POPO AGIE
SILVER Star
There are rear disc brake kits to convert the rear axle but I did mine different by converting to a full floater and was able to use front axle wheel hubs and front disc hardware.
Knuckle Rebuild and Drum Brake Overhaul
- Thread starter talibraza101
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You can make drum brakes work very well (except for after water crossings) for not a lot of money or effort. I rebuilt my '74 drums back in '86 when rebuild kits were cheap and easy to find. I rebuilt every cylinder, anti-seized the adjusters all over, replaced all the soft lines, new shoes and spent some time adjusting and balancing the braking. once dialed in I could lock up 33s and keeping them good was pretty easy. Every 6 months or whenever the brake pedal felt a little low, just roll underneath and give each adjuster one click tighter. I didn't see any need for discs (except when they got wet).
Do you have the dual-circuit brake master cylinder?
Pighead is on the money with the above post, coming out of a dunking is the only time you really curse drums. Having run both I don't think there's much difference between your narrow or the later 3inch shoes either as long as you have a twin circuit master with servo.
I cursed adjusting and bleeding the brakes too. So, you have an offroad vehicle and their drum brakes are problematic if they get wet. And you have to adjust them periodically and deal with frozen adjusters, but other than that they work great. I'm surprised Toyota changed their design in the 80's or eventually went to disc brakes.
A 40's old drum brakes are prehistoric and really antiquated. I think it has more to do with the environment you live or wheel in. I wheel a lot and around here we have water crossing, mud, muddy water holes, along with trails that incorperate everything. I dont h8mud. Typically folks would go thru a set of brake shoes in a year or two. The brakes fill with silty water or mud and acts like sand paper on the shoes. Even brakes with self adjusters would have to manually adjust their brakes to gain pedal height. There are a few upgrades that I want on my 40 and 4 wheel Disc's is one of them.
A 40's old drum brakes are prehistoric and really antiquated. I think it has more to do with the environment you live or wheel in. I wheel a lot and around here we have water crossing, mud, muddy water holes, along with trails that incorperate everything. I dont h8mud. Typically folks would go thru a set of brake shoes in a year or two. The brakes fill with silty water or mud and acts like sand paper on the shoes. Even brakes with self adjusters would have to manually adjust their brakes to gain pedal height. There are a few upgrades that I want on my 40 and 4 wheel Disc's is one of them.
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POPO AGIE
SILVER Star
I only did one brake job on my 40 which amounted to replacing the front pads and found the rears were not worn and realized they were not self adjusters and the new shoes I bought were for the pickup and not a Land Cruiser axle. Then I figured out how to bleed the brakes alone and my brakes were like new.
The brake lines for the calipers are too shot and have to break them to pull the caliper off to repack the wheel bearings or service the brakes, they new brake hoses are long enough to pull the caliper without breaking the line.
When my ex FIL showed me how to repack the wheel bearings he did not want to follow the manual and the bearings were not adjusted to spec and he did not want to bleed the rear brakes, My brakes sucked until I did wheel bearings and breaks in college.
Here in Wyoming everything changes, we can run a two track across the desert or be in the high country and have mud or water crossings, and winter snow. Mine has only had the pads replaced on the front and shoes in the parking brake from a leaking oil seal. Now it has a big brake kit on the front and new rotors and calipers on the rear. Just have to complete the brake lines. B have to wait until I move the rear spring perches to get the 60 series axle centered.
The brake lines for the calipers are too shot and have to break them to pull the caliper off to repack the wheel bearings or service the brakes, they new brake hoses are long enough to pull the caliper without breaking the line.
When my ex FIL showed me how to repack the wheel bearings he did not want to follow the manual and the bearings were not adjusted to spec and he did not want to bleed the rear brakes, My brakes sucked until I did wheel bearings and breaks in college.
Here in Wyoming everything changes, we can run a two track across the desert or be in the high country and have mud or water crossings, and winter snow. Mine has only had the pads replaced on the front and shoes in the parking brake from a leaking oil seal. Now it has a big brake kit on the front and new rotors and calipers on the rear. Just have to complete the brake lines. B have to wait until I move the rear spring perches to get the 60 series axle centered.
- Thread starter
- #46
Wow what great reads, super interesting!!
. Thankfully the knuckle rebuild went smoothly thanks to your help.
I’ll keep y'all posted!
@Pighead I’ve got a dual-circuit master cylinder and completely new brake lines arriving soon, I’m gonna get started on that as soon as I finish replacing the brake cylinders and shoes on each wheel
. Thankfully the knuckle rebuild went smoothly thanks to your help. I’ll keep y'all posted!
You're dead right about early 40 brakes, when the FJ45 got that rotten I couldn't use it legally I bought a 1991 PZJ77 to take over farm and offroad duties, solved most issues. Then restored the 45 and was that surprised at how well it drove and stopped once brakes, steering and suspension issues had been sorted that I'm not going down the disc brake/power steering route - over here both of those require vehicle certification which can open a can of worms.
I've driven 45s since 1979 but even then the first one was 6 years and 140000km of farm spraying old, and everything later had far more kms on it - I had never driven one with good suspension, shocks, brakes and steering until now, and this one's not getting worked hard or waded again.
About 15 years ago I also bought a 1992 1HD-T powered 80 series VX as the family car, thinking it would slip down the food chain and make a great farm truck - it's now at 440000km but both it and the 70 have appreciated that much they're probably the next restos.
I H8 that slab...
Another big plus for a diesel - engine braking.
POPO AGIE
SILVER Star
I would like to have an exhaust brake for my R2.8. I have really gotten use to having a exhaust brake on the last two trucks I have owned.
- Thread starter
- #52
Hey guys,
Chugging along with my brake line rebuild and have come across a bit of an issue:
It seems $OR is all sold out of Part #76, the two-way T junction that connects two hardlines (see image attached). While I was able to acquire all other parts and junctions through $OR and other online retailers, I’m completely stumped on how to go about this brake line rebuild without an alternative to part #76.
Could I have the pros lend me a hand here? What should I do? Do you think making a custom line would be the best alternative approach here to get past that two-way junction?
Thank you
(FJ40, FJ45 and FJ55 Series Front and Rear Brake Lines and Hoses, 1958-1984 Land Cruisers - Specter Off-Road - https://www.sor.com/cat/086#a086-200C)
Chugging along with my brake line rebuild and have come across a bit of an issue:
It seems $OR is all sold out of Part #76, the two-way T junction that connects two hardlines (see image attached). While I was able to acquire all other parts and junctions through $OR and other online retailers, I’m completely stumped on how to go about this brake line rebuild without an alternative to part #76.
Could I have the pros lend me a hand here? What should I do? Do you think making a custom line would be the best alternative approach here to get past that two-way junction?
Thank you
(FJ40, FJ45 and FJ55 Series Front and Rear Brake Lines and Hoses, 1958-1984 Land Cruisers - Specter Off-Road - https://www.sor.com/cat/086#a086-200C)