Equipping XJ D44 with new brake setup (What works?)

[89MJComanche]

OK

 

The last few XJ D44's that I have picked up at the local U-Pull it have been without brake hardware, drums, etc. I checked into the price for new stuff to equip an XJ D44 with new brake parts and the cost is near $500 to rebuild both sides.

 

I am wondering, if I switch the back plate, can I run XJ brake parts from the D35 or the 8.25?? and what is with the CROWN VIC brake swap thing that I keep hearing about? does that equip the D44 with rear discs??

 

I am going to rebuild an XJ D44 to put in my new MJ when the RE SOA gets here. Will probably opt for keep the 3.55's for now as the budget won allow for 4.56 gears and lockers yet, but this MJ is going to be my DD work truck.

 

I will be swapping the front D30 at the same time because it has a torn off shock mount on the drivers side. Wierd that this MJ is so rust free but the sock mounts and even the track bar mount are rusted away on the axle. I will probably opt for a newer XJ front axle, hopefully a 1999, the newest HP that I can get.

 

Thanks a bunch guys.

 

 

Pete Monte, thanks for putting this forum up.

 

Reminds me of the good old days when we had 29 web sites in the Jeep Comanche Webring that I used to run.

 

 

Lets have a Comanche Club Meet and Green Adventure Weekend this summer... lets just throw it together quickly... Ohiopyle State Park in PA would be great, we can camp out Friday night and Saturday night, we can go white water rafting on the lower Yough with yours truley as the honerable complimentary guide staff and we can hit the local river Pub for some evening entertainment.

[Eagle]

You can certainly use the EARLY D35 brakes, but they aren't the same as D44 brakes. The D44 uses 10x2.5" brakes and the early D35 used 10x1.75". The offset on the backing plates is slightly different, so you can't use the backing plates from the 1.75" setup and slap on 2.5" drums. (Proven conclusively)

 

The newer D35s and the 8.25s use 9x2.5" brakes. I think they can be made to fit, but why bother? Also, those axles use c-clips to retain the shafts, so there won't be a bearing retainer at the outboard end.

 

I've heard of using 10x2.5" Ford drums on a Cherokee axle, but I don't know about a Crown Vic disc conversion. What about the discs from a Grand Cherokee?

[pingpong]

I was gong to suggest the same thing Eagle did. Try looking for a Grand Cherokee in the j-yard with the D44 and take its parts. Also there are lots of companies offereing disc brake conversions, for less then what it would cost you to repair your stock stuff. Try looking on pirate in the vendors section. I know I found a disc brake conversion for my rear D60 for 399, so I imagine a d44 should be around the same price or cheaper

[87manche]

you can make crown vic discs fit on a 44.

http://members.tripod.com/cherokeekid5/ ... ild_up.htm

[JeeppinTom]

Some is using the GM front wheel drive cars like the 80 through 84 "plus or minus a coupe of years" rear brakes. Cars are Eldorado, Buick Riveria, Olds Tornodo.

[BRC 88MJ]

I'm in the same boat as you. The brake hardware on the MJ D44 that I have was shot so I pitched it. I've come up with a couple of options for myself that you could consider.

 

First, look in the junkyards for a passenger vehicle that used rear disc calipers with an e-brake integral to the caliper. You can then design and fabricate a caliper bracket to mount the caliper to your axle. I was looking at using Nissan Maxima or Chevy Lumina calipers with ZJ (or Exploder) rear discs.

 

Second, if I decide I don't care about having an e-brake I'll pick up some Chevy truck front calipers, weld-on caliper brackets and use some XJ (or similar) front calipers.

 

Couple more options for you.

[mjeff87]

 

 

Lets have a Comanche Club Meet and Green Adventure Weekend this summer... lets just throw it together quickly... Ohiopyle State Park in PA would be great, we can camp out Friday night and Saturday night, we can go white water rafting on the lower Yough with yours truley as the honerable complimentary guide staff and we can hit the local river Pub for some evening entertainment.

 

Ohiopyle, hell's yeah! color me there.....it's been about 15 yrs since the last time I was there :cry: I grew up in Johnstown, and lived outside of Greensburg for about 5 yrs right before we moved to VA, but I still get back up home about every 6 weeks or so. We ougta meet/greet some weekend if you're around...

 

Back on subject, I'm planning a Crown Vic swap onto my '44. Gathering all the parts needed as I speak from down at the junkyard. There was one ZJ with discs in there a while ago, but somebody beat me to the parts.

 

Jeff

[traitor5150]

i got disks off a 93 crown vic. took a little work to make it happen but it is possible pm me if you want details but that article doesent go into alot of the details required to do it right.

[Cooter]

Some is using the GM front wheel drive cars like the 80 through 84 "plus or minus a coupe of years" rear brakes. Cars are Eldorado, Buick Riveria, Olds Tornodo.

 

GM has a 5 on 4 3/4" lug pattern, so you can't use the rotors, and eldo calipers are notoriusly unreliable.

[JeeppinTom]

Redrilling rotors to 5 on 4.5 is no problem. What was the issues with the calipers? pistions, seals, brake pads materials have come along way since then.