WJ Knuckle/Brake Upgrade (2WD)

[Rockfrog]

The JKS (or other brand) spacers are there as you stated just to align the ujoint.

If you are staying 2wd they are not needed. The WJ hub is the same as the later XJ/TJ but with the differing bolt pattern.

I am planning to do the same swap on my MJ, just still up in the air on the 4wd conversion yet.

I have had the WJ conversion on my XJ for about 2yrs now. Stellar braking even with 35" rubber, matched with TJ/ZJ/Explorer rear discs it brakes better than it ever did stock. Predictable and dependable.

I did use the Teeves calipers and have yet to warp a rotor ... But they allow the use of a 15" wheel.

I also moved to a combo of GM and Dodge truck ends for the tie rod and drag links. But the stock XJ/MJ/TJ/ZJ taper is the same as the WJ and has been reused in other builds. It just uses the lower steering arms and mounts slightly lower.

And yes, the lowers have to be changed, the WJ/JK lower ball joints use a different taper than earlier Jeeps. The uppers are identical to the earlier years though.

[75sv1]

OK, yeah the 2wd would not have the outer shafts. The WJ knuckles are 1/4 less on height than the XJs. I was looking at converting a set of XJ knuckles, but I think the WJs will be less work. There are three 'widths' or heights of  XJ hubs.  The early 1.8??. The HO 2.133 and the later or TJs (?) 1.918 or so. The WJs are 2.118. So, there is not much difference between them and the HO 90-99.5. I'd be interested in your combo of parts for the Tie rod  etc. I was going to use or shorten the WJs steering set up. I think it could be done, but for the money making up the same setup from DOM , TRE insert ends and the Chevy/Ford/Dodge TREs might be the same amount of money. Also, read somewhere that the WJs slit in the tubing causes it to crack with heavy use. I am probably going to use the present XJ steering setup, then convert latter. I think I have a worn gear box.  I have Canyon rims and a set of 16" rims. So hopefully the Akebonos have enough clearance.

[Rockfrog]

I can look for the part numbers when I get home from work (out on the ocean now) Tuesday evening.

The XJ/MJ only used two knuckles

84-89 and 90-01 (06 for TJ same knuckle though).

The bearings followed a similar pattern 84-89, 90-99.5, 99.5-01(06)

 

The split at 89 marking the switch from AMC/Bendix to Chrysler parts.

 

Apparently there was a ujoint stub available in the European market that would negate the need for the spacer, but no one I've seen ever bothered to track one down. It was a part number available in a book kind of thing. The WJ hubs would still need the spacer to align the ujoints of the XJ/MJ/TJ stub shafts. That is the real purpose of the spacer.

 

I had heard that it was possible to use the earlier hubs to eliminate the need to use caliper spacers when using Explorer rotors (to avoid having to drill the rotor) but then you also had to shave the hubs a bit to do so. I went with drilling the new pattern, an old XJ rotor and a 5/8" drill bit makes easy work of that, the XJ rotor hat fits perfectly inside the WJ rotor as a drill guide.