Another front disk conversion kit from who?

[bucfan]

I have searched here and read the posts about the JTO front disk conversions and the mixed results that went with it. Saw this kit and thought hmmmmm, could it be better? I need a knuckle rebuild, leaking alot and am going to lean towards the mini or later FJ disk brake axle (mines a early '75), but thought I would seek some opinions on this kit. Thanks in advance for feedback.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Fron...ryZ33564QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Vicm]

I myslef wouldn't use it.
I like to stay with Toy parts for my brakes , front or rear.
Much easier to get to good working status and less hasle and stuff to deal with.
The front Toy knuckle conversion ( I wouldn't even call it that) , I would say is the way to go and less money too.
That is just my opinion.
Vic

 

[nov74fj40]

JTO kit...

I have a 74 that I just did on all that you are looking to do with the front end of your LC. What type is this one you linked too on ebay? I would be suspect.

Anyway, I went with JTO, and I rebuilt the front end completely with bearings, seals, races, etc...along the way. Glad I did. I think it really depends on what you are going to use your LC for. After my studies on the subject, if you are going to do serious crawling and off roading, this is probably not what you want. Everyone promotes the stronger birfs with an axle swap...but I think that is for the serious hardcore offroaders.

I'm sure JTO is not the best out there, but if you take your time and if you have a grinder, it's not a big deal. Just remember to remove the acorn shaped regulator that is in the front reservoir line (where it attaches to the MC)...

Take a look at one of my past posts on this. I brake it down in detail.

 

[nov74fj40]

older post on the JTO subject

ASSESSEMENT OF QUALITY - new front disc conv. kit JT OUTFITTER
Here it is..the good, bad & the ugly...

Yes you have to get the hubs ground down. Good luck finding a machine shop or auto store that messes with mod's these days. Insurance headaches for them....$50 extra buck plus gas (auto) & time. Bench grinding these would be extremely sloppy.

The JTO brackets rubbed against the interior / female part of the disc. Off with the calipers & tire...grind 1/16th of an inch of the top side of the bracked..hope it doesn't compromise the strength.

OEM hub studs on hubs almost too short with the disc...had to send a search party (me) to find lugs that had some extra threading to get into the hole of the rim...headached, gas (now auto and me), time. $20. This was a headache.

Wrong side of the lip grinded down (where the banjo fitting bolts in) on the JTO calipers. The banjo fitting won't fit unless you grid the other end of the lip. A must...off with the calipers again.

The acorn shaped regulator / spring thingy under the front reservior of the master cylinder does need to come out. Fortunately I did this before I bled the system.

YES - they work great...but JTO owes me $500 for labor.

NOW I GOTTA FIX THE NEW DEATH WOBBLE I DISCOVER YESTERDAY (not the brakes ... hopelully tightening down bearings and getting new shackles, bushings, will help this - that was not a fun experience yesterday).

 

[FLFJ40]

Isn't this the Man-a-Fre kit?

 

[dgangle]

Yes, that link shows a MAF kit.

Please do yourself a favor and read through the thread below and threads it links.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=119645

Be carefull who you listen to for advice on this subject. Some will justify buying what they know is an inferior design by saying 'well, I won't use it that hard'.....

 

[crushr]

here's the link to the man-a-fre kit:
http://www.man-a-fre.com/parts_accessories/FrontDiscBrakeConversionKits.htm

Id be extremely relectant to send $650+ (or even a fraction of that) to an eBay seller with zero feedback.

More importantly - it is cheaper, only slightly more difficult to install, and easier to maintain in the long run, to go with a Toyota DB conversion. Plus - the MAF kit leaves you with the weaker coarse spline birfs.

 

[Mark W]

JTO, MAF, whatever. The concept is a poor one.

Put Toyota stuff under it. You can buy a whole disc brake front axle for less than that.

Drum brake birfields are a liability for anything other than very very mild use and stockish size tires.


Mark...

 

[bucfan]

From reading previous posts about the conversion kits I have to agree with the keeping it Toyota. But, I live on the coast in North Carolina, the Fj40 stuff is just about impossible to find here. Called some local salvage yards and they just laughed. I was trying to find '76 + front axle, maybe the mini truck stuff would be easier to locate. Thanks for all the responses.

