02 rear brake upgrade from drum to disc

n4yci · **Posted:** Mon Oct 20, 2008 1:08 pm

Has anyone swaped out the rear drum brakes for disc brakes on a 02 kj?

It would seem like an easy swap, maybe weld a caliper mount on the axle at most but dose the ABS sensors work?

Lin

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Mon Oct 20, 2008 2:13 pm

Easiest way would be to find a junk yard DB 8.25 w/ brake cables, etc. and bolt it in. I do know that the late TJ DB backing plates, etc. are the same as what I had on my 8.25 DB rear and it all hooked up to my D44 w/ no problems. I am prettty sure swapping from Drums to discs would be just as easy on the 8.25.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Mon Oct 20, 2008 2:27 pm

You can buy all new parts for the 8.25 disc brake conversion,try WyckoffChrylser--http://www.trademotion.com/memberservices/index.cfm?action=login&siteid=213794.

You will need the brake base plate(with parking brake),rotors,caliphers,brake lines,and new parking brake cables(the real fun part).To swap just pull the rear diff cover and pull the center pin in the carrier(make sure KJ is jacked up and rear wheels off),push in axles,remove C-clips,and pull axles out.After the axles are out you will see 4 nuts holding the drum backing plate on,remove those and the drum backing plate will come off,bolt on the new disc backing plate and replace the brake lines and parking brake cables.Re-install the axles and bleed the brakes and your set.

n4yci · **Posted:** Mon Oct 20, 2008 3:31 pm

Both methods seem like a great way to go....
I will look into each and see what i can find at the junk yard.

Thanks very much for the advice!

Lin

trailman · **Posted:** Mon Oct 20, 2008 3:53 pm

tjkj2002 wrote:

You can buy all new parts for the 8.25 disc brake conversion,try WyckoffChrylser--http://www.trademotion.com/memberservices/index.cfm?action=login&siteid=213794.

You will need the brake base plate(with parking brake),rotors,caliphers,brake lines,and new parking brake cables(the real fun part).To swap just pull the rear diff cover and pull the center pin in the carrier(make sure KJ is jacked up and rear wheels off),push in axles,remove C-clips,and pull axles out.After the axles are out you will see 4 nuts holding the drum backing plate on,remove those and the drum backing plate will come off,bolt on the new disc backing plate and replace the brake lines and parking brake cables.Re-install the axles and bleed the brakes and your set.

Well after reading this I've decided that my KJ stops good enough.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Mon Oct 20, 2008 4:16 pm

trailman wrote:

tjkj2002 wrote:

You can buy all new parts for the 8.25 disc brake conversion,try WyckoffChrylser--http://www.trademotion.com/memberservices/index.cfm?action=login&siteid=213794.

You will need the brake base plate(with parking brake),rotors,caliphers,brake lines,and new parking brake cables(the real fun part).To swap just pull the rear diff cover and pull the center pin in the carrier(make sure KJ is jacked up and rear wheels off),push in axles,remove C-clips,and pull axles out.After the axles are out you will see 4 nuts holding the drum backing plate on,remove those and the drum backing plate will come off,bolt on the new disc backing plate and replace the brake lines and parking brake cables.Re-install the axles and bleed the brakes and your set.

Well after reading this I've decided that my KJ stops good enough.

It's really not that hard to do,the worst part is running the new parking brake cables since alot of the interior needs to be removed.Total cost with brand new parts would be less then $500 and a slight modification is needed in the proportioning valve also to use rear disc brakes.

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Oct 20, 2008 4:22 pm

I can take some pictures here in a few weeks of the switch, I am installing an 02/03 (somewhere in there) rear diff and switching over my disc, hardware etc over to the other one. Not that hard of a job of course mine will be easy as I don't have to run the e-brake cables :roll:

Nothing wrong with mine its just the other one I am installing already has 4.10s and an ARB installed!

n4yci · **Posted:** Mon Oct 20, 2008 8:56 pm

Didn't the Renegade axle have the locker or was I dreaming back in 2004? If that is the case and I could find one at the Junk yard that would be worth it just to replace the whole axle.

So if it was down to a ease of install and not price would you do the swap or the rebuild with new parts?

Each has benefits. the main one being a junk yard axle in the wife's jeep does not excite her much.

Diving inside the diff to unbolt sounds a bit more intimidating than swaping the axle ....to me but that is because i have swaped an axle and have never torn one apart. :oops:

If I go the new parts route I wont need to reset the backlash and preload and all that stuff in the Diff right i will just be unbolting and rebolting correct? That back lash and preload stuff looks like a pain in the Arrrss.

Lin

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Mon Oct 20, 2008 9:17 pm

n4yci wrote:

Didn't the Renegade axle have the locker or was I dreaming back in 2004? If that is the case and I could find one at the Junk yard that would be worth it just to replace the whole axle.

So if it was down to a ease of install and not price would you do the swap or the rebuild with new parts?

Each has benefits. the main one being a junk yard axle in the wife's jeep does not excite her much.

Diving inside the diff to unbolt sounds a bit more intimidating than swaping the axle ....to me but that is because i have swaped an axle and have never torn one apart. :oops:

If I go the new parts route I wont need to reset the backlash and preload and all that stuff in the Diff right i will just be unbolting and rebolting correct? That back lash and preload stuff looks like a pain in the Arrrss.

Lin

No need to reset backlash or anything.The 8.25 diff uses C-clips to hold the axles in,you must remove the center pin in the rear diff carrier to get those C-clips out.To remove the pin you just need to unbolt one 8mm bolt and it slides out.

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Mon Oct 20, 2008 9:17 pm

No lockers in Any KJ model. Could have the trac-lock posi though, available in Any KJ model as an option.

02 rear brake upgrade from drum to disc

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