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Easiest/Best Dana 44 Disc conversion.......

M

markaboo929

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Mooresville,NC
I got my xj dana 44 and want to do the rear disc swap,mainly cause i gotta change all the brake stuff anyways.I have searched an searched an searched,I really want to know what werks the best.I am actually leaning most towards the Crown Vic set up.I just really dont want the haunted/possible BS about leaking seals and stuff.If you have done this set up could ya please,let me know what ya ran into about clearences an using the Rubicon 44 plates..........I know ya gotta match the holes to th xj 44 I also herd/read that the crown vic bolt pattern just lines up perfectly???Any help would be great...ya know do it right the first time around...hey thats what were here for aint it???????????:chef:
 
id say the easiest is the teraflex direct disc swap. I don't know how it does, someone who has done it will speak up. but for the price tag, it makes you want to go cheap/custom.
 
I did the crown vic swap. Compared to the ZJ I think that it's easier since you only have to redrill the rubicon backing plates instead of the actual caliper bracket!

If you don't RTV the outer edge of the axle seals, they'll leak no matter what the brake setup.
 
i've been battling the leaky seals...on the ZJ swap...otherwise it wasn't that bad...
 
Mrburns said:
i've been battling the leaky seals...on the ZJ swap...otherwise it wasn't that bad...
Click to expand...

What did you do about the spacer ? Did you use the rubi retainer or some other custom retainer/spacer?
 
rubi.... but i tried a couple different approaches...someone told that he did the same thing, but "C" notched the new rubi plate...and it works great...we'll i'm hear to tell you that is BS and it leaks..when i took them off, they were all warped and F'ed..:banghead: ..that was the first...the next i think and i stress "think" that the rubi plate pressed to hard on the seal and jacked it up...whatever the reason...it didn't work :banghead: :banghead: and so i'have some no plates that i have taken oh say... 1/16-1/12 of an inch off of and will be going with those soon as i get my less than happy butt up to try this all for the third time....if this don't work that:explosion ..that dumb ass 44...and i'll have to get a 60 back from a buddy and its going in...:cry:
 
If you get crown vic backing plates and redrill the rubi retainers, it works like a charm. I don't know for sure but I would assume that the ZJ backing plates are thinner than the crown vic ones.
 
thats what i am more leaning towards is the crown vic set up.The only thing that some have said is the croen vic brackets have the calipers facing different directions-the drivers side is towards the back of the axle and the passengers side is towards the front-but if ya ask me it should actually be really good this way.After all the most police departments use the crown vic's and i am sure they hammer on the brakes.I know ford currently makes a rear drive car and thats mostly why they use these models plus they probably get them REAL cheap.Unless the brake set up is more like the Exploder 8.8 rears. dunno any input on this?????
 
I did the crown vic setup with rubi plates about a year ago. Great so far no leaks the key to the rubi plates is weld up the old holes grind it smooth then you need to machine or have some of the lip machined off I dont rember how mutch but it's not hard to figure out while your installing it ...
 
could ya maybe explain a bit in detail what you used for parts.kinda like a parts list and any other installation notes besides what you have allready posted.................ppppplllllease???????????????? Inquiring minds want to know;)
 
my other thought was get complete rubi 44 set up--everything and just make the flange on the housing match the bolt pattern for the rubi 44----I like to keep my jeep as much jeep as possible.......:patriot:
 
so the rubicon retainer plates have the spacer on them already???

Seems like I read somewhere that the rear disc on the rubicon D44 use the same zj set set up as what we're trying to do...can anyone comfirm that for a fact???

I was trying to avoid having a spacer made...especially if I could get a factory part that does the same thing....I really wish I could find that write up with the part #.... and photo of the damn thing!:dunno:

I've got about 7 different write ups on the 44 swap...just not the one I need ! and several doing the 8.25 swap.... god I love this stuff!

Nothing like trying to do custom work with a 10.00 budget!
 
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The part number for the plate is 5083678AA. They do not match the XJ 44 flange pattern. They match the D35/8.25 pattern. So you have two options. You can either redrill the XJ pattern and live with having a couple of the holes elongated. Or you can do what I did. Have the old holes filled and the XJ pattern drilled in. Here are the Rubi retainers on some Alloy USA XJ 44 Alloys.

P2060001.jpg
 
Thanks man! I don't mind the elongaed hole...hell it's just a retainer plate....I can live with that!

Did you have to shave anything off the inside of the retainer to prevent overloading the bearing/seal pre-load?

another question....I just had a machine shop remove the bearing....is it normal to split the bearing retainer to remove them....these just come recommended and they said that how they do....they also suggested tack welding the retainer after installing it on the axle...said that's what they do for the drag racers to keep the bearing from shifting under high loads...sounds like overkill....but then again ...overkill is JUST ABOUT RIGHT FOR ME!
 
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I thought about doing the Crown Vic discs but, I didn't like the asymmetry of one caliper facing forward and one facing backward (I'm weird that way) so, I went with Explorer stuff, just had to fill and redrill to XJ D44 pattern and make some spacers (.230" IIRC) 2 1/2" or 3" (can't remember which) sch 40 pipe was the perfect OD/ID. Modified the brake cables and added Grand Cherokee propportioning valve guts to my stocker. Stops great and cost me a little over $50! I love wrecking yards! Oh yeah, you'll have to open up the center hole on the rotors but a drum sander on a drill press (or hand drill) makes short work of that--------Hans
 
I thought about doing the Crown Vic discs but, I didn't like the asymmetry of one caliper facing forward and one facing backward (I'm weird that way) so, I went with Explorer stuff, just had to fill and redrill to XJ D44 pattern and make some spacers (.230" IIRC) 2 1/2" or 3" (can't remember which) sch 40 pipe was the perfect OD/ID. Modified the brake cables and added Grand Cherokee propportioning valve guts to my stocker. Stops great and cost me a little over $50! I love wrecking yards! Oh yeah, you'll have to open up the center hole on the rotors but a drum sander on a drill press (or hand drill) makes short work of that--------Hans
 
Mrburns said:
rubi.... but i tried a couple different approaches...someone told that he did the same thing, but "C" notched the new rubi plate...and it works great...we'll i'm hear to tell you that is BS and it leaks..when i took them off, they were all warped and F'ed..:banghead: ..that was the first...the next i think and i stress "think" that the rubi plate pressed to hard on the seal and jacked it up...whatever the reason...it didn't work :banghead: :banghead: and so i'have some no plates that i have taken oh say... 1/16-1/12 of an inch off of and will be going with those soon as i get my less than happy butt up to try this all for the third time....if this don't work that:explosion ..that dumb ass 44...and i'll have to get a 60 back from a buddy and its going in...:cry:
Click to expand...
1. I used a rubi plate
2. I C notched it
3. It does not leak
4. I got crown vic stuff on a D44
 
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