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Rear Disc Swap Donor Axle

A

anotherskait

NAXJA Forum User
Location
wash, dc
I know there's a ton of threads about how to swap a grand cherokee's brakes onto an 8.25, d30, or d44 axle, and I've spent hours reading them already.

All of the threads deal with how to install them onto your axle, but I havent found any information about the donor axle.

One of the threads said the brakes needed to come from a 94-98 ZJ. Did the ZJ's come with different axles? Do i need to grab the brakes off a specific axle? Will the brakes from a WJ work?

I've got a 92 with 8.25 rear end. I've already installed a double diaphragm booster up front, and just want to be able to stop a little faster. Currently on 31's, moving on up to 33's this summer.
 
Every ZJ I have looked at had rear disc brakes, mounted on a D35.
I have heard that some came with rear drum brakes and, after a quick look at Rock Auto's site, that appears to be true.
I do not know if WJ rear discs will fit but remember that they have a 5 on 5" bolt pattern.
 
Lazy - Did the ZJ rear brakes in your sig line come off the d35? Any idea?

Captain - Have you installed them already?
What axle did you bolt them up to?

If I took the WJ brakes and used ZJ rotors with the 5x4.5, any idea if that would work?
 
Last edited:
Yes I did them a while back. I used them on a 8.25 rear. It was one of the best mods I did.

Just use the ZJ ones to be sure that they work. What if the rotor diameter is different from a wj to a zj?
 
Just a thought, but if you did the WJ knuckle/tie rod conversion up front, couldn't you do the WJ rear brakes also and just run 5x5 wheels front and rear?
 
Dave41079 said:
Just a thought, but if you did the WJ knuckle/tie rod conversion up front, couldn't you do the WJ rear brakes also and just run 5x5 wheels front and rear?
Click to expand...

You would have to swap axle shafts then as well. I know the ZJ had d44A's so I don't think that would work well. Not sure what the WJ's had for a rear.
 
anotherskait said:
Lazy - Did the ZJ rear brakes in your sig line come off the d35? Any idea?
If I took the WJ brakes and used ZJ rotors with the 5x4.5, any idea if that would work?
Click to expand...

The rear brakes came off a 95 ZJ from the local pick-a-part.
I also took the parking brake levers off a XJ and welded them onto the ZJ parking brake levers and was able to use the stock parking brake cables after moving the parking brake bracket rearward- see Madxj's site.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/organize/?start_tab=one_set72157605045198020

The disc backing plates are thicker than the drum brake's backing plate so I ended up replacing the studs, that hold the backing plates on, with 3/8"-grade 8 bolts. You could also get the studs from the donor ZJ.
The disc flanges are thicker than drum brake so the wheel studs should be replaced with longer ones. I used the studs from a set of old front hub bearings.
 
If your lifted to high, the stock e brake cables won't be long enough. In which case you can get some liberty cables. If you go with liberty cables, you won't need to weld on th xj e vrake arms either.
 
Captain Ruggy said:
You would have to swap axle shafts then as well. I know the ZJ had d44A's so I don't think that would work well. Not sure what the WJ's had for a rear.
Click to expand...

Yep that makes sense. I had a brain fart I suppose. But I imagine you could do it and have the rotors drilled for 5x4.5 if you wanted to go to the trouble.
 
Is the d44a just D44 shafts in a d35 axle (simplifying) or is there a difference that I can see from the outside by looking at the pumpkin?

LazyXJ pulled his brakes from a 95 ZJ with d35 and Captain pulled his from a 95ZJ with the 44a, so it shouldnt matter at all right? Sounds as though as long as it's a ZJ with discs (I guess some had drums) it'll bolt right up to my 8.25 axle.

Thanks for all the information!
 
anotherskait said:
Sounds as though as long as it's a ZJ with discs (I guess some had drums) it'll bolt right up to my 8.25 axle
Click to expand...

The center hole in the ZJ backing plate needs to be opened up a bit to fit the 8.25. It took just a few minutes to do this using a die grinder and carbide cutter.
 
Just curious, I know how to pull the axle shafts on a C-clip D35 to get the backing plate off, but how do you pull the shafts from a D44A?
 
Right, but it's not a C-clip axle, is it? How do you pull a shaft from a non- c-clip axle?
 
Daedalus454 said:
Right, but it's not a C-clip axle, is it? How do you pull a shaft from a non- c-clip axle?
Click to expand...

Remove the brake drum, unbolt the bearing retaining plate and pull the axle out. The bearing and retaining plate come out with the axle.
Much faster and cleaner than a c-clip.
 
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