Tech Talk: Ultimate 40/55 Series Disc Brake Conversion Parts Thread (Work in Progress)

[DTC72]

You can simply refit your knuckles for disc and keep the same axle housing under the front.

I would have liked to go that route but I went the easy way using the JT Outfitters disc brake kit for all 4 corners. The kit has a mini truck brake booster and a plate for the firewall to attach.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Kurt,
I just purchased a 1979FJ40(?) from Columbia (Owner brought from Columbia to Dallas Fort)

He replaced the front end, the trunnions and said he worked on the front drum brakes.
He couldn’t get the brakes to work, and I purchased the truck without functional brakes

Shop that I have it in has been having a heckuva time getting the brakes to work as well. Said master cylinder or bleed issues.

Several experts in the forms that I should consider switching to disk. Do you have a front or front & rear end that can swap the SA 1978 (78/12)? VIN: FJ40297342

I’m new and not knowledgeable so feel free to school me and assume I’m slow on the lingo

Thanks, Hunter

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Great looking Cruiser. While disc brakes would be a great upgrade, you should absolutely be able to solve your current brake woes. Is the master good/bad? Is there a pinched or damaged brake hose or line? Are they bleeding them correctly? All of those can be issues with a disc brake setup as well.

We can absolutely assemble a front disc brake conversion and/or complete axle. You would need to reach out to the team at Cruiser Outfitters (this is our vendor thread but pricing and quotes need to be done via the shop) at info@cruiseroutfitters.com.

On the rear axle, it would be a net neutral to switch to a US spec rear drum brake axle. I'd suggest before you entertain any axle swap or brake upgrade you sort what is actually wrong with your current system. If it has a pinched frame side brake line for example, the problem will be there with the disc conversion too. We stock a great deal of parts for the non-US drum setups and/or can setup a disc conversion as outlined here in post #1.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I would have liked to go that route but I went the easy way using the JT Outfitters disc brake kit for all 4 corners. The kit has a mini truck brake booster and a plate for the firewall to attach.

That is covered in post# 1 here:

Skip anything that has you reusing course spline birfield outer axle and uses adapters to fit GM calipers and rotors. Like hard pass skip. These require you to re-use your course spline (low strength) outer birf joint and free-wheel hubs, both of which have no options for upgrades.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

We've sold and installed hundreds of disc brake conversions over the years, here is one we recently did here in the shop