Rear Disc Brake Conversion - Junkyard Approach

[Rickyd]

The ZJ pads were not set up to use the stainless steel abutment clips that the TJ, Ford Explorer, and Liberty use. If you want to use them, grab a set of 964 pads which should come with the clips or I can send you some, install the clips, fit the pad and remove some material from the reaction bars until the pads fit nicely.

Want some clips to try?

ZJ pads are longer in the groove spacing end to end IIRC.

I have some new rear pads in a box for a tj iirc.they have the clips? The ones that go on the lower side of the pad against the slider? I'll research this some more thank you

 

[mrblaine]

I have some new rear pads in a box for a tj iirc.they have the clips? The ones that go on the lower side of the pad against the slider? I'll research this some more thank you

Yes, lower and upper on the slide portion of the reaction bars. Install the clips and see if the pads slide freely with little to no slop. If they do, you're golden, if not, some work is in order.

 

[AndyA]

Thanks for all of the replies!

If I am understanding this right, for my Dana 35:

- Any ZJ backing plate will go on my axle without modification
- Using ZJ brake pads in the ZJ calipers avoids clips and grinding
- I can either:
A. get the ZJ hard line
B. cut off my crimped soft lines, flare my hard line and use a Centrix soft line, rather than the junkyard soft lines.

If I get the calipers from a Liberty they fit onto a ZJ backing plate with no mods? And can run TJ brake pads with no mods?

Thanks, Andy

 

[mrblaine]

If I get the calipers from a Liberty they fit onto a ZJ backing plate with no mods? And can run TJ brake pads with no mods?

Thanks, Andy

In the correct year range, yes since the Liberty and TJ shared the same part numbers for rear brakes. The ZJ, Ford 8.8, Liberty, and TJ all share the same cast backing plate with various small detail changes like parking brake shoes, hardware kits, rotors, calipers, brake pads, ABS, housing end bolt pattern, centerbore, and finally dust shields. Same cast base product, same bolt center distance for mounting the caliper, same anchor pin location, same offset, just different brakes put on it.

 

[Dan_Goodwin]

Thanks for all of the replies!

If I am understanding this right, for my Dana 35:

- Any ZJ backing plate will go on my axle without modification
- Using ZJ brake pads in the ZJ calipers avoids clips and grinding
- I can either:
A. get the ZJ hard line
B. cut off my crimped soft lines, flare my hard line and use a Centrix soft line, rather than the junkyard soft lines.

If I get the calipers from a Liberty they fit onto a ZJ backing plate with no mods? And can run TJ brake pads with no mods?

Thanks, Andy

Correct. Go with the ZJ soft line to plumb the caliper to the TJ hard line - it's a bolt on deal.

For my parking brake cable, I used a hardware store 3/8" cable clamp to clamp the TJ cable to the lever on the ZJ backing plate. It's worked fine for the 3+ years it's been on my TJ.

 

[AndyA]

Thanks Dan! The hard lines go right into the drums so there is room to add the soft lines? Is it possible for you to post a picture of your soft lines and cable clamp?

Thanks, Andy

 

[Dan_Goodwin]

Thanks Dan! The hard lines go right into the drums so there is room to add the soft lines? Is it possible for you to post a picture of your soft lines and cable clamp?

Thanks, Andy

Certainly. This is the best I can get at the moment, but hopefully this helps to show the clamp. The hard lines on my 97 stopped short of the drum and had a section of soft line. I removed TJ soft line and installed the ZJ soft line. Ignore the dangling bracket in the left hand corner.

 

[AndyA]

Thanks Dan! Much appreciated!

On my 06 there are no soft lines. There are only hard lines that go from the drums to the junction block on top of the axle. So it seems I will have to take the ZJ or KJ hard lines to make it work.

Andy

 

[macleanflood]

@mrblaine how goes your efforts to fabricate disc brake backing plates? Last I recall reading you'd stopped selling a conversion kit or something like that for shortage of parts?

-Mac

 

[mrblaine]

@mrblaine how goes your efforts to fabricate disc brake backing plates? Last I recall reading you'd stopped selling a conversion kit or something like that for shortage of parts?

-Mac

I have a few sets if you are in need. They are not the great ones, but they work.

 

[fxrsliberty]

I did this five years ago, it's a lot less maintenance, brakes recover from water and mud crossing faster and with the right cables an e-brake!

 

[CreepinDeth]

Is this swap worth the trouble, I mean how much better will the jeep stop since a big portion of the stopping is done by the front brakes ?

Ive done some GM rear drum swaps to discs
For maintenance of a DD , sure long run and racing its worth it. For TJ’s?? I cant see a real benefit at all esp those that are not DDs

I just installed NEW Power Stop front disc rotor & brakes ($125 iirc( with dilapidated rear drums, and the stopping power was ALOT better

However once I put on the NEW Power Stop rear drum kit that normally runs a few hundred, my jaw dropped at how much harder the system as a whole stopped the vehicle waaaay better then I even expected.

I wanted to experience it myself first with new drums and I can honestly say that even tho I scored the last kit off Rock Auto for only $125 whereas $200 everywhere else, I see no need to upgrade to rear discs

Think about how long it will take to change the rear drums on a non-Daily Driver again….maybe when Im 75 its not cost or performance benefit from my point of view