Minitruck Front Axle Disc Brake Conversion For Dummies (FAQ)

[animaldevictor]

Hi Noah thanks a lot , here is the pic View attachment 187988

 

[CruisinMT]

that looks awesome noah great job.

 

[1973Guppie]

sure thing, no problem, I would invite others to do writeups on stuff they do as they help alot of other people out, however insignifigant the project....

Noah

 

[1973Guppie]

Hi thanks a lot for all the information on the thread, this has been a great help on my project , i just have almost all the parts needed , but i have the i little question, yesterday i have got the sterring arms, they tockout from a toyota 1987 BJ70, and they have the same bolt pattern but the arm it self is longer than the ones on the minitruck
View attachment 184680
is it a benefit or an issue to get longer arms. I have to purchase does becose on the knuckles where only one arm, and the other side is kind hard to find here in Costa Rica
View attachment 184681
see the diference the mini truck and LC arms

thanks
Victor

saw your pics, do you have both sets of arms, minitruck and bj70? Are you doing a minitruck swap? If you are doing a minitruck to LC housing swap, per this thread, then I would go with the minitruck arms as they have proven time and again to work. Not sure on the bj70 arms, have absolutely no exp w/the bj70. Hopefully another one of the folks smarter than me can post up and comment.

Noah

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I've never seen the longer arms?? I've done a couple swaps involving BJ70's, though neither had arms like pictured. I don't see enough of the BJ70's to know if this was just on some years verus others...

 

[Rogue Leader]

great write up. planning on switchin my self.


Bump

 

[chajazz]

pic 1 - install bearings, lube first pressing wheel bearing grease into the rolling pins, etc. cover knuckle in grease

pic 2 - install knuckle, coat inside with some moly grease before installing

pic 3 - install top and bottom with shims oriented in proper location / using your labeled marks from before.

is the rock ring in the right place on pic 1????

though felt, rock ring, rubber, knuckle?

 

[bsmith123]

bookmarked

bookmarked for ref good job, and btw great looking components under your rig

 

[SLOonTheGo]

Just thought that I would bump this up.

I am planning to do the minitruck swap this summer, hopefully I can find what I need here at the Stockton pick and pull.

Great write up and thanks a ton Guppie, great inspiration for me to get my butt in gear.

 

[1973Guppie]

sure thing, I hope to get up to surf and turf this year, I see you are close in slo town......

 

[SLOonTheGo]

yep, Cal Poly class of whenever they let me out of ARCE with a Bachelors.

#69 on the SNT Mob. Unless I have some super draining project due the next monday I will be there, and I will stop by no matter what.

 

[Hugh Heifer]

Hey Noah - What soft brake lines did you run between the hard disc lines and the FJ40 lines on the axle?

 

[bdiemer]

Bump...Also looking for soft brake line source/part number. This is the line that goes from the hardline to the caliper. I've got the mini calipers, now I need only the 10mm soft lines.

 

[Hugh Heifer]

Bump...Also looking for soft brake line source/part number. This is the line that goes from the hardline to the caliper. I've got the mini calipers, now I need only the 10mm soft lines.

I used the Toyota part number 47343-35120 and 47341-35120 (hardlines) to run from the caliper to the mounting clip on the backing plate which I had trimmed and then the stock hoses with female ends to go from that to the hard line on the axle.

Here is a picture of how I trimmed the backing plates so I could retain them, use the mount at the top and not catch a bunch of mud behind them.



I think the correct part number for the soft lines is 90947-02382 <<<< This number is unverified and probably wrong.

 

[1973Guppie]

mine is still a rolling chassis, so not hooked up yet, a friend gave me some custom braided lines he had made that fit perfect, you can get custom ones made at crown or through downey, just tell em what you need, not that expensive either.....

 

[bdiemer]

THX Guppie and Hugh. Didn't realize that I need a line from the caliper to the shield and from the shield to the hard line. Could I just go from the hard line on the tube to the caliper? Or is it safer to do it as above?

 

[1973Guppie]

I looked at my piggy, I wouldn't go directly from the caliper, I don't know why the stock setup has the hard line routed to the top of the backing plate and then a soft line to the axle housing, BUT, logic would seem that if you ran the soft line from the caliper you may get troubles as that knuckle turns and potentially puts a kink in the line, make sense? maybe someone else has some deeper knowledge on this. I would run the small hard line from caliper to the clip and then run your softs......

Noah

 

[bdiemer]

Noah,
Just checked with Downey. They have part#: 14058 79-85 Backing Plate Eliminator Rings, Pr. $19.00 and part #: 47211 Removal Hose Set $56.12. This looks like the way I will go because the rocks here in AZ WILL get trapped between the rotor and backing plate/shield. Take a look at Downey's site under brake conversions.

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[pbgbottle]

if you are wanting to go from hard line directly to the caliper skipping the backing plate the info is in the tech trivia , i used the long hose all napa had in stock at the time

front axle outer hoses (skips backing plate) - NAPA 38881 (longer) or 38878 (shorter)

i cut my shields down to just the ring as well and after my inner axle seals started to leak . the gear oil grease combo would leak all over my rotors screwing up my brake pads . i am in the process of rebuilding my knuckles and i will be putting my rock/dust sheilds back on ,just a thought before anybody cuts theres up only pic i could find . i am upgrading right now to mini knuckle and 4x4 labs high steer,

 

[Hugh Heifer]

After searching around and buying two sets of wrong lines (my fault once - seller's fault the second time) I have decided to get a set of braided lines made here in Rome, GA. The company will reuse the ends of a couple old lines. (Wish I had known that was possible before I checked the old rotted lines). I am going to use female ends on both sides. They will lock to the axle tab and the tab on the modified backing plate.

Jake - Good point about the grease slinging on to the pads. I had not thought of that. The folks I have talked to have mentioned issues with stones getting caught in the backing plates and bashing the backing plates so they bent against the rotor.