@@WAEMIDIV The swap gives me peace of mind for future maintenance. I didn't notice "night and day" difference of breaking but she still stops. I have a 4.5" lift with big ol Goodyear Duratrac 33s and a buncha mod weight on the whole rig. and to be fully honest, I haven't finished the parking brake because of the same problems you were facing. I'm thankful you took it to the full resolution so I can benefit from your knowledge!
@SamVeneman yes the annoying adjusters were not cooperating with me at all. I eventually just did it with the tires on and Jeep on the ground. Drove around and briefly smelled burning brake shoe, but after the initial surface of material wore off it's been fine. The parking brake lever certainly feels different too
I agree with other commenters, this is by far the best video. We all appreciate the hours of work you put into this for our benefit. Good things will circle back around to you.
man this video popped up in my for you page and i expected it to be like a no commentary walk thru to kinda fall asleep to, but this was so entertaining and just so fucking funny and VERY informative i watched the whole thing. thank you
See, I look at the 4wd Swap as "changing factory options" I, going into it, know preemptively that all of the 4wd stuff will fit and bolt right on to a 2wd XJ, because the XJ was obviously offered with factory 4wd. When it comes to something like the disc brakes, the XJ never had them, and therefore there is no such thing as "XJ rear disc brake parts", and we hence need to source them from other vehicles, and as a result some things might just not work (Ford Explorer Parking Brake Cables)
@@WAEMIDIV valid point, the disks were never factory. Never realized that you haven't done many modifications, just adding those rare factory options. Pretty cool.
Love the videos, keep them coming. They have given me tons of info for working on my 01 xj that I just got all the parts to do this exact swap to. I would've loved to have your walk through when researching this swap but glad I have it now.
Dude I am appreciative that I own an XJ at the same time you do. Ive been putting this off because nobodys demonstrated a true bolt on upgrade. Thanks a ton!
I had the axle rebuilt with an LSD and decided it would be a good time to add the disc brakes. I just finished my conversion following this vid. It went perfectly. Thank you so much for this.
Very nice clear and comprehensive video. After watching your video, this project seems like a doable upgrade. I completely understand what you mean about experts on the internet. I spent 4 hours modding WJ control arms and finally gave up. I ended up just replacing the bushings in my original control arms.
@@WAEMIDIV I got new Moogs which may have been part of the problem. They were just a little more expensive than pulling used from a yard and replacing the bushings. I completely rebuilt my front axle/suspension and didn’t want to put anything old back on. For the uppers I had to trim 3” forward of the underside and probably trimmed 1/3 of the tube on the outside facing side and 1/4 on the inner side. This was for proper drop because there is interference from the pinch weld. I could have bent the pinch welds out of the way but could not avoid the side cuts For the lowers I had to grind the bushings down around 1/8” on both sides so the arms would fit (front and rear). Then I had to round out the rear upper so it would not contact the firewall. Last I needed to clearance the upper part of the front to allow the axle to roll enough so the upper arms holes would line up. I gave up before clearancing the upper part of the lowers arms. If I can find your email I’ll send you some pictures of what they looked like. Probably even with all the cutting they would have been stronger than the C-channels from the XJ. It was hot and I had spent 6 hours fighting the new arms. I had to get the truck back on the road and I had the new bushings for the originals so that was the end. I may revisit because I do have to fix my rear main seal. (Great video of that by the way!)
Awesome video, I’ve seen a lot of videos on this and you definitely have the best one. Definitely gives me more confidence on going for it. Another plus about this swap, is that if you break a axel or bust a c-clip the disk breaks will prevent the axel and wheel from coming out. You will be able to limp it home at least.
I have a 2001 XJ and thank gawd I found your video. I was sweating bullets because my welding skills absolutely suck. I'm so bad that my welds look like someone dripped molten metal pellets on to the joint. I'm so bad that I could burn a hole in a steel I-beam. But I digress, thanks again. I'll be playing this while I do the swap this weekend. And I'm subscribing.
I haven't finished this video yet, but I am super excited to watch it! I did this swap on my lifted xj and I watched a lot of videos. The most difficult part was figuring out the soft line, the ZJ soft line was too short, so I ended up using the standard front brake lines, and then drilling and tapping a hole. No welding required, and all stock, replaceable parts! :D
By far the BEST Video on this conversion out here. I’ve already done this conversion on my 99 with 2004 Liberty parts but wish like hell I would’ve found this video before hand, this is what how to videos should look like, AWESOME JOB!!!
Too little, too late I know, but if you replace the center pin as soon as you remove the C clips and axles, it will hold the spider gears in place until you are ready to replace the axles. Also, when doing this conversion, it would be a great time to do a lunch box locker upgrade. Thanks for the video and commentary. Great job!
Spent 20 years living in Wisconsin, owned two Cherokees, might of passed you on freeway? Safest ride when you have 2 feet of snow and an hour drive to work. Green Bay area. Miss the Spotted Cow beer, you can have the cheese. Excellent as always, thank you! - Edited
I did this conversion to my 93 4 door xj with 4wd, and thought I’d share some differences. I used Powerstop calipers , but also brake shoes and slotted/drilled rotors from them. I used ZJ rubber hoses to connect to Stock brake hard lines (bent them to needed position and they are in decent shape). The hoses had an L bracket with mount hole - we widened the hole, cut part of bracket off and mounted it on one of the leaf spring bolts. Works beautifully. I also used Crown disc brake cables. Point to note- 95 and older had brake lever in center, and the parking brake cables are equal length, but crown had disc cables for this, as well as 97-01. The 94 and older models have a single diaphragm brake booster. But the double diaphragm booster from 95-96 is drop in fit for 91- 94, so I swapped that in + went to newer style reservoir. I had to grab brake reservoir to proportioning Valve lines from a ZJ and bent them slightly, but no complications. My observations- going to rear disc made a HUGE difference on overall braking for me. Much faster and stronger. I also live in greater Seattle area where rain is common, and these make big difference braking in rain. I almost had accident - the disc brakes prevented that. If XJ was still on drum brake , I likely would have rear ended the car. I installed a g2 diff cover on my 8.25. It has drain plug, max level overflow plug, and fill plug. When filling, you add oil until it just starts to drip from max level, then put fill & fill overflow plugs in. Makes oil change much easier + plugs have magnets to grab metal particles. The lube locker is the bomb; so glad I converted to it
I bet you also saw better braking moreso due to the diaphragm upgrade, those older brake boosters are actually known to be terrible, there was a recall for them and a highly recommended swap for the pre 95 guys. My MJ's brakes are literally entirely brand new but they always sucked in comparison to the 01XJ, I bet that diaphragm is why. Never bothered me though because Renix's engine brake is alot more effective and I hardly use the brakes so you knocked out a lot of weak points at the same time, sounds like a good ✅️
@@WAEMIDIV I didn’t do the brake booster swap at same time. The disc brake conversion ran late , so booster and newer reservoir didn’t get swapped for a week (the zj prop valve was done however). Even without the diaphragm & reservoir swap, there was significant improvement on braking. The friend helping me had thought conversion was not really worth it , but when he test drove it and felt difference, he was stunned and changed to believing it was well worth it. He wants to do this for his daughters 91 now. :) I haven’t worked on remix era xj or mj, but it’s interesting to hear the engine braking is much better. I did run into someone with an AMC era xj, and it was fun to compare differences.
Hello there