FJ40 Rear disc conversion E-brake solved!! (6 Viewers)

[sfab]

Finally got this one done! The ol' disc brake on the driveline thing was not working for me. This is a daily driver and she needs some time to warm up in winter, not to mention just being safe- a bolt down speed bump in the driveway worked for a few years on the warm up but offered no safety. I went for the Wilwood electric e-brake kit, which included both calipers, switch, controller, and harness that I purchased from Summit Racing for about $1300. I was not stoked to spend that much on this but would do it again in a heartbeat, given how it came out. The calipers came with mounting brackets that I had to change, so I drew some up on CAD and had them laser cut. They mount opposite the disc caliper and utilize the bolt pattern on the axle, hitting the top and bottom of the flange most rearward on the axle. If you're looking at the wheel from the outside of the truck, my brake caliper sits at 8-9 o'clock, and the new e-brake calipers sit at about 2-3 o'clock. Running the harness was not a big deal- there was plenty of length. I have the controller mounted to the very outboard wall in the glove box, safe from the elements, with the power coming right through from the battery on the other side of the firewall. Mounting the switch was probably the most tricky for my dash, which is wonky enough already as a result of some PO hackery. The Wilwood system does NOT use power while the brake is idle, either on or off, so no parasitic draws to worry about. It only uses power to engage or disengage. The switch has a nice LED ring around it to let you know it's engaged. The brake is rock solid!! Was parked on a steep hill with a trailer the other day and she was just sitting there, happy as can be. I like the fact that it's both wheels. I have been trying to solve this off and on for a while now, and couldn't be happier with the way it turned out. I had a few hiccups with the system- the LED ring also acts as a flashing code indicator if something is off. It was throwing a voltage code on the left caliper, so I called Wilwood and they immediately sent out a new caliper which fixed the problem. They were absolutely fantastic to deal with on all fronts. Love any customer service in this day and age, but they were next level for me!! One of the top 5 best mods I've done to date.

I apologize for any formatting awkwardness on the post. First time posting pics.

 

[JohnnyC]

¨up on CAD and had them laser cut¨

You could probably recoup some of that money by selling some of these on Ebay... for those who do the split case 5 speed setup

and.... have a discounted rate for Mud Members

 

[sfab]

¨up on CAD and had them laser cut¨

You could probably recoup some of that money by selling some of these on Ebay... for those who do the split case 5 speed setup

and.... have a discounted rate for Mud Members

I had considered that. We'll see if anyone is interested. It was a spendy mod.

 

[Green Bean]

Nice job and excellent write-up. Did you just abandon your old driveline parking brake or did you modify the guts?

 

[charliemeyer007]

That looks like a fine solution. What happens if the battery goes dead? I like systems that fail safe - I have heard of ebrakes failing and the car rolls away KIA perhaps.

Be sure and protect yourself with at least a LLC - good luck!

 

[sfab]

That looks like a fine solution. What happens if the battery goes dead? I like systems that fail safe - I have heard of ebrakes failing and the car rolls away KIA perhaps.

Be sure and protect yourself with at least a LLC - good luck!

In this case, if the battery goes dead while the brake is engaged then it stays engaged. If it goes dead when not engaged, it stays not engaged. I guess the worst case scenario would be a dead battery with the brake engaged and in need of a tow.

 

[sfab]

Nice job and excellent write-up. Did you just abandon your old driveline parking brake or did you modify the guts?

I am in the process of removing the old brake, but that means pulling the driveline and nut on the back of the TC to get that disc off of there. It hangs down low and would be a magnet for rocks anyhow.

 

[B y r o n]

I might be missing something based on your pictures and those for the kit on Summit's site.

When you said, "The calipers came with mounting brackets that I had to change, so I drew some up on CAD and had them laser cut.", your bracket shows threaded holes. Unless I'm mistaken, the mounting bracket you didn't use was to allow the parking brakes to slide and apply equal pressure on both sides of the disc.

How is the parking brake going to work with this much air gap? It looks like your bracket has the slider pins running through threaded holes.

 

[sfab]

The original bracket is the same. The slider pin is free floating on the end you have circled and threads at the base where the caliper hits the bracket. But I'll do a little investigation on the air gap and see what turns up. It does fully clamp, but perhaps it is deflecting? I haven't actually had someone deploy them while I'm under the truck watching.

Here is the original bracket.

 

[Engineer8000]

The Rav4 and probably others have electric e Brakes, may be a lower cost solution from the pick and pull.

 

[centerlineseal]

Very intriguing, ... and a great thread! Thank You very much!

Now, ... how'd you fit up those 17" stock wheels to your 40? Backspace dimensions?

Thanks in advance!

