Crown Vic rear disks

OK, so I'm finally probably ready to cross over to the dark side and put on disks on my rear 44:
I have a line on a crown vic with disks (it's the solid axle model) so it should have everything I need, right? From what I have read I know that I need to grab:
1. backing plate
2. caliper
3. caliper bracket (isn't it a part of the backing plate though?)
4. disks (I think they are in pretty decent shape)
Am I missing anything from the above list?

Now the mini drum brakes: do I want to grab the ones out of the crown vic or would I want to reuse mine (97XJ).

To make it work I know I need to make a spacer for the axle shafts to push the bearing/seal "in". Can that spacer be two piece since it's going to be in an enclosed space? I can machine it out of some starboard material and if I make it two piece it makes the install and removal easier (slips in between the retainer and the seal/bearing during install).

Lastly with 97+ I shouldn't have to remove/adjust the proportioning valve, right?

http://www.jeepin.com/features/cvdiscs/index.asp

great write up!

Seen this one already, right? http://jeepin.com/features/cvdiscs/index.asp

Keep us advised; I was hoping to go this route next spring myself.

Edit: Dangit Joe...beat me by mere seconds!!

Jim

Great writeup, but it doesn't answer my question about using a two piece spacer under the retainer plate.

I don't see why it wouldn't work. I guess you have to make sure the tolerance is correct. I would make it so that it is a very tight slip fight into the housing. obviously don't make it too tight though or you'll never get it back out. but you want it tight enough that it won't have any chance of spinning, even though the pressure being applied to it by the bearing preload should prevent it from spinng. you might think about tack welding one side the retainer. then there's no way it can spin.

I think you would have to use the Crown Vic parking brakes as well, as they are the corrct size for inside the rotor hat. Im sure your 97 parking brakes will be way to big to fit. Plus the backing plates on the Crown Vic have the correct bracketry for all the levers and stuff required to operate the e-brake.

In not real clear on propartioning valve on the 97+ i do know anything with the dual diaghrahm booster has the correct M/C to work with the rear discs. I would just install them then if they don't feel right, then try and modify the proportioning valve.

Good luck

Dingo

go get some spacers at the dealer for a rubicon axle....i hear they are about $6 a peice
Brett

bretto said:

go get some spacers at the dealer for a rubicon axle....i hear they are about $6 a peice
Brett

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I thought that the rubicon axle uses a different retainer plate. And if I end up with something that needs to be installed along with the seal and bearing I'm SOL on a trail when I am trying to put in a spare axle that might not have the spacer on it. That's why I'm trying to make it a two piece that can be installed over the axleshaft without having to remove the bearing.

Dingo509 said:

I don't see why it wouldn't work. I guess you have to make sure the tolerance is correct. I would make it so that it is a very tight slip fight into the housing. obviously don't make it too tight though or you'll never get it back out. but you want it tight enough that it won't have any chance of spinning, even though the pressure being applied to it by the bearing preload should prevent it from spinng. you might think about tack welding one side the retainer. then there's no way it can spin.

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Ummmm retainer plate is bolted to the axle so it would not spin. Also why would it be bad if the spacer spun along with the axle?

because the spacer is against the retainer plate. if the spacer spun, you'd have direct metal to metal movement... which is bad.

Kejtar said:

I thought that the rubicon axle uses a different retainer plate. And if I end up with something that needs to be installed along with the seal and bearing I'm SOL on a trail when I am trying to put in a spare axle that might not have the spacer on it. That's why I'm trying to make it a two piece that can be installed over the axleshaft without having to remove the bearing.

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They do use a different retainer plate. Rubicon plates will work fine, you just have to redrill the holes to match the XJ housing end bolt pattern. As cheap as they are, just replace the retainer plates on your spares. Then there's no worries.

Jeepin Jason said:

because the spacer is against the retainer plate. if the spacer spun, you'd have direct metal to metal movement... which is bad.

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Well, I want to use starboard material which is similar to hard teflon like stuff.

Jeepin Jason said:

They do use a different retainer plate. Rubicon plates will work fine, you just have to redrill the holes to match the XJ housing end bolt pattern. As cheap as they are, just replace the retainer plates on your spares. Then there's no worries.

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Yeah, but then my spares wouldn't really work for anyone that doesn't run crown vic or similar setup and vice versa and that's what I'm trying to avoid.

