93 front rotors on a 91

[semlin]

I want to turn around tooth fairy's question and ask if you can squeeze the 93+ front rotors into a 91 while keeping the 15" rims? I am thinking this would improve the braking and allow use of the 100 pads? Are there compatibility problems from a 91 to 93 with the knuckle housing, calipers or the hubs? I haven't measured but they all looked the same to me.

If it's not possible with 15" wheels can you maybe do it by switching to 93+ 16" rims?

 

[cruiserdan]

You would also need 93-up calipers, backing plates, and steering knuckles.

 

[semlin]

thanks Dan, some follow up stupid questions

-do you mean that the hubs are compatible?

-what's a backing plate? Is that the dust cover?

-do you need the 93 steering knuckles just for the caliper mounting bolt placement or does the earlier housing interfere with the rotor somehow?

-the 91 calipers will fit 93+ pads so, again, is the compatability problem just a question of where they mount on the knuckle housing relative to the larger rotors?

I am thinking you might be able to machine a pair of extension plates to move either 91 or 93 calipers where they need to be to fit the 93 rotor but still using the 91 housing.

 

[PHAEDRUS]

Simon,
I am thinking of trying to use the 100 pads and grind down the backing plate. last time I tried this I was 2 days from a moab trip and two weeks from moving to washington so I did not have time to play with it. I think before I traded rotors I would try the pads again with a grinder and see how it worked.
Dave

 

[semlin]

Dave, I will probably go with grinding the pads myself, but the 91 could use new rotors anyway, so if there is a way to fit 93's in a 15" wheel then maybe I could use some machined adaptor plates to make the calipers fit (maybe in conjunction with grinding the caliper mounting face), I would only be out the cost of machining (and 93 rotors are actually cheaper here). What I would need to figure out (if this works) is the exact offset needed to make the 91 calipers fit right on a 93 rotor. That's tough geometry if the knuckle housing hole is in a different place for the different years, but I do have a 93 and a 91 to work with to figure it out, plus an old set of 93 rotors in my basement to experiment with.

 

[GXO]

cruiserparts.net has housings for $75 a side....

 

[cruiserdan]

The hubs and spindles are the same. The backing plate is also known as a dust shield. That is the big tin plate. Since the calipers are bigger the knuckle mounting points are different as are the backing plates. The steering arms are the same.

 

[Tooth Fairy]

Do the backing plates have to be used?

It seems to me like they do a real good job of keeping mud in...

I know either my 40 or 80 has some of the brake lines bolted to the backing plates and that would be a good reason to run'em. Other than that I don't know if I want'em on there.

 

[Big_Moose]

TF

Yes they are required as the center section is used as a "spacer" / "shim" in the whole assembly.
With other landcruisers, others have trimmed / cut the dust shield down to the center section, eliminating most of the shield.

Joe

 

[semlin]

ok, thanks Dan, so if I can figure out the offset and fabricate some kind of an adaptor, this could perhaps be done without changing anything but the rotor and the dust shield. Of course it would have to be a very sturdy adaptor

I wonder does the difference in size between a 91 and 93 caliper have any impact on the braking power or is it just the rotors and pads?

 

[e9999]

how about a 93+ engine in the 91 instead ...?

E

 

[ginericLC]

I put my 15" wheels on my 94 in the front. They are AR 589s 15x8s with about 3.25" backspacing. I could not get them to go on the rears without about an 1" spacer. I didn't want to run spacers so I've left them on my 91.