Not at all crazy to do that. I've done it on a couple of Jeeps. But I've also kept rear drums on several Jeeps as well.PlasticMastodon wrote:Thanks.
Would it be crazy just to convert all 4 to disk?
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Sounds like disc all around is the perfect setup, but front disc and rear drum is the more economical. Since I have many other things to fix, I think I will just stick with swapping out the front.derf wrote:Not at all crazy to do that. I've done it on a couple of Jeeps. But I've also kept rear drums on several Jeeps as well.PlasticMastodon wrote:Thanks.
Would it be crazy just to convert all 4 to disk?
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The front disc conversion is the most important. Parts are available but as was said above, a donor axle swap would make it a lot easier. Though a worn out donor axle would provide the knuckle, spindle, shafts, and hub letting you rebuild the rotor, caliper, ball joints, bearings, and seals. You would end up with basically a "new" axle that way.
The rear disc conversion typically doesn't have a vast improvement in braking performance. Most of the braking is done by the front brakes. Simply rebuilding the rear drums with fresh, clean parts and getting it properly adjusted would probably be "enough". While discs all around are pretty much standard on most vehicles now, front disc/rear drum configurations were used for many decades without too many problems. I like discs because they're self adjusting and more resistant to fade as they heat up. But I like drums because they're easy and cheap to refresh.
While front discs are just swapping factory parts, a rear conversion requires that you build or buy a custom kit. And those kits can get expensive fast. You also have to figure out what to do about the parking brake. Some kits have it built in, some don't.
What it comes down to is how much you want to spend on your brakes. If you have a good budget, discs all around is a great option and a straightforward operation. If your budget is limited, keeping the rear drums is an attractive option.
I do believe that all FSJ front axles went to standard disc brakes starting in 1976. And the knuckle/spindle/hub/brake setup is pretty much interchangeable from 76-91. And the outer stub shaft from any donor should work as well. Any donor axle can give you the parts you need. Any 1976-1979 donor narrow track axle will bolt right in (though you should make sure the gear ratios match). The 1980-1991 moved the differential to the other side so they would be a good source for parts.PlasticMastodon wrote:Sounds like disc all around is the perfect setup, but front disc and rear drum is the more economical. Since I have many other things to fix, I think I will just stick with swapping out the front.
From what I can tell from looking around, I have basically two options for converting to disc in the front:
1. Drum to disc kit. This seems like it is a matter of pulling off the drum, putting on an adapter (sort of), then all the plumbing. I wouldn't have to drop the axle or anything. Has anyone done this? Does it work well?
2. Axle swap. This would basically give me a whole new axle. If I'm not mistaken, some of the newer (1980's) Wagoneers had front disc and they were narrow. Would one of those axles work?
You cannot use an 80's axle. They are driver drop, your axle is passenger drop.PlasticMastodon wrote:
From what I can tell from looking around, I have basically two options for converting to disc in the front:
1. Drum to disc kit. This seems like it is a matter of pulling off the drum, putting on an adapter (sort of), then all the plumbing. I wouldn't have to drop the axle or anything. Has anyone done this? Does it work well?
2. Axle swap. This would basically give me a whole new axle. If I'm not mistaken, some of the newer (1980's) Wagoneers had front disc and they were narrow. Would one of those axles work?