Factory Disk Brake Swap

[73fj552]

Just bought a 76 FJ55 with a factory disk brake front end. I want to swap out the entire axle for my drum brakes setup i currently have on my 73. Who has done this? What was your process?

I noticed the brake booster for the Disk front end is considerably larger that the drum booster. I have a completely stock F motor with the factory carb. Linkage for the carb looks to be in the way of the disk brake booster. What are my options for fitting the new booster in? Rochester conversion? Is there another booster off another car that will allow me to retain my factory carb? Any help would be most appreciated.

Is there any changes that need to be made to the drivelines? I heard the flanges on the diff for the disk brake front end are different from the drum front end. Can i pull the flange from my drum front end and install it on my disk front end?

Any advice will be most appreciated.

Thanks

 

[thorvald]

why do you want to swap the whole axle? You could just unbolt all the outside parts/birfields off the disc brake one and grind enough off to fit the birfield (not actually sure you'd need to do that putting a '76 birf in, but probably) and bolt it all back on with new bearings and seals. Or sell that stuff and buy parts off a mini or 60 series to get the larger pattern knuckles and more obtainable parts.

the birfs, and locking hubs are longer on '76-78 and so less common.

I don't know if it will fit in a '73, but I put a booster off a 80 series in my '76, just had to cut off some of the shaft and install it upside down.
It's a lot thinner than the '76 booster.

 

[73fj552]

Swapping the whole axle sounds like it would be easier than modifying my existing 73 axle. Ive decided to use my existing booster/master setup but pull the residual valve out of he master so it will run the correct pressure for the disks.

 

[thorvald]

Swapping the whole axle sounds like it would be easier than modifying my existing 73 axle. Ive decided to use my existing booster/master setup but pull the residual valve out of he master so it will run the correct pressure for the disks.

it doesn't take much to modify the axle. Just grinding some metal away.
The rest is the same as repacking a birf/bearings doing the brakes for the most part.

 

[73fj552]

Got it. Thanks for all the advice.