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brake upgrade

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by boilermaker154, Jun 1, 2010.

  1. Jun 1, 2010
    boilermaker154

    boilermaker154 jazz

    pittsburgh
    Joined:
    May 13, 2010
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    38
    want to upgrade the brakes on my 56 cj5. what are my options? can i put discs on the front of this without spending a grand? will 11" drums be enough with a dual master. can i put power brakes to a 11" drum or is it unnecesary? trying to keep cost down,i like getting stuff from salvage and using it, ford ranger set-up ect....
     
  2. Jun 1, 2010
    bkd

    bkd Moderator Supreme Staff Member 2022 Sponsor

    K-Town Tenn.
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    Apr 29, 2007
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    yes there is a wide range of options available to you. Many have swapped to 11" drums and duel master with great experience. I have a D30 with discs on my cj6...
    Start by reading in our tech section on brakes (found at tab above)
    http://www.earlycj5.com/technical/brakes/
    then bring your specific questions back so we can help spend your money :D
    also you should try a search specifying "brakes" for tons of good reading :beer:
    good luck, Jim
     
  3. Jun 1, 2010
    jasonjp62

    jasonjp62 Member

    Pennsboro WV.
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    Aug 15, 2009
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    799
    I used 11" drums from an old postal jeep. And put new springs pads and wheel cylinders in them local flaps had almost everything in stock. I had to drill a few holes in the backing plates on the back. I just adjusted them a few minutes ago and they will put you in the windshield if you jump hard on them.
    Posted via Mobile Device
     
  4. Jun 1, 2010
    lynn

    lynn Time machine / Early CJ5 HR Rep Staff Member

    Huntingdon PA
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    Sep 20, 2002
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    3,437
    Drill some holes in the 11" drums and they work even when wet! Search: drilled drums
     
  5. Jun 1, 2010
    dvw86

    dvw86 Member

    Eastern Washington
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    Sep 23, 2007
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    191
    You can add disks to your stock axle as well, but the 11" drums may be the best bet for lower cost. I think I spent about $600 for a new disk conversion kit on my 1955. I could have spent less if I did a salvage yard job and pieced it all together myself.
     
  6. Jun 2, 2010
    farm'n Mike

    farm'n Mike New Member

    South Valley, Oregon
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    Feb 19, 2010
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    I've been considering the same conversion. I found a yard with several wagoneers, all with their brakes. A couple of the later models have discs up front. Will those bolt up as easily as the 11" drums on a Dana 25?

    I'd like front discs but don't need them.



    Don't mean to hijack the thread with other questions, but they are about brakes for a '60 CJ5.
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2010
  7. Jun 3, 2010
    nickmil

    nickmil In mothballs.

    Happy Valley, OR
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    Sep 23, 2002
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    12,529
    The models with discs will be 6 lug and will use the wrong bearing hubs, outer axles, spindles, etc. so no they won't be a bolt up. The 5 lug Wagoneer 11" brakes will be a virtual bolt up. You want the ones with external locking hubs. There was a year or two with internal locking hubs like 1/2 ton Ford, GM etc. and drum brakes that won't work.
     
  8. Jun 3, 2010
    farm'n Mike

    farm'n Mike New Member

    South Valley, Oregon
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    Feb 19, 2010
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    Thanks nickmil- I'll look for the 5 lug vehicles for the easy bolt up upgrade. I suspected there would be some issues someplace and I didn't really want to find out that I have the wrong parts. The finer details have been hard to search out.
     
  9. Jun 4, 2010
    farm'n Mike

    farm'n Mike New Member

    South Valley, Oregon
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    Feb 19, 2010
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    Stopped by the yard today to check the waggy. At least 2 of them are 5 lug with external locking hubs. They'll let me have all the brakes and probably a bit more for $40. Don't think that's too bad of a price, especially since it's only a few mile down the road.

    Now all I need to do is gather my tools and pull it all off. Hopefully things will come off easy but I'm anticipating the worst.
     
  10. Jun 4, 2010
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    The hard part about a Wagoneer donor, I think, will be removing the rear axles. If the rear axle is flanged, you should be able to slide-hammer each axle out. I have heard of using the brake drum as an improvised slide hammer, on the lug studs.

    If it has tapered axles, you'll need a BIG puller - I think you'll have to remove the flange to get the backing plates off.
     
  11. Jun 5, 2010
    farm'n Mike

    farm'n Mike New Member

    South Valley, Oregon
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    Would a willy's wagon be better? Sitting right next to 2 wagoneers is a willy's wagon of some year. It also has the 5 lug, exterior locking hubs with what appeared to be the same size of drums. I don't know the year but think it had a straight 6, and 2 master cylinders high on the firewall.
     
  12. Jun 5, 2010
    colojeepguy

    colojeepguy Colorado Springs

    At the foot of...
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    A stock Willys wagon used a goofy cam type brake adjusting system-best to avoid that. If it's got 2 master cylinders on the firewall, it sounds like it's not stock, but unless you know what you're looking at it's probably best to avoid that one. IIRC the best donor vehicles are intermediate CJ's or DJ's 72-75.
     
  13. Jun 5, 2010
    jawake

    jawake New Member

    Nashua, NH
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  14. Jun 5, 2010
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    Yeah, you want the 11"x2" Bendix brakes, used in CJs and DJs and Wagoneers and J-trucks and F-100s and Mercurys and probably many more applications. The Willys brakes will fit but they are not self-adjusting. Self-adjusters are a big, big upgrade - you want self-adjusters. I would guess that the parts are much more expensive for the Willys brakes too. Parts used in F-100s are going to be cheap and widely available, since there were millions of Ford trucks built and there are lots of them on the road even today.
     
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