Kejtar said:

Well, I want to use starboard material which is similar to hard teflon like stuff.

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teflon is a chemical coating. the only "star"-something material I've heard of is used for making countertops.... but I'm a computer guy, so materials really aren't my thing.

Kejtar said:

Yeah, but then my spares wouldn't really work for anyone that doesn't run crown vic or similar setup and vice versa and that's what I'm trying to avoid.

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Well, your current spares will only work for folks running an XJ rear end. I know that in our club I'm one of the few modified XJ's, and the only one I know of with an XJ D44 rear, so even with standard retainer plates my spares would only work for my rig and I couldn't use anyone else's TJ spares.

If you're going to run a non-standard setup, sometimes those are the prices you have to pay.

If you want to give the 2-pc spacer a shot, give it a go. I think I'd use steel though... or some type of metal.

Jeepin Jason said:

teflon is a chemical coating. the only "star"-something material I've heard of is used for making countertops.... but I'm a computer guy, so materials really aren't my thing.

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http://www.totalplastics.com/marine.htm
That would be one example of starboard material. The stuff that I get I'm not sure who makes as it's one of those free things

Well, your current spares will only work for folks running an XJ rear end. I know that in our club I'm one of the few modified XJ's, and the only one I know of with an XJ D44 rear, so even with standard retainer plates my spares would only work for my rig and I couldn't use anyone else's TJ spares.
If you're going to run a non-standard setup, sometimes those are the prices you have to pay.

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There are quite a few folks that run D44's in my area (that I run with) and it's not that I'm that much of a giving person but I feel like having a more universal spare is better as it might prevent more headaches associated with breakage and lack of spares on the part of someone else.

If you want to give the 2-pc spacer a shot, give it a go. I think I'd use steel though... or some type of metal.

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What other duty appart from applying pressure against the bearing/seal does the retainer have? Also if I make a one piece setup that I end up "hard" mounting, am I not going going to end up with friction problems as well? So if I mount it solid (press it on the axleshaft) then it'd be spinning against the retainer plate and if I mount it to the retainer plate it'd be spinning against that ring that's on the axle shaft?

Now switching gears a bit and thinking of the Rubi retainer, could I open it up so that it slides over the axle shaft down? That's what I did with my XJ plate so that I could slide it onto the axle shaft when I got a TJ replacement shaft for my 44. IIRC one of the companies (DTD?) manufactures standard slide on retainer plates which are U shaped so that they can be installed without taking off the bearing/seal.

Kejtar said:

Now switching gears a bit and thinking of the Rubi retainer, could I open it up so that it slides over the axle shaft down? That's what I did with my XJ plate so that I could slide it onto the axle shaft when I got a TJ replacement shaft for my 44. IIRC one of the companies (DTD?) manufactures standard slide on retainer plates which are U shaped so that they can be installed without taking off the bearing/seal.

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I've often wondered about doing this myself. I've seen the u-shaped retainer plates for other axle makes, just never for a D44. Since we've got both an XJ and a TJ (both with OEM D44's), having "quick change" retainer plates would be really handy. That or I just get some regular plates and dual-drill them. or convert my XJ D44 housing ends to match a TJ D44.

I don't think you could mount/press the spacer onto the shaft because of how the shaft is shaped right there, plus it's got to press on the outer circumference (sp?) of the bearing seal. I'm also pretty sure the seal itself doesn't spin, so either way the spacer won't be against a spinning surface.

Jeepin Jason said:

I've often wondered about doing this myself. I've seen the u-shaped retainer plates for other axle makes, just never for a D44.

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Drivetrain direct has them for the d44 in XJ hole pattern.
Does anyone have a pic of the rubi retainer plates? I'd like to see one of them before I start creating things

Kinda hard to really see how the plate is shaped.



This is from Stu-Offroad.com, it's a custom machined spacer retainer plate next to a Rubicon retainer plate.

Jeepin Jason said:

Kinda hard to really see how the plate is shaped.

This is from Stu-Offroad.com, it's a custom machined spacer retainer plate next to a Rubicon retainer plate.

Click to expand...

Hmm in that case I don't see a reason why one couldn't open it up to a U.

cutting it to go around the shaft is just peachy. I've done a few and no issues

not to hijack but kinda on subject. Will the Crown Vic brakes work on a non c-clip 35?