• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Additional Questions on Drum to Disc Conversion

Pelagius

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Glendale, Az
Alright hive mind,
I am in need of some opinions and addition learnin, on the topic of drum to disc conversion for my XJ D44. In doing my research I have determined that using the backing plates from a ford explorer with a ford 8.8 rear axle will be the way I want to go. Pretty much like this thread here:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=967146

Just got a few additional questions:
- What are the ways to attach the soft lines from the caliper to the hard lines on the axle?
- Should I get the calipers from the JY when I get the backing plates or purchase new ones?
- Will 15” wheels fit on this set up?
- I just had all the bearing and seals replaced on my rear axle only about 1500 miles ago. Should I get the Terraflex spacer and new bearings or get the TJ bracket and cut it out so I will not have to remove and press on new bearings.
Thanks in advance for your input!

Jason
 
I used standard flex lines and my original hard lines. New calipers are cheap so it's not worth trying jy ones. 15" wheels might fit depending on the backspacing. I wouldn't cut the retainers, just press on with new collars.
P1080481_zpsmeoobn1a.jpg
 
1. Hardlines should screw right into the soft lines for the calipers. You will have to find a way to mount the softline and then bend the hardline to the connection. (I can post photos of how I did mine when I get home)
2. You could get JY calipers and then use them as cores for new ones. Either way works, whatever you wallet prefers.
3. Yes 15" wheel will work, I run them. 3.75" BS
4. I used the XJ 44 retainer with spacer as mentioned in the thread you linked. I was building my axle new, so I had to cut mine off anyways.
 
I drilled a couple of holes into the perches, one for the bolt another for a positioning tab. I could probably use front braided lines for this setup and go over the leaf, will try it next time.

New_Rear_Soft_Line_Routing.jpg


TJ axles and brakes so can't directly address your other questions
 
Alll right Hive mind,
Next question in my quest to complete this project. I am doing it a little at a time for budgeting reasons so this may take a while. I aquired a set of caliper brackets set ups from a 2000 explorer with an 8.8 rear axle. My idea was to purchase a spare axle retaining plate for the D44 and use that as a guide to mark the new hole pattern on the caliper bracket. I don’t think that plan will work. Center holes are completly different sizes and by eyeballing then to be centered, one set of bolt holes are completly covered up and will require completly new holes to be drilled. All that being said, how did you guys get the bolt pattern lines up properly so the new pattern was in the correct spot.??

Jason
 
Thank you for the additional pictures! I am slowly getting this pictured in my head, step by step. May I ask any reason you went with the TJ brakes as opposed to the other styles (8.8, ZJ etc.)
 
Thank you for the additional pictures! I am slowly getting this pictured in my head, step by step. May I ask any reason you went with the TJ brakes as opposed to the other styles (8.8, ZJ etc.)

I don't recall the exact logic behind the TJ setup (its been 10yrs) but it could have been that I had a buddy who worked at the parts counter of the local Jeep dealership and I got a significant discount on new parts. No solution is truly "bolt-on", and I'd run the SVO disc kit on an MJ Metric Tonne 20 rear on my previous rig, before the 8.8 swap got popular, but I wanted to stick with Jeep parts on this rig for simplicity and the mods to make them work were easily within my skillset.

TJ rear discs, WJ front discs have been a great setup.
 
Thanks for the response! As I am still relatively still in the planning stages, I am still open to different trains of thought or point of view.
 
Back
Top