More Chevota questions? (1 Viewer)

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Wenatchee, WA 98801
1. Looking at extending range of the Mud Sloth. Saw several tanks available (She's a '69). Have a mechanic who'll do it (He's looking forward to it!)
2. Want to put disc brakes on the front (at least). Would it be easier to do all 4? (read about "splitting" the hydraulic lines (?) if I only do one (?)
 
What year is your cruiser? Do you have a single or dual circuit master cylinder?
"Saw several tanks available (She's a '69)."

Haven't got her yet (in transit from SoCal). Hope these pics clarify (?)

Thanx!

1969-toyota-land-cruiser-fj-40 III.jpg


1969-toyota-land-cruiser-fj-40  II.jpg
 
You have a single circuit brake master cylinder. I would highly recommend upgrading that to a dual cylinder set up since you're not going for a stock approach. If that single reservoir fails for some reason, you just lost all of your braking ability. If you are off roading and nick a brake line, the fluid could drain and you just lost all your braking ability. There are some mud vendors here which sell an adaptor to allow you to use a later model master cylinder.

There is a lot of information already on ih8mud of people swapping to disc brakes and changing out the master cylinder. Check out the search function.


My Single Circuit Brake UpGrade - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/my-single-circuit-brake-upgrade.464213/

 
Agree, upgrade to a dual circuit. With a spacer, you can likely run a brake booser as well to get power brakes like the later trucks had. From there, the choice is yours - you can either do front disk/rear drums or 4 wheels discs, with a proportioning valve in the rear line to make sure the front brakes lock up stronger. I don't think one approach is "easier" than the other. Front discs will look pretty much the same no matter how you set up the lines - my recommendation would be to go with the outer knuckles from a pre-85ish solid axle mini truck, a 1990+ FJ40, or a FJ60/62. The knuckle/disc swap is well documented here, and nets you bigger, stronger, fine-spline birfields, beefier steering arms, and disc brakes all at once. Plus, it uses "off the shelf" Toyota components. The "bolt on" wilwood option might be easier, but you're still stuck with weaker knuckles. If you plan to wheel it, coarse-spline bifields are a common failure point on the earlier rigs.

I went with FJ62 knuckles/discs up front, and the Chevy Monte Carlo disc brake conversion in the rear, sold by @Poser here on Mud - not sure if he's still in the game but I believe the only "one-off" item needed in the setup is the rear rotors, which are essentially the Monte Carlo rotors machined out to fit the center hub of the FJ40 rear axle. My truck is a 75, so it was already dual-circuit/power brakes, but I've seen other folks on the forum add power brakes to the older trucks by either cutting the rib in the firewall, or installing a spacer behind the brake booster to push it forward of the rib - but fitment is often complicated.
 
@Downey has the tank I’m planning on using.

I did the mini-truck disks for the front as RWB mentions above
 
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I'm a big fan of 4 wheel disc brakes, I've been running them for 20 yrs or more. I'd recommend as others have said, replace your lines to late model diameters and convert to dual circuit brake lines. Then either swap frt knuckes and birfs, or
Swap a complete disc 40 frt end. 76 to 78 frt ends use a slightly weaker knuckle and studs. It all depends on what your going to use the 40 for. As for the rear, you will probably find the cost to rebuild the drum brakes or swapping to disc will cost about the same. There is less future maintenance required with discs. RWBeringer post is just about spot on, except you will use monte carlo calipers and 90's gm truck rotors which the centers need to be machined out. You'll need to do research to get the right ones. Poser offers caliper brackets and machined rotors. Use the search function and faq's for more detail for the swap.
 

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