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Writeup on Liberty KJ discs on 8.25" Cherokee XJ Conversion

Exactly what I asked. Was there different sizes available for the parking brake shoes? the rotor I have doesnt fit over them.
 
No there is not, all KJ's with rear disc are the same....do you have them adjusted properly? If so, then just scuff em up a little with a brillow pad or something until they fit.

EDIT: Since you were a smarta$$ I will be too....YES there were different parking brake shoes. One had drum brakes the other had internal parking brakes in the rotors for disc brakes!
 
Ok. Fair enough. I guess the rotors I grabbed at work that I tought were KJ rotors are not. Time to order new ones. What has everyone used for hoses? I cant seem to find them at the parts stores around me. Dealer?
 
So one could get pre-loaded calipers for a 2006 liberty from rock auto:

rearright.jpg


A-1 CARDONE Part # 164755B {[Caliper w/Installation Hardware & Pad] Reman.}
Rear Left; Original Equipment Phenolic Piston;Ceramic Pads for $89.79 each

and

A-1 CARDONE Part # 164754B {[Caliper w/Installation Hardware & Pad] Reman.}
Rear Right; Original Equipment Phenolic Piston;Ceramic Pads for $89.79 each

and

rotors:

rotorrear.jpg


RAYBESTOS Part # 780134R {Professional Grade; Outside Diameter 11.22" / 5 Bolt Holes /Solid} Rear $30.79 each

and then find the backing plates at a junk yard or wherever and use either liberty soft lines, ZJ soft line and the e-brake and you would be good.

So you could do it with mostly new parts for around $275 or so? Is this right?

TIA

Anyone use this method for the rear brake conversion? ... cant find the parts anywhere locally....
 
Good job on getting this out there for the Cherokee world to see. Makes sense the parts would be compatible, Jeep is notoriously cheap.

Sorta wish I would have gone this way, though I don't know about compatibility with my XJ D44. I paid $550 for the Tera kit from Summit Racing. The only thing special about the Tera kit seems to be their spacers, which I chopped to slip over the shafts 'cause I'm lazy. If I remember correctly, the Tera kit uses OEM parts too, but a combination of Explorer and GC parts. Don't quote me on that. The stuff certainly looks all OEM w/ the exception of the "TERA" stamped/cast into the caliper.

I did a bit of grinding on my brand new zinc coated calipers to get them to fit inside Wrangler 15x8 Canyon wheels.

Skip the cables. I paid over $90 for two 60" cables (length recommended by Tera). As I mentioned before, I'm lazy, and these aren't direct fit. Over a year later and I'm still without my parking brake. They are a bit too long, the clips don't quite snap into the backing plate (bosses are too thick for proper seating) and the high side clips are nowhere near Jeep's original location. I would have to drill the old stamped steel retainers from inside the tunnel and move them closer the the splitter. If I had it to do again, I maybe would still buy the Tera kit, but I'd just reuse my OEM parking brake cables. I believe Lokar makes a part to adapt the OEM cable lugs to the Ford style loop attachments.

Can anyone tell me how "direct" the fitment of Explorer cables is?
 
Explorer Cables DON'T work. They are too short, just barely though only a couple inches. I have a brand new set in my living room that I can verify DO NOT FIT. ZJ's are too short as well, at least one side is. I'm wanting to see if KJ cables will fit, but I'm afraid to order anything else unless I know it will work.

Right now I'm thinking about cutting the mounting points on the body off and moving them back about 6" and extending the bracket from the handle with a piece of threaded rod. This may be impractical if you don't have a welder though. As no one in my area carries KJ cables, I'm having to get them from RockAuto, so that's my hesitation. The local driveline shop that makes cables can't do the Ford style rears, or I would have just got custom length cables made up for it by now.

B.T.W. This is a stock height 1995 Sport, so there isn't any issues from a lift

One more thing, the older XJ's have a different mounting for the parking brake cable compared to the newer ones. The pre-1996 models are equal length, I think the newer ones have the equalizer offset to the driver's side. I will have to crawl under my roommate's 2000 to confirm this tomorrow.
 
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Sold. I'm totally doing this when I find a 29 spline to build up. :)
 
This should be a direct fit for all 8.25 axles (did it on my 2001). With the D35, you might just look at the ZJ swap.

One tip: you can avoid re-flaring the hard lines by using WJ rear brake hoses.

XJ front wheel studs should be installed as well.

Best upgrade I've done aside from my Montana Fab AW4 override.
 
For my conversion I used the brake hoses from a ZJ because it screws right to the caliper and screws right into the existing hard lines on the cherokee.
Liberty Lines do not come apart where it changes from soft to hard line making it a pain to use . ( i heard later years of libby hoses are 2 piece)
Although on one side i hade to grind down that little lip on the block piece that mounts to the caliper for some reason . but it works great and no leaks.

I used Liberty Cables and they worked out great the driver is quite a bit too long but one loop tucked up and away in the frame and it fits nicely and doesnt hang down anywhere .

There are pics in my build thread
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1080904&page=5
 
any of you guys use stainless braided brake lines? If I'm going through the trouble to spec all these parts out might as well go stainless and improve the pedal feel.
 
Explorer Cables DON'T work. They are too short, just barely though only a couple inches. I have a brand new set in my living room that I can verify DO NOT FIT. ZJ's are too short as well, at least one side is. I'm wanting to see if KJ cables will fit, but I'm afraid to order anything else unless I know it will work.

Right now I'm thinking about cutting the mounting points on the body off and moving them back about 6" and extending the bracket from the handle with a piece of threaded rod. This may be impractical if you don't have a welder though. As no one in my area carries KJ cables, I'm having to get them from RockAuto, so that's my hesitation. The local driveline shop that makes cables can't do the Ford style rears, or I would have just got custom length cables made up for it by now.

B.T.W. This is a stock height 1995 Sport, so there isn't any issues from a lift

One more thing, the older XJ's have a different mounting for the parking brake cable compared to the newer ones. The pre-1996 models are equal length, I think the newer ones have the equalizer offset to the driver's side. I will have to crawl under my roommate's 2000 to confirm this tomorrow.

I did that I cut the brackets out of a JY and welded them in 4.5 inches back and two inches up then joined the adjuster worm end to. End be careful not to mount your brackets too far back this set up works so well I can't imagine doing it any other way I could probably get 3-4 more inches of lift without changing anything but adjusting the parking brake a little
 
Just FYI, i ordered the 330 teraflex kit and it does not work, the stud holes are in the wrong spot, however teraflex did send me the correct backing plates at no cost
 
this is a great write-up I used it and just did my brake conversion and worked great! Just a little FYI for anyone else who read this it was a Chrysler 8.25 rear end and for me I had to replace my wheel studs because the ones from the Liberty rear end didnt work for me.. I used some from Summit Racing with the part # sum-910104 they are little long but still work great .62 knurl pressed in great. I did it with a hammer and a block of wood. I also had it cut the existing brake line ends and install the ones from the Jeep Liberty and just reflated them pretty easy.
 
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