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I first want to thank you for this web site. The information I've found here is priceless. I couldn't be doing what I'm doing to my MJ without this site and everyone's guidance. I need guidance on my disc brake conversion for my '88 MJ. Its an 8.25 from a '98 Cherokee with disc brakes from a '94 Grand Cherokee...... In my pick and pulling of parts, I failed to get the vin number off the '94 Jeep Grand Cherokee donor. It never dawned on me to get that information...... Now I don't know what pads I can use for the back......... Whats with this "to Chassis Vin 358321" or "from Chassis Vin 358321" stuff for choosing disc pads? I know they're dimensionally different with the first Vin pads being 5-33/64lg x .201 plate while the second Vin pads is 5.64lg x .197 plate. Its not much difference but does it really matter which set of pads I use? God bless him, but I know the counter jockey at the local parts store won't be able to help me. I plan on posting pics of my progress in the coming months. Thanks for the help!

So here's something I've been mulling over in my head for a bit here. I have an 89 comanche with a drum brake 35 in the rear. I have an XJ balance valve installed and one line running to the rear brakes, instead of the funky factory level prop valve setup. The rear brakes have been nothing but trouble. They grab and lock the rear tires occasionally when they are damp, or during hard braking. And now the brake light has started to come on when I step on the brakes hard, indicating that the rear brakes are leaking or need adjustment (balance is out between front and rear). So, given the crappiness of the rear drums and the crappiness of the rear model 35, I'm planning on finding an explorer 8.8 with discs to put in the back. That part I have covered, fabrication-wise... the actual disc conversion is easy My question is, if you were doing this, and wanted to mimic a factory setup as close as possible, how would you do it? Obviously the master cylinder and balance valve on the XJ/MJ was not designed to have rear discs. I've heard people talk about the rear brakes over powering the front brakes during hard stops after disc brake swaps. This is absolutely the worst scenario, especially for winter driving, with a lightweight rig like the comanche. So, there's talk of installing an adjustable proportioning valve for the rear brakes... maybe a residual valve (I am uncertain of how this part actually works or what it's purpose is)... should I put it back to the dual line height based prop valve that came factory? Should I replace the entire balance valve assembly and/or master cylinder with one from a rig that came factory with disc brakes? If so, which rig would work the best? Maybe Jeep Liberty or JK? I want this to be a safe, good performing setup that works like it would have came that way from the factory. Any input?