 

[exmodlad]

If you need i have all the disc brake components you will need off a 1983 BJ 60, the package will include the large pattern knuckles and everything out ward , but no locking hubs.

best regards

Gord

 

[dgangle]

Look in the for sale/wanted here as well as Ebay. I found mine from a local guy that had a bunch of crapped out mini trucks..probably everyone he ever owned.

You also might wan to try and hook up with local Cruiserheads or a shop as you main gain insite to their knowledge....and parts stash.

 

[Vicm]

From reading previous posts about the conversion kits I have to agree with the keeping it Toyota. But, I live on the coast in North Carolina, the Fj40 stuff is just about impossible to find here. Called some local salvage yards and they just laughed. I was trying to find '76 + front axle, maybe the mini truck stuff would be easier to locate. Thanks for all the responses.

Don't waste your time with Salavage yards. They will only keep if any at all the newer stuff.
Try your local buy and sell.
There is a guy from NC on ccot massage board, he always has extra LC axles kicking around ,you can post there too.
If you think LC parts are hard to find in your area , they are harder to find than a blue moon around here.
Good luck,
Vic

 

[Rocky_LC]

Did you read the eBay guy's return policy?

Sounds like he wants to get rid of his junk, and never deal with it again.

I'd pass.

Rocky

 

[dgangle]

Do you blame him? I wouldn't want the, er, a ,ummm 'parts' back either.

 

[F-junker]

I've used wilwood calipers for corvettes, IMO they are ok but not worth the extra cash. The pistons in the toyota calipers ie LC and mini truck (laterones) are pretty stout.

There are quite a bit of parts needed for this swap, aside from the knuckles steering arms, bearing, rotors and calipers you need brake lines too. This stuff adds up in price. My pal mikota has quite a bit tied up in parts and still needs brakelines yet. I'm thinking he is around 400 bucks less brakelines which will probably end up around another 100 beans. A kit may be a god way to go if you have fine spline axles. Do the research and do it again. there is plenty of info here. when I figure out what everyone is doing for barkelines I'll post it up here.

 

[Jetboy]

I'll vote for the Toyota discs as well. I think there are a number of advantages. First easy to get parts for, second assuming a full rebuild the price may be the same or cheaper, stronger birfs and hubs. With the 650 for that kit you could pick up a complete front for like $250, then add a 100 for a full knuckle rebuild and another 100 for wheel bearings and another 100 for new rotors and 50 for pads and your still only at 600 and have a complete front end service with quality Toyota parts. I used landcruiser vented disks and calipers because that was what the axle I used came with. I also replaced my Master cyl with one from a 94 Toyota pickup. bolt on deal $15 at a pull and pay. I think the brakes work great even stopping 38's.

In the end I think they all stop much better than factory drums that have not been serviced in 10years, but the Toyota parts seem like the simple solution and are less likely to cause headaches down the road.

good luck with whatever you choose

 

[rsrai]

this is the same kit BTB sells too, i dont know if it was originally BTB or MAF but I bought this kit and installed it on my 73 with 33's and it works very well. I had bought it from BTB (when they were in san jose still, I didnt know any better) But that truck has never been to the rubicon, is a daily driver and is driven pretty gently by my cousin now. Also, i had no idea of these forums back then. On my fj55 i did the toyota parts exchange and it was more difficult to do, but the advantages i have read about seem to outweigh the disadvantages.

 

[sine80]

$625 starting bid
$549 from JTO

or get the stuff from the junk yard + front rebuild kit and save a few hundred dollars.

 

[papagyo]

I too am wanting to do a front disc upgrade but am not sure which way to go. My 40 is not a daily driver, in fact most weeks I may not even drive it at all. I live in the middle of no where 'Wyoming' and do not have access to any pull and pay places etc. Finding the mini truck parts would most likely prove to be a long process and require me to drive many miles which to me is a waste of my time. Using these kits that retain the stock birfs would not be any weaker than what I currently have on the truck (four wheel drums) and would not require me to drive all over looking for used parts and or having a heavy axle shipped to me. The truck rarely sees offroad other than an occasional logging road to the fishing hole and that type of thing. For any more serious off-roading I have an atv that works better. For those of us that really do not off-road much are they really that bad a purchase? Not trying to start any arguments but for some it might be the way to go.

Brian

 

[JJS]

Do the Mini swap.