First time poster - OK, I have read pages and pages of posts on the WJ upgrade for brakes and steering. My question is this. I picked up a 2WD Cherokee a few months ago, its in great shape and my son is driving it daily. He wants a 4WD but for now we are leaving it as is. I did put a 3" lift on it, and 17" rims w/ 31" tires. The rims are 5x5 so I have a set of spacers/adapters on all 4 wheels. I plan to convert the rear to disc brakes and I think I have all the data on that one, but my ??? are for the front.
OK, so since I don't have front axles, do i need to buy/weld the spacers. I think the answer is no. If i remove the entire hub w/ brakes and rotors and install it on my 95 2WD front end, the only parts I would need to buy "new" would be the upper/lower BJ, with XJ upper and WJ lower.
Since I wont have the need for an axle, if I leave it empty, wont the unit bearing "fall apart". In other words, do I need to keep just the end of the axle in place, to keep the unit bearing functioning?
Steering - I want to keep the stock XJ steering for now. Can I "cut" off the pass side stock WJ steering knuckle so that I don't have any turning issues. Finally, if I use the stock XJ steering, will the TRE from the XJ fit into the WJ ends, if not what do I need.
Remember, this is a 2WD jeep and will not see off road, I just want better brakes.
Thanks in advance and I look forward to my new "obsession" (first jeep)