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Geo Tracker/Suzuki Sidekick Disc Brake Solution For Early CJ5's

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by tarry99, Mar 23, 2018.

  1. May 30, 2019
    mickeykelley

    mickeykelley Well-Known Member

    Republic of Texas
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    Disc calipers need more fluid than rear drums so the larger reservoir goes to disc.
     
  2. May 31, 2019
    jeepstar

    jeepstar Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sheboygan
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    I did four wheel disc conversion. Is a portioning needed?
     
  3. May 31, 2019
    william_cj3b

    william_cj3b 3BOB driver

    Milton, FL
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    Nov 17, 2003
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    Yes, if your brakes are the same size all around, you'll want an adjustable valve for the rears to prevent them from locking up before the fronts.
     
  4. May 31, 2019
    jeepstar

    jeepstar Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sheboygan
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    ah....makes sense. thank you. hopefully i can get this situated by sunday!
     
  5. Jun 2, 2019
    GTS Dean

    GTS Dean New Member

    Texas
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    Feb 21, 2019
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  6. Jun 7, 2019
    jeepstar

    jeepstar Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sheboygan
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    Just finished my conversion, and WOW. cant say enough good about this. It stops now like a modern car! A+ rating for this DIY project.

    Some point of note for me:
    1. I had to buy a hub puller.
    2. I had to clearance some material from inside the caliper. The OD of the rotors touched the calipers slightly.
    3. I had to buy an expensive, odd sized drill bit to drill out my stud holes in the rotor
    4. I installed a new dual reservoir master cylinder. that means i had to fab up a new mount for it, and yes, a new push rod to go along with that. luckily i have some 4" angle scrap on hand.
    5. I purchased a proportioning valve for the back brakes that had the tail light hookup incorporated directly into it
    6. I bought metric bolts to 3/16" line, this way I eliminated one more conversion nut/possible brakeline failure point
    7. I replaced every last brake line with new hard line or flex line as needed

    Overall it went smooth. If I focused more, and had all the tools and parts on hand, I'd say an easy 4 day job of taking your time and doing it right. It's a night and day difference once complete.

    now, do i do this to my '70cj with the dana 27, or do i regear the dana 30 that has disks on it already?
     
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2021
    Jrobz23 likes this.
  7. Jun 7, 2019
    Jw60

    Jw60 Sitting up n buckled down. 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sedalia MO.
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    Dana 30 so we know how they compare side by side.
     
    Jrobz23 likes this.
  8. Jun 7, 2019
    Jrobz23

    Jrobz23 Member

    Northern, WI
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    Very cool. I swapped a drum 25 to NT30 with disks and that was night and day. I do like my NT30 swap. It's one of the mods I'd definitely do again. Even if you keep the Ross, you'll get crossover steering.

    I have a disk NT30 if you need one and am planning on going to Aniwa this year.
     
  9. Oct 25, 2019
    shadetreetim

    shadetreetim Member 2022 Sponsor

    Riverside, Ca -...
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    I just purchased all the parts to do the Tracker swap on my 74 D30 front axle. Looks like I have a fun weekend ahead of me. I'll try it first without any mods at the MC.
     
    Jrobz23 and Focker like this.
  10. Oct 25, 2019
    Jrobz23

    Jrobz23 Member

    Northern, WI
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    I'm excited to see how this works with a stock single MC. It'd be a neat upgrade for a road driven resto setup (which I'm debating on my green 1970).
     
  11. Oct 25, 2019
    shadetreetim

    shadetreetim Member 2022 Sponsor

    Riverside, Ca -...
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    My 74 has a dual MC
     
  12. Oct 25, 2019
    william_cj3b

    william_cj3b 3BOB driver

    Milton, FL
    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2003
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    421
    I've been running the Tracker discs on the front of my 3B for about 7 months with the stock master cylinder. You will have to remove the residual pressure valve. Else your front brakes will drag to much. It's easy. Remove the piston from the master and push the valve out from the discharge end of the assembly. I removed the rubber disc and put the rest of it back in.

    I bought the 2 and 10lb valves to install but never got around to it. Brakes have worked fine.
     
    Jrobz23 likes this.
  13. Dec 28, 2019
    67jeepster

    67jeepster New Member

    S.E. michigan
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    May 24, 2007
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    I have been re-reading many of the disc brake conversion posts. Question is this the only conversion that make taking the rotors off easy? And keep the original 15inch rims? This past year we have been having a bit of flooding and the other vehicles have taken a hit in the brakes. I realllllly come to like the remove calipers and through away rotor and pads!! This year...Twice on the wrangler and bmw and once to the f150 that came late to the party. I think the Geo is the way to go or also like the only simple “no machining” alternative?? Yes? Btw this would be on our 67’ Jeepster currently 10inch drums all around as was pointed out many years ago wimpy axles 27 front and 30 rear... lol

    This has been great reading, the knowledge base here is outstanding!!

    thank you,
    Tony
     
  14. Dec 28, 2019
    71CJ54WD

    71CJ54WD Sponsor

    DC
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    I couldn't keep my stock wheels with this conversion. Perhaps there is a stock wheel that won't rub on the calipers or maybe a slight spacer
     
  15. Dec 28, 2019
    Jrobz23

    Jrobz23 Member

    Northern, WI
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    I think my wheels are from a late 70s CJ5, but my 15" wheels do not rub on my 79 disks, which I think are a much larger setup than the Geo stuff.
     
  16. Dec 28, 2019
    mickeykelley

    mickeykelley Well-Known Member

    Republic of Texas
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    My '58 came with the 16" by 4.5" width and they do clear but barely. Over 1,000 miles with no issues. In my write up post 10 there is a pic of the clearance.
     
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2019
  17. Dec 29, 2019
    william_cj3b

    william_cj3b 3BOB driver

    Milton, FL
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    Nov 17, 2003
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    16" wheels clear just fine. Some later and aftermarket 15" wheels work. Stock Jeepster wheels, unfortunately, will not.
     
  18. Dec 29, 2019
    mickeykelley

    mickeykelley Well-Known Member

    Republic of Texas
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    At one point I was thinking about doing this on Wilbur, my 55 wagon, which all wagons came with 15". I tried them and no they won't clear.
     
  19. Dec 29, 2019
    givemethewillys

    givemethewillys Been here since sparky ran it. 2022 Sponsor

    New Kent, VA
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    I started working on my conversion today, pulled the hubs off the spindles of my dana 30 swap. Found that the axle bearings are caked solid with old grease and the seals are hardened. Oh well, one step forward two steps back. I'm excited to try out this disk swap!
     
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  20. Dec 30, 2019
    jeepstar

    jeepstar Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sheboygan
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    It's a pretty nice upgrade, that's for sure
     
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