What would you do?

[powdertwoplanker]

Hey guys, was doing a little bench racing today and wanted to see what you all thought.

I have never like the way the cj stops. So was going to add a rear disc setup. Buddy says to swap in a axle that has them already. Thinks it can be done for cheap (with buying the axle) under $500. I said its not that easy and sourcing the axles, doing the work to install is way more work then adding a disc kit to the AMC20 . Plus i have to worry about the axle parts. (Just added one price axles to mine) R & P sells a disc kit for $500

So, would you swap out an AMC20 axle for something else. Or just add rear disc brakes? What do you think the minimum cost would be?

To give background, 85 CJ7 with AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l is a daily driver. Sees trails 2 to 3 times month in summer. I don't do crazy. Don't plan to do crazy, 31 inch tires now will go to 33's. Keeping the inline 6. Want lockers at some point.

Scott


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[mtnwhlr]

If I was to do a axle swap with a disc brake it would be a 8.8 from a Explorer. It's a very common swap but for cost it would be cheaper to put discs on your AMC20 .

 

[tarry99]

Hey guys, was doing a little bench racing today and wanted to see what you all thought.

I have never like the way the cj stops. So was going to add a rear disc setup. Buddy says to swap in a axle that has them already. Thinks it can be done for cheap (with buying the axle) under $500. I said its not that easy and sourcing the axles, doing the work to install is way more work then adding a disc kit to the AMC20 . Plus i have to worry about the axle parts. (Just added one price axles to mine) R & P sells a disc kit for $500

So, would you swap out an AMC20 axle for something else. Or just add rear disc brakes? What do you think the minimum cost would be?

To give background, 85 CJ7 with AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l is a daily driver. Sees trails 2 to 3 times month in summer. I don't do crazy. Don't plan to do crazy, 31 inch tires now will go to 33's. Keeping the inline 6. Want lockers at some point.

Scott


Scott,

You haven't told us much about your Jeep...........I assume you already have Disc's up Front?
And do you have Power Brakes?

Adding Disc's to the back would also require a new Proportioning valve and perhaps even a change to the master cylinder and residual valve. Now in some cases the new Proportioning valve will incorporate the residual valve but all of the above should be looked at during this process.........

As far as changing the rear end.........that would only work if the gear ratio matched what you already have in the front and the tread width was comparable.

 

[gert]

you would get nto a whole mess of fun doing a rear end swap on the cheap, you have to get the bolt pattern to match, the axle width match, gear match, drive shaft/ u joint match, parking brake cable match, and brake cable match, plus your leaf spring mounts to match.

I would do the disk swap in a heart beat, will be less headache. Als as Tarry99 mentioned, if you dont have power brakes get em and you usually get the most out of the rear disk swap if you add an adjustible porportioning valve in line with your original porportioning valve

 

[Old Dog]

If I was to do a axle swap with a disc brake it would be a 8.8 from a Explorer. It's a very common swap but for cost it would be cheaper to put discs on your AMC20 .

I went this way, I had to do something though as I twisted one tube and bent the other one on my 20. The 8.8 is alot stronger than the 20.
I might have $500 tied up in the swap.(no labor costs) It already had the right gears and the brakes were in good shape. It is app. 4"s wider than the 20 was.
There was some fab. & machine work that had to be done by me though. (see gerts post)

 

[IOPort51]

http://www.jeep-cj.com/forums/f2/new-me-d-44-a-14509/

the brakes were pretty easy to put together. bleeding them was a bit of a pain, the GM calipers needed to be removed and turned sideways to allow all the air out.

I would put them on the AMC20 , if I were you and I had 1 piece axles.

 

[Kane]

Here what I am doing right now. I am installing a scout 44 but the parts list is the same. I bought two front brake rotors from a 1998 Suzuki sidekick that are 22mm thick with vents. I then bought new calipers from a 1998 Nissan 300zx that has an integrated ebrake and the same 22mm working thickness as the rotors. The mounting bracket needs to me cut out of 3/8 steel plate which can be done by a local shop or yourself if you are confident. The template can be made out of cardboard. The model 20 will need the backing plate cut down so just the middle portion remains to retain the axle. I spent a total of $AMC 150 for the parts and are making the bracket with scrap I already have but I have been told they only cost around $30 to have them fabbed.
The caliper has the same fluid volume as our stock brake drums and most have reported no need to change or adjust the proportioning valve. The only thing to change is the residual valve from a 10 (stock) to a 2lb unit. The rotors will go right over the jeep axle flange with no modifications but I cannot confirm this yet as I am waiting for my parts to arrive in the mail but I will know this week.

 

[Old Dog]

What Kane's doing has been a popular swap for many years, there's alot of info on the net.

 

[IOPort51]

2590

these have Cadillac Eldorado calipers, by the time you do the math on cost of new rotors pads and calipers, these are not a bad deal.

 

[Kane]

I found all my info on pirate4x4. Those guys had every conceivable rotor caliper combo you could think of. These were the parts I chose to use.

 

[powdertwoplanker]

Hey guys, was doing a little bench racing today and wanted to see what you all thought.

I have never like the way the cj stops. So was going to add a rear disc setup. Buddy says to swap in a axle that has them already. Thinks it can be done for cheap (with buying the axle) under $500. I said its not that easy and sourcing the axles, doing the work to install is way more work then adding a disc kit to the AMC20 . Plus i have to worry about the axle parts. (Just added one price axles to mine) R & P sells a disc kit for $500

So, would you swap out an AMC20 axle for something else. Or just add rear disc brakes? What do you think the minimum cost would be?

To give background, 85 CJ7 with AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l is a daily driver. Sees trails 2 to 3 times month in summer. I don't do crazy. Don't plan to do crazy, 31 inch tires now will go to 33's. Keeping the inline 6. Want lockers at some point.

Scott


Scott,

You haven't told us much about your Jeep...........I assume you already have Disc's up Front?
And do you have Power Brakes?

Adding Disc's to the back would also require a new Proportioning valve and perhaps even a change to the master cylinder and residual valve. Now in some cases the new Proportioning valve will incorporate the residual valve but all of the above should be looked at during this process.........

As far as changing the rear end.........that would only work if the gear ratio matched what you already have in the front and the tread width was comparable.

Yup have disc up front, and power. i have changed out the master/booster all fuild and pads. The brakes still don't instill confidence. Wanting to go to 33's i want more stopping power.

As for the axle swap, i'm not to into it right now. I like driving it every day an don't want it down for a month while I learn to fab it all up. My buddy just thinks it's a better way to spend the money. Thinks i can find an axle that works for $500 or less taking in to account all the necessary stuff. Then end up with a stronger axle. I feel that for medium duty 4x4, the AMC20 is good enough. With a little help (weld the tubs, truss it, one piece axles).

So that's why i ask all of you.

Scott

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