Rear drum to disc converstion, guy on ebay?

**mmerlina** · 09-01-2007, 10:22 PM

Hey everyone, I had a post running a couple days back about drum to disc conversion and someone steered me in the direction of the guy selling instructions and a wooden template on ebay, which is supposed to be a pretty cheap solution.

My question is has anyone tried this? I use my jeep a lot for normal everyday driving, so I need it to be safe to operate.

Here's the link to the ebay item: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=330160810844

I emailed the guy with some "general" questions about the swap and this is what I received back:

"No welding needed, unless for extra srenth. rotors new at advace auto $40.00 each, pads $18.00, calipers, hoses and bracket at salvage yard cost me $12.00 for all, machine shop for two metal plates $70.00 thats about it except for the price of some new grade 8 bolts and nuts and washers. thanks robert"

Any input on this would be much appreciated.

**BESRK** · 09-02-2007, 06:02 AM

It looks like any other rear disk kit I've ever seen. He's just providing you with a list of parts that fit together. Basically, he's gonna say, "Use a rotor for a blah blah blah, use a caliper from a blah blah blah, and cut out a piece of 3/8" thick steel like this wooden template." The caliper bracket will bolt onto the bolt holes at the end of the axle tube and the rest goes together like a front disk setup. I run something very similar on my rear GM 14 Bolt. I'm kind of curious as to which disk/caliper he's using.

jfwireless · 09-02-2007, 06:17 AM

Looks like the Nissan 300ZX rear caliper and the Suzuki Samarai front rotor conversion discussed at the link below.

http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=174851

Jim

high51977 · 09-02-2007, 09:35 AM

in one of his questions answered he gives it away that he used the 88 samauri rotor so basically he is just selling the wooden template the info is free as jfwireless pointed out I'd save my money and use cardboard and make my own template.

**mmerlina** · 09-02-2007, 10:06 AM

Yeah I'm with you there guys. The thread at pirate4x4 is a big help w/ pics and all.

Never ceases to amaze me how much information comes from this forum.

You guys are great, thanks again.

**Pacfanweb** · 09-02-2007, 01:14 PM

By the time you get that template and do the cutting, you could just buy some caliper brackets and weld them on.

They're readily available, and most use regular GM calipers. If you get the early 80's Eldorado/Toronado rear calipers, they have the E-brake built-in.
Then all you need are rotors.

It's really an easy swap, particularly if you just go to the local parts store and get new/reman parts.

The hardest thing you have to do is weld the caliper brackets on.

jimsCJ5 · 09-02-2007, 05:52 PM

mmerlina, I did a similar conversion on my CJ and made an extra set of caliper brackets. I have the bolt on brackets and most all the part numbers you'll need. If you are interested, PM me.

**BESRK** · 09-02-2007, 06:06 PM

Ahhhh.. Dude.. now ya gotta post the part numbers up. Maybe we can make them a sticky for anyone interested in a home brewed disk kit..

jfwireless · 09-02-2007, 06:35 PM

I am in the middle of this 300ZX/rear caliper Samarai/front rotor disk conversion for my 76 CJ7. I am going to try and use the caliper mounting brackets from the 300ZX to mount up the 300ZX calipers. In order to remove the mounting plates from the 300ZX you have to pull the stub axles, something not very easy in the junk yard. I tried to order them from Nissan, but they do not even have a part number or a break out drawing identifying the mounting plates. No part number to order.

I finally found a guy parting out a 300ZX and bought a pair of the caliper mounting plates from him, hopefully they will arrive by the end of next week and I can try and redrill the holes and just mount them up on the AMC 20.

Jim

moparlover · 09-02-2007, 09:16 PM

I'm with BESRK, you have got to post the info dude. I'm no where near that point yet but that is in my plans for the future. Also if any one has info on the front axle brake drum to disc swap point me in that direction! Thanks!!!

Ezredcj · 10-25-2007, 04:46 PM

So where is the sticky? This is very very usefull knowledge!!!

**BESRK** · 10-25-2007, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimsCJ5

mmerlina, I did a similar conversion on my CJ and made an extra set of caliper brackets. I have the bolt on brackets and most all the part numbers you'll need. If you are interested, PM me.

Patiently waiting for those part numbers.. I'd like to have all the info in this thread before I sticky it...

jfwireless · 10-26-2007, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BESRK

Patiently waiting for those part numbers.. I'd like to have all the info in this thread before I sticky it...

As nobody else has responded I can try and post some pics and the parts I used in my rear 20 disk conversion. I did a few things different than the original conversion listed on the Pirate4X4 site below.

http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=174851

I mounted the calipers to the rear as Nissan originally installed them on the 300ZX so the original emergency brake lines could just be hooked up rather than manufacture new emergency brake lines. I think this makes bleeding them easier also.

I cut the original caliper mounting plates off of the lower control arms I removed from the 300ZX and bolted them onto the AMC 20 axle flange rather than manufacture my own brackets. I was able to mount up to three of the four flange bolts. Now that I have them mounted up I am going to have them welded to the flange and axle tube. As the bracket originally wrapped all around the 300ZX axle tube, I had to cut out one corner so I could fit it over the AMC20 axle tube to be bolted to the back of the axle flange. The bracket is very thick and strong, but a job to cut off the lower control arm, I did not have a torch, so I used a grinder to cut and grind the brackets off. The inner radius of the 300ZX caliper mounting bracket is just a little smaller than the OD of the AMC20 axle tube, so you need to take off around 1/8 of an inch to get it to fit around the back of the axle tube up against the back of the axle flange.

I removed and installed the dust shields/Guards from the 300ZX

I cut off the brake line support brackets from the Nissan 300ZX lower control arms and bolted them up to one of the axle flange bolts to support the brake line termination rather than just having the brake line termination hang in the air, eventually that would cause a problem.

So if you would like a list of the donor cars and parts I used along with a few pics I can post that next week. let me know.

Jim

Shane k · 10-26-2007, 01:10 PM

What year 300zx? That is all the info that I will need but I am with the rest of them, POST THAT PART LIST WITH PART NUMBERS!!!!!

Bigjeep65 · 10-26-2007, 01:30 PM

I followed the same pirate thread, and did my rear 20. I used tracker front rotors, Acura TL calipers and soft lines, made my own brackets, adapted the soft lines to new hard lines to the splitter block on the axle.

A couple of things I didn't see much coverage on in the pirate article -

You will have to enlarge the lug holes on the rotors.
You may have to grind down the axle flange (depends on stock/replacement 1-pc axles). I did.

I would not use the Acura calipers again, I couldn't find the Nissan ones locally. The Acura does not have a parking brake mechanism.

If anyone goes to the Elderado stuff, keep in mind that the caliper uses much more fluid than the wheel cylinders. You may have to upgrade the M/C as well. The smaller Nissan calipers seem closer to the drum brake volumes.