Hey Marshall and Alan (1 Viewer)

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Joined
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Clemson, SC
Hey guys, to catch ya up Alan. I have been beating my head against a wall trying to figure out front disk conversion. I finally looked at the disk conversion kit from manafre and JT to see what was in them. And I see calipers rotors and brackets. So my thought is why can't I take the rotors and backing plate off of your axle and put them on mine and then just get a new set of calipers. I am puttin the links to man a fre and JT along with a link to a guys knuckle rebuild of a disk front. Very good detailed pictures. This was the best pic I could find of the front drum brake set up. Looks like I could use the backing plate off of your axle Alan for the calipers. The I could find a rotor that would fit like the one from the kits. Just kinda what I'm thinking.

Thanks Chuck



http://jtoutfitters.com/product/TLCFDB870975

http://www.man-a-fre.com/parts_accessories/FrontDiscBrakeConversionKits.htm

http://www.birfield.com/~morgan/tech/axle/index.html
click on the parts for pics

http://www.sor.com/sor/cat081.tam?xax=11815&page.ctx=cat081.tam
 
Chuck, I'm not an authority on this subject but but for starters I would abandon any shortcut on brakes. I would use a disk brake axel or one of these kits. You are welcome to any parts I have but I need a release from next of kin! Seriously, I strongly recommend one of the kits and replace bearings while you're in there. Knuckle rebuild is great too. In the end and in my experience it's best to bite the bullet and be safe. If I were doing it this is what I would do witout hesitating.
 
Except for ANYTHING from JT
 
Chuck as I explained to you last night it is not that easy. Drum brakes don't have the mounting holes for disk. The backing plate for a drum brake setup actually hold the inardsof the drumbrake and shoes. The backing plate for a Stock landcruiser disk brake setup is only to hold the brake line on and to prevent dust and dirt acumulation it has non or very little to do with actually holding the caliper on. On a stock disk brake setup it is held on using the mounting holes on the knuckle. This is a backing plate for a disk. Whickh is really only a dust shield.

rem_spindle_bolts.jpg


and this is astock disk brake knuckle. Can you see the two extra hole for mounting the caliper?
rem_axle-1.jpg


So if you are trying to convert a drum brake knuckle you need to have these mounting spots to attach the caliper. This is the piece that JT and Manafre have come up with. It's a specially designed bracket that will mount up to your drumbrake knuckle and allow you to bolt a caliper to it.

fdbbrackets


And each manafacturer has designed it to fit a certain caliper and drum.

Problem with making the bracket yourself is the fack that even I wouldn't tackle it. These are your front brakes, the most important. The precision you need to fabricate that can only be made in a machine shop.

My suggestion is to go with eathier a mintruck conversion, a stock landcruiser fj40 front disk brake setup, a 62 or 60 conversion like we are going to do on Alex's truck or buy the bracket from jt cause it uses monte carlo brakes which are cheap. If they will just sell you the bracket. Or wait for Alex to do his swap and buy his drum brakes off him along with his birfs and have a better setup than what you have now. Personally I would buy a minitruck axle and be done with it.
 
Yeah I definately don't wanna take short cuts. Just trying to be cost effective as possible and I am in no rush to get it done. So that's why I'm doing the research to try and save any cash I can. Here are the pics Marshall of the parts that I was tellin ya about the guy had. So my question is, can I bolt the steering knuckle and spindle for the disk brake on my axle housing. And then can I use the hubs on my axle with the rotors off of your axle? Then just use my course spline axle with the same locking hub that I have? Also tryin to do this so i can put up a good post here on mud on front disk swap, cause i haven't been able to find one. Thanks for all the help.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v618/mr_x9/PDRM0004.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v618/mr_x9/73831.jpg
 
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Just buy some fj-60 disks or mini truck disks from the knuckle and be done with it. Rebuild it while you have it apart and you wont have to worry about it for 20 years.
 
You da Man!!!!
 

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