For those wanting a complete WJ knuckle swap parts list

What are people using the ruffstuff offset tre doing for wheels, my 15x8 d Windows 4in bs won't clear the tre when turning. I just threw in some spacers

i ground a bit off of the tie rod ends to clear my wheels. seemed to work. but i killed those TRE's in a couple months so i switched to heims.

blenny said:

What are people using the ruffstuff offset tre doing for wheels, my 15x8 d Windows 4in bs won't clear the tre when turning. I just threw in some spacers

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If you use steelies you can get away with grinding down the TRE and BARELY getting it to work. Otherwise if you use aluminum you have to go up to 17" due to thickness of the material. I had to use 17s with a 5x5.5 spacer adapter because I could not find 17s in 4" backspacing with a 5x4.5 BP. The 17s I went with are 5.0BS then with the spacer being 1.25" it make the total BS 3.75 which works perfect.

Here are the rims I went with:

Will this swap work with the old Warn Hub Coversion kit?

Cottontail said:

I have a 2001 XJ, so it sounds like all I need is the knuckle, the caliper and brackets, and flange spacer from the junkyard.

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the knuckle/hub flange spacer is not a junkyard item. JKS sells them

for the TRE's ... use the Synergy double adjuster and use common off the shelf 1 ton TRE's and bend the Tie rod tube as needed. Mine has a slight bend at each end with the adjuster on the driverside. easy adjustments and lots of clearance. 15x8 steelies fit with lots of room, but likely have to go to 16" wheels in aluminum.

2001XJ said:

Well, if you don't want to replace NOTHING EXCEPT THE KNUCKLES, you can get it down to (u have to have ball joints so you might as well do all four):

99-04 Jeep Grand Cherokee rotors
Jeep Grand Cherokee Caliper Kit 99-04 (Teeves or Akebono - choice is yours)
Grand Cherokee (WJ) outer steering knuckles 99-04
Grand Cherokee (WJ) caliper brackets 99-04 (these generally come with caliper kits)
WJ knuckle flange spacer (JKS - not sure if anyone else makes them)
99-04 WJ/07-13 JK Dana 30 Ball Joints (upper & lower)
*Timken Wheel Hub Assembly (if you don't have a 2000/2001XJ)


otherwise its best to replace unit bearings and u-joints while you are doing it.

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Fixed changes in Bold ... just wanted to clarify that XJ D30 lower Ball joints will not work ... well they will I suppose if you like replacing outer knuckles (the WJ/JK lower BJ taper is different)

Serious Offroad said:

Thanks for noticing.

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ill be ordering those alloy ball joints when my spicers die on me thats for sure.

I have a 91 Comanche. So then I will need to get hubs for a 2000/2001XJ instead of using my originals right?

Ok. I searched the Timken part number and Rockauto has them listed as fitting 1999-2001 Cherokee and 2000-2006 Wrangler.

Yes, you will need new unit bearings, unfortunately. The 99.5 and later XJ bearings (same as the wrangler ones) have some different offsets from mounting faces to various other surfaces and are required to get the kingpin axis (that's the term, even on a balljoint axle... afaik) to line up with the center of the ujoint.

I used 2001 tj timken hub/unit bearing assembly. work great.

XJ jay said:

That's a grate price Frank, the mood replacements for my XJ ran me $320 through one of my jobber parts suppliers.

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you realize the Moog ones are available at local parts places and rockauto.com for less than $200 for all 4?

not to Canada they aren't.

Moogs are junk. I just replaced my uppers. They had less than 6000 miles on them they are outsourced from china now.

4wd hardware sells the Dana/Spicer ball joints for $55 per side these are pretty decent and that's a good price

I'm a newbie, so if this post is in the wrong place I would like to apologize in advance. I have been researching this XJ to WJ upgrade for several weeks now, but I can't come up with a definite answer of if there is a way to make this swap work for me. Here's my dilemma:

I want better brakes for my XJ but I want to be able to buy off the shelf service parts (calipers, rotors, pads) from local chain stores (Auto Zone, O'Reilly, PepBoys) that do not require machining or modification.

What I would like to do on the front:

WJ Knuckles
XJ Upper Ball Joint
WJ Lower Ball Joint
WJ Unit Bearings/Hubs (5x5 Bolt Pattern)
WJ Rotors (5x5 Bolt Pattern)
WJ Akebono Caliper Brackets
WJ Akebono Calipers
WJ Pads
WJ Brake Hoses
WJ Wheels (5x5 Bolt Pattern)
XJ Steering (Until I can afford to upgrade)

What I would like to do to the rear:

WJ Backing Plates
WJ Rotors
TJ+4" Parking Brake Cable (I think Crown makes these)
WJ Calipers
WJ Pads
WJ Axles
WJ Wheels

Throw in an adjustable prop valve too for good measure.

Most don't try to use WJ Unit Bearings because they want to keep the 5x4.5 bolt pattern. Others say it won't work. Some say it is because the axis on the knuckle won't match the turning axis on the stubshafts. But I don't understand why. The mount that the knuckles turn on are in the same location, that's why the swap is possible - WJs had D30s too. Would I have to swap to CV style front axles? Are the front axles floating and they pull out of the carrier because they are drawn too far into the WJ unit bearing when you put the bolt on the axle?

I don't mind having machining done initially, to say fab up some stub shafts or modify a knuckle. But I don't want to have to hunt for special order parts or machine something when I need a brake job or to replace a wheel bearing. Is there a way to make this work? Is there a better alternative to the WJ swap? Maybe one of these:

http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoFordBAdiscs1.htm
http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoBArearBrakes1.htm
http://www.vancopbs.com/

Thanks!

If you want easy service parts & to not screw around with your steering, buy the Vanco kit. Sold by Vanco, Savvy Offroad & Blackmagicbrakes.com
The WJ hub has the wrong flange offset / height to work with the XJ axle shafts. You need the spacer behind the hub, whichever hub you use, to suck the axle shaft outward & into alignment with the ball joints. Otherwise... bad things
So you run the 2000+ model year XJ / TJ hubs, which are shorter than WJ units or earlier XJ units, to get the wheel mounting surface back to the right place after you stick a 1/4" spacer behind it. Bolt pattern has nothing to do with this - it's about keeping your u-joints & axles happy by steering them in the same plane as your ball joints are turning.
Then you throw a rotor on... The WJ rotor has to be re-drilled but the caliper will center on it just fine & the hub doesn't need to be turned down to fit inside the rotor. The Explorer rotor needs some spacing for the caliper to fit & the hub needs to get skinnier, but you don't have to re-drill it. The WJ option is better overall because who wants washers between brake caliper & knuckle? And you have to modify parts either way.

A potential third option I haven't checked out for rotors is the 99 Crown Victoria. I know the '96 XJ wheel bearing fits in there, I know the rotor is the same depth as the WJ unit (IIRC...) and it's 12.42" diameter and 5x4.5" bolt pattern. So the WJ caliper may or may not fit over it, the crown vic caliper may or may not bolt to the WJ knuckle, and there might be a way to make it work. Or not.

To me half the benefit of the WJ setup WAS the steering.

Crossover steering is a much better setup than inverted Y.

I plan to make that upgrade too, just want to get the brakes squared away first.