so i got a D44

I got one!!, or at least i won the auction on ebay, now i have some decisions to make. The axle is available with whatever gear ratio i want, drum($100), or rubicon disk($450), and it is from an XJ.

this will be going under the 88. i know i need to change the length of my driveshaft, is there anything else i will need to change?

these rubicon disc brakes sound like a decent deal @ $450 installed vs. $100 for 10x2.5" drums. is the difference in performance worth it? and will i likely need to change some of my braking components to get these things to work properly?

the jeep WILL be back!...thanks

-j

Glad to see you got it,are you going to have it shipped?

I was going to convert my 44 to discs, but the 10" drums have considerable stopping power. However, $450 is a nice price for a 44 with discs. It's an even better price if the axle is 100%. Mine needed a fresh set of Timkins which drove up the total cost.

--Matt

That price is an extra to what he paid for the axle!

yea, those prices are extra..

I will have to get it shipped somehow. i cant leave during the semester( and i have no car).

so are rubicon disc brakes worth 350$, and will i have to change my master cyliinder or the like to get them to work?

thanks

I think Axle + 450 for discs is a good deal. you say your a college student, im guessing you dont have alot of time on your hands... I got all the stuff I need from the bone yard for 175 dollars to convert it to ZJ brakes. I also added another 75 dollars in new pads shoes springs and misc.. came out to be 250 I also had to have stuff machined out. +75 came out to 325.00


for me to save 125.00 for all that trouble. headache, gas and time I spent on this... I would NOT recommend this.. I would not do this the second time around. just fork over the cash and save your strength... now many others would go trough twice as much trouble as I did to save half the money I did.. so really comes down to this...

what tools you would be working with
experiance.
will
$

if not, you can go with drums... but you can lock up 33s with the rear discs.. its a very nice thing to have... all you need to do to the master cylinder is change the prop valve from a ZJ... took me 2 minutes, literally (unscrew bolt, jerk out XJ valve/spring, fork in ZJ valve spring, rescrew bolt)

so i can get one of these zj prop. valves in a boneyard....what should i expect to pay?

as far as tools go, i've got everything i need, but i will have to do this at my buds house cause he's got the jacks and stands. he's an ASE mechanic, so i think we'll be alright. youre right i have very little time, but those discs are too trick to pass up at that price.

thanks for the offer on the D44, that sounds like a smokin deal, but 4.56 would kill my highway ability(31s). and i alrealdy got a D44 on its way..! wow

-thanks

-j

rear 44?

is this a rear dana 44, if so how are they mounting rubicon disk brakes to an xj 44 I am just curious cause I just got a dana 44 and am looking into putting disk brakes on it

yea its from the rear of an 87 Xj , im not sure how theyre doing it, but ill contact them tonight and get some questions answered.

will i need to get new u-bolts and plates?, i assume the axle tube diameters are different. where is a good source for them>?

thanks -J

I just put my D44 under my Xj this weekend, you can get ubolt locally from NAPA, 2.875 x 7" 1/2" ubolts. The plates may work or you may have to at least oval them out with a drill. Other option would be a local spring shop(like for the big semi tractors), they can do custom bolts and plates but you may have to pay more than NAPA.

I really like the drum brakes on the D44, huge difference compared to the D35. You should be able to do the drums for $100, for both sides.

For a temporray fix, use your D35 shoes and drums. You shouldn't even have to pull all the springs and shoes off. Just unbolt the axle retainer bolts and the whole thing comes right off. Bolt it to the D44, this will give you time to save up for the discs or the drums.

How about an update!!

well,

i decided to go with the discs and 4.10s, open diff for now. i was told that i should run the newer MC, but im going to stick with the one in the 88 for now and see what performance is like. regardless, i will change the proprotioning valve to one from a Zj. any ideas on what one of those should cost?

sorry, i forgot to get details on how the discs are mounted to the 44, but i assume they bolt right up. The thing is being built and i should have it here by next weekend to do the install.

thanks

-J:explosion

btw, ill try getting some detials tonight
---peace

Im more interested in shipping costs?I still need 2 more 44's,I was going to bid on that one but since I turned you on it!!!!The brakes are basically the same as the ZJ's Im doing on my 44 now,I already purchased the "Rubi" retainer plates.

No 8.8's in this "house of Dana"

88justin said:

i decided to go with the discs and 4.10s, open diff for now. i was told that i should run the newer MC, but im going to stick with the one in the 88 for now and see what performance is like.

Click to expand...

Don't like to be a wet blanket, but I think you're making a mistake. The '88 master cylinder has only a very small reservoir for the rear brake circuit. Disk brakes require more fluid movement than drums, which is why MCs for disk brakes have equal size chambers. If you run the stock '88 MC with rear disks, there is a very real possibility that you will find yourself with only front brakes, which rather defeats the purpose of paying extra for the disks.

If you don't have enpugh money to do the disk thing correctly, you would be FAR better off to go with the D44 drums.

see thats why i post on here. thanks. I was told that they would work, but not to full potential. is there any truth to that?

-j

RCP Phx, thanks

if things dont go well, i might have a D44 for sale


-j

Eagle said:

Don't like to be a wet blanket, but I think you're making a mistake. The '88 master cylinder has only a very small reservoir for the rear brake circuit. Disk brakes require more fluid movement than drums, which is why MCs for disk brakes have equal size chambers. If you run the stock '88 MC with rear disks, there is a very real possibility that you will find yourself with only front brakes, which rather defeats the purpose of paying extra for the disks......

Click to expand...

? Once the brakes are bled and the fluid is topped off to the correct level, you're saying that the very slight movement of the rear disc pistons is going to suck the reservoir completely dry? Doubt it.

vintagespeed said:

? Once the brakes are bled and the fluid is topped off to the correct level, you're saying that the very slight movement of the rear disc pistons is going to suck the reservoir completely dry? Doubt it.

Click to expand...

I'm not saying it will happen, I'm saying it CAN happen. The volume of a disk brake caliper is huge compared to a drum brake wheel cylinder. It's convenient to think of the pads riding nice and tight against the rotors, so when the brakes are applied there is little actual movement, only pressure being applied. In theory, that's how it should work.

However, in reality the calipers float for a reason. Warped rotors, bearing slop, out of balance tires cause a bit of wobble ... and the pads get pushed back from the rotors a bit. Then it takes more fluid to bring 'em back into contact. Factor in that maybe you forget to check the brake fluid for awhile and the level goes down as the pads wear, and it can happen.

Each of us has a level of risk he/she is willing to accept. Personally, speaking (writing) as someone who has done drum-to-disk conversions on other vehicles, I would not do it without also changing the MC. If you're comfortable running disks with a small reservoir, I won't stop you. Given that the guy asking for advice is young and hasn't had much experience with mechanical stuff, I felt I should point out the potential down side to what he was proposing. To do less would be irresponsible on my part.

But, as most folks here already know, I'm the resident "older than dirt" Olde Pharte of . Young folks are immortal so who cares?

if not, you can go with drums... but you can lock up 33s with the rear discs.. its a very nice thing to have... all you need to do to the master cylinder is change the prop valve from a ZJ... took me 2 minutes, literally (unscrew bolt, jerk out XJ valve/spring, fork in ZJ valve spring, rescrew bolt)

so do i replace the entire valve, or just the spring?

thanks

-J