New member, longtime FJ55 owner here (1 Viewer)

[SoUtahFJ55]

Hi all

longtime owner of a ‘73 FJ55. Bought in ‘94, and it was my daily driver for a couple years, but mostly just collecting dust the past few years. Finally got my Holley carb rebuilt yesterday, fired the old girl up and drove her around the block a couple times. now I’ve got the itch to get a few things done, and I have questions

Wondering if anyone here has done the four wheel disc brake conversion, and what you can tell me about it- I’ve been looking at kits on jtoutfitters.com; pros and cons? Also, I ordered a new headliner from Sor.com, but they aren’t sure how many clips are needed to install properly. Anyone been through this before and have an answer? TIA

 

[navydivedoc]

Welcome. JT Outfitters has a mixed reputation here to put it mildly. Search around and do some reading. Google search and include "Ih8mud" plus whatever you're asking gives better results than the forum built-in search. @Poser has a conversion set-up, or did historically. I'm currently doing a front disc conversion and leaving the rear as drums. There is a sub-forum WAY down at the bottom of the forum start page Pig Sub Forum. Lots of good folks there and a fair number never migrate out of that corner. As a crew extremely knowledgeable, though as always try and search at least a little before firing off questions.

 

[SoUtahFJ55]

Welcome. JT Outfitters has a mixed reputation here to put it mildly. Search around and do some reading. Google search and include "Ih8mud" plus whatever you're asking gives better results than the forum built-in search. @Poser has a conversion set-up, or did historically. I'm currently doing a front disc conversion and leaving the rear as drums. There is a sub-forum WAY down at the bottom of the forum start page Pig Sub Forum. Lots of good folks there and a fair number never migrate out of that corner. As a crew extremely knowledgeable, though as always try and search at least a little before firing off questions.

thanks for the info. I’ll check it out

 

[tstepp920]

thanks for the info. I’ll check it out

wait wait! before you go. Photos. No photos means it doesn't exist.

 

[SoUtahFJ55]

wait wait! before you go. Photos. No photos means it doesn't exist.

 

[tstepp920]

Sweeet! Nice color.

 

[Pighead]

Hi

Howdy, .
I got my '74 Pig back in 1986. been building it slowly, still my daily driver.
I did my front discs back in 2004, same week I did the SOA. I opted for the all Toyota discs. Kept the rear drums and the original master cylinder.
Years later I did the rear discs with Posers bracket and rotors, got the Monte Carlo calipers at Napa. Borrowed a good tubing bender.
Just a month ago, I added a new brake booster (City Racer) and 80 series master cylinder.
so, you can do your brakes a little at a time or in one swell foop, and you have several options. Find the FAQs, maybe even print out the disc brake conversions and read then through.
You're going to need a lot of parts; fine-spline Birfs, locking hubs, tie-rod shims and stuff...
I have no experience with JToutfitters, never ordered from them. i get all my parts from reputable 'Mud vendors or over the counter locally.

 

[SoUtahFJ55]

Howdy, .
I got my '74 Pig back in 1986. been building it slowly, still my daily driver.
I did my front discs back in 2004, same week I did the SOA. I opted for the all Toyota discs. Kept the rear drums and the original master cylinder.
Years later I did the rear discs with Posers bracket and rotors, got the Monte Carlo calipers at Napa. Borrowed a good tubing bender.
Just a month ago, I added a new brake booster (City Racer) and 80 series master cylinder.
so, you can do your brakes a little at a time or in one swell foop, and you have several options. Find the FAQs, maybe even print out the disc brake conversions and read then through.
You're going to need a lot of parts; fine-spline Birfs, locking hubs, tie-rod shims and stuff...
I have no experience with JToutfitters, never ordered from them. i get all my parts from reputable 'Mud vendors or over the counter locally.View attachment 2350422

Thanks for all of the info! So the splines, tie rod end shims etc all for brake conversion? I’ll be looking for a knowledgeable local mechanic when it comes time to do the conversion for sure, but good to have an idea of what all is needed partwise. I love my pig, but these brakes... I just can’t anymore

 

[Pighead]

tie rod end shims etc all for brake conversion?

I don't know much about the tie rod end shims, just what I read. I dodged that issue by getting the 4x4 Labs Hi-steer kit and power steering at the same time I did the SOA and front discs...
But, If you get the later model knuckles with the larger studs, you need new steering arms, and stuff. And that's what I did.
Now, I loved my drums. I spent a lot of time getting them just right. I did all my own work on them and knew them inside out. I could lock up all 4 wheels on 33s and make them squeal loudly to a stop. Worked better than hitting the horn button to let the guy in front of me know I was there.
But, in order to run 37s, I kinda had to lose the drums and go to discs.
You could make your drums terrific, but you'd have to spend a lot of time on your back under the Pig. And I don't even know if you can buy wheel cylinder rebuild kits for a 55 anymore (rears are a bigger ID than a 40...).
So, if ALL you want is to add disc brakes, without all the other "new & improved" bits, perhaps one of those kits is not such a bad idea.

 

[wstxpig]

I don't know much about the tie rod end shims, just what I read. I dodged that issue by getting the 4x4 Labs Hi-steer kit and power steering at the same time I did the SOA and front discs...
But, If you get the later model knuckles with the larger studs, you need new steering arms, and stuff. And that's what I did.
Now, I loved my drums. I spent a lot of time getting them just right. I did all my own work on them and knew them inside out. I could lock up all 4 wheels on 33s and make them squeal loudly to a stop. Worked better than hitting the horn button to let the guy in front of me know I was there.
But, in order to run 37s, I kinda had to lose the drums and go to discs.
You could make your drums terrific, but you'd have to spend a lot of time on your back under the Pig. And I don't even know if you can buy wheel cylinder rebuild kits for a 55 anymore (rears are a bigger ID than a 40...).
So, if ALL you want is to add disc brakes, without all the other "new & improved" bits, perhaps one of those kits is not such a bad idea.

I used JT Outfitters on my 74 and they mounted up fine. I had to cut down the discs by 30/1000ths, that .030 mils, to keep them from heating up in the desert.

 

[KelVarnson]

I'm doing the fronts on my '73 FJ40 right now. I got the parts from an '83 donor truck. I am upgrading the rotors and calipers, and have gotten all of the parts so far from Marlin Crawler, including the tie rod shims. I "think", but don't quote me on this, the vented rotors are FJ60 style, and the calipers are for later-model V6 trucks, like a Tacoma. I hope I am not wrong about those details, but the point is, Marlin Crawler is making the whole thing pretty much turn-key, aside from the knuckles and Birfields.