 

[cruiserpilot]

That one pic the house is upside down, messes my senses up. The Wilwood switch, it is center spring loaded? Off is one way,
On is the other. How does that work. I'm impressed with this.

 

[sfab]

Very intriguing, ... and a great thread! Thank You very much!

Now, ... how'd you fit up those 17" stock wheels to your 40? Backspace dimensions?

Thanks in advance!

Those wheels fit PERFECTLY! Didn't have to do a thing. They are really close to OE specs, relatively speaking: 17X7, 0 offset, 4" backspace. Not running any spacers, tires are 255/75/17 in a D rated tire. Rides nice. Tires stick out from the fenders just barely.

 

[sfab]

View attachment 3796095
View attachment 3796094
View attachment 3796101View attachment 3796103Finally got this one done! The ol' disc brake on the driveline thing was not working for me. This is a daily driver and she needs some time to warm up in winter, not to mention just being safe- a bolt down speed bump in the driveway worked for a few years on the warm up but offered no safety. I went for the Wilwood electric e-brake kit, which included both calipers, switch, controller, and harness that I purchased from Summit Racing for about $1300. I was not stoked to spend that much on this but would do it again in a heartbeat, given how it came out. The calipers came with mounting brackets that I had to change, so I drew some up on CAD and had them laser cut. They mount opposite the disc caliper and utilize the bolt pattern on the axle, hitting the top and bottom of the flange most rearward on the axle. If you're looking at the wheel from the outside of the truck, my brake caliper sits at 8-9 o'clock, and the new e-brake calipers sit at about 2-3 o'clock. Running the harness was not a big deal- there was plenty of length. I have the controller mounted to the very outboard wall in the glove box, safe from the elements, with the power coming right through from the battery on the other side of the firewall. Mounting the switch was probably the most tricky for my dash, which is wonky enough already as a result of some PO hackery. The Wilwood system does NOT use power while the brake is idle, either on or off, so no parasitic draws to worry about. It only uses power to engage or disengage. The switch has a nice LED ring around it to let you know it's engaged. The brake is rock solid!! Was parked on a steep hill with a trailer the other day and she was just sitting there, happy as can be. I like the fact that it's both wheels. I have been trying to solve this off and on for a while now, and couldn't be happier with the way it turned out. I had a few hiccups with the system- the LED ring also acts as a flashing code indicator if something is off. It was throwing a voltage code on the left caliper, so I called Wilwood and they immediately sent out a new caliper which fixed the problem. They were absolutely fantastic to deal with on all fronts. Love any customer service in this day and age, but they were next level for me!! One of the top 5 best mods I've done to date.

I apologize for any formatting awkwardness on the post. First time posting pics.

View attachment 3796097

That one pic the house is upside down, messes my senses up. The Wilwood switch, it is center spring loaded? Off is one way,
On is the other. How does that work. I'm impressed with this.

Sorry, missed that.

 

[sfab]

That one pic the house is upside down, messes my senses up. The Wilwood switch, it is center spring loaded? Off is one way,
On is the other. How does that work. I'm impressed with this.

yes, switch is spring loaded- returns to center after momentary engagement on or off.

 

[ferg]

Q: If dead batt and in 'on' position couldn't you just disconnect at each actuator?

 

[macdaddy59]

Ok what year and model are those rims from please. They look awesome.

 

[sfab]

Q: If dead batt and in 'on' position couldn't you just disconnect at each actuator?

Wouldn't that imply constant current regardless of switch position, ie constant on vs constant off?

I'll unplug one and see what happens.

Ok what year and model are those rims from please. They look awesome.

I got them in 2021 I'm pretty sure. Standard issue TRD Toyota Tacoma. There are lots of fakes out there, and the backspacing is different. They still make them, but also have an updated model as well. 17X7"

 

[nabbasi]

I love this. I’ve been looking into it for the same reasons, and want rid of the t-case mounted one.

 

[Rock_Hugger]

I might be missing something based on your pictures and those for the kit on Summit's site.

When you said, "The calipers came with mounting brackets that I had to change, so I drew some up on CAD and had them laser cut.", your bracket shows threaded holes. Unless I'm mistaken, the mounting bracket you didn't use was to allow the parking brakes to slide and apply equal pressure on both sides of the disc.

View attachment 3796353

How is the parking brake going to work with this much air gap? It looks like your bracket has the slider pins running through threaded holes.

Looks like the caliper slides on the pins just like the very common GM calipers everyone uses. The pin threads in tight to the bracket and the caliper moves on the pin.


Looks like a slick setup. I'm interested in the module and wiring. I currently run a HP60 with exploder rear disc and internal drum parking brake. I thought about getting the electric actuator for the cables, but this is an option I'm interested in also.