if you had to it did not look like a big deal. A ton of theories on the proportioning valve on Utube with modified brakes up front. I get the concern for brake balance bias. Looks like there are some easy but fun mods out there from mostly scrap yard stuff.
If they modified the hole pattern, they were probably doing a disc swap onto an XJ 44 which has a bolt pattern closer to the Ford Big Bearing Torino housing end than it does to Dana 44 or 35 in a TJ.
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