Sir Sam

Yes, still some variables, but an excellent starting point. Explorer and WJ nominal rotor thickness I can find online; but don't know about the offset, a definite factor. I've never found anything about anyone doing a "big brake" front conversion on a late MJ model 2WD, so this is new. Maybe the Archers did something back in the day? Most importantly is KISS for me. Could be a good 2WD front brake upgrade solution. Homework time. :cheers: Well nothing is really different that matters on an older 2WD, whatever the nominal thickness and the offset people have worked that out before for the WJ brake swap. If you used the 4wd 00 hubs with the stub shafts then everything else would be what anyone like myself needs to go through. The only other thing you might check out is what the WJ 2wd stuff looks like, but I see no reason that it would help, like I said I think your solution is 4wd hubs with stubs.

Yep, I have those same Explorer rotors from Teraflex (drilled for both 5x5 and 5x4.5) bolted on the rear now. + a spare set. Thickness of the Explorer rotors vs. the WJ calipers might be an issue? Do you know the nominal thickness of the WJ rotors? Sam, you might just have come up with a good economical solution mate. Seems logical - really appreciate it. I don't know the thickness's, I actually have the used set of rotors from the axle in the back of my Jeep right now, I'm gonna return em tomorrow and get $16 back. When I pull the axle out I will measure the thickness of the rotor. The "offset" of the rotor is important too. All I have to say about that is that I am not the first person to do this, and I need to read the stuff on naxja about it, but it is possible to get an entirely bolt on solution requiring no special parts or machining. So if you find a WJ at a junkyard you can score all the parts for something like $100.

Looks fixable to me.

The "C" is the same size on the 2wd and 4wd beams, so you can fit the stub shafts into the hubs and they will clear the C's. You then need 00+ XJ/TJ hubs, the WJ knuckles, the calipers etc. This way you use 5x4.5 hubs, and then get new explorer sport trac rotors which are also 5x4.5. Man, somewhere out there there is a parallel universe where Jeep DIDN'T switch to 5x5 for the WJ and make everyones life harder. Just think, if the WJ was 5x4.5 you could just bolt on the knuckle, caliper, and rotor and call it good.

Then in your case I think the best solution is to install the 4WD hubs with the stub shafts bolted in, then the WJ brakes are a bolt on.

You should just grab a nice 99 HP D30 and then grab some 00 hubs and then throw on the WJ brakes. Then your only a transmission, transfercase, and 2 driveshafts short of being 4wd. Also there is a local guy on naxja that is now offering a bolt on big brake kit.....but its pricey: http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1023551 The WJ brakes are dual piston and are BEEFY compared to the stock XJ calipers. I bet the big brakes in that guys kit are going to be better than WJ brakes, but at about 10x the cost.

Yes, your situation would be slightly more complicated but I'm sure you could do it. You might end up having to run 4wd hubs with the stub shafts if there was some reason your 2WD hubs wouldn't work. To do the WJ brakes on older XJ/MJ you either need to have some spacers or run the 2000+ hubs. The 2000+ hubs are a little different and if you try to use 99- rotors on a 00+ the brakes end up being locked down tight. The other added benefit to the WJ brakes is that you use the WJ knuckles and they are high steer.

New hatch: WJ Dana 30.....and the big brakes that will go on my XJ: Hatch again:

Did something happen to the forum software or something else the first post I see in this thread is: Obviously something is missing, I'm just not sure what.

or I can't decide which it is, either way, kudos sir.

See guys this is why you don't joke around with stuff like this. Jim, this is on your conscience.

ZJ and WJ parts don't mix. (but thanks for the offer :D )

No, for the amount time and trouble and cost you might as well just get a better axle to start with, like a 8.25, D44 or 8.8, and just run those in stock form. No sense in polishing a turd. I just wanted to point out that the 29 spline 8.25 really is just as good of an axle as the D44, albeit with less aftermarket support as the XJ dana 44. But the 8.8 and 9" are both good options for a rear axle too.

Went down to get a rear hatch for my WJ, lucked out that it was still there and managed to grab it, it was cheaper without the glass so I removed the rear glass. Ending up being a pita to carry out by myself so I stuck my head through the window hole and rested it on my neck like I was some sort of beast of burden, walked right up into the office and paid without ever taking it off. $45 later I scored a undented correct color hatch to replace the one on my WJ. Then we headed back over to the other yard that had a WJ dana 30 that I needed, started pulling that and my buddy hurriedly came back over telling me, "We're pulling another axle!" Turns out he found an XJ 87 with a Dana 44, so I moved our tools over there real quick and 25 mins later we had a Dana 44 pulled. Went back over and worked on the WJ, racing against the clock of the anouncments of 45 mins till close, then 40, then 35, then 30. Got everything loaded on the cart and out the door. $290 for 2 axles. Hopefully I can't find a core to bring back and I'll bring back the bent WJ D30 and get $60 back in cores. I'll take the brakes and high steer off of the old WJ Dana 30 and throw those on my XJ......BIG BRAKES for my XJ woot!(and highsteer but I don't care about that). So I got my front axle for the WJ(that might have 3.73s and I need 3.55), got a XJ Dana 44 to sell to recoup the purchase price of the WJ D30, and I got a matching color silver door. It was a good day.

Dana 44's will smile all right, as in nicely bent because of the weak(relatively) tubes they have. (though thats less likely to happen with rears of course) I would just like to point out for the record that factory 8.25 29 spline axle shaft are slightly less strong than than factory 44 shafts, and that they have stronger tubes than Dana 44s which leads to less flexing like causes problems on the Dana 35's. I'm just saying.............

Actually the 5.9 vents are highly desirable, NLA, and these days typically bring $50-80 on the open market. Less if you luck out and find them at the junkyard. So the biggest argument against the 5.9 vents is that they are MORE expensive than the lebaron vents.

I would just like to point out that today is April 1st.

Easy fixer.

Here, one of the final state:

Finally got some work done today, got the new front bumper support ball on:

I lucked out, my MJ came with a 4 pane tinted(in the glass tint). Exactly what I wanted too. Hope nothing ever happens to that cause I doubt I'm ever gonna find a replacement.

I picked mine up in loveland a few years back for a song, they pop up on craigslist around the country, but chances are you would need to travel to get one.

Agreed. Lebaron vents look like total a$$, they don't fit anything aesthetically, and they never seem to fit properly, they always look like they are not sitting flush etc. At least 5.9 vents are Jeep original and don't look like total a$$.

B E C A U S E I T ' S S E E M S M O R E I M P O R T A N T T H I S W A Y !111!!!1!!!!!!!1!!ONE!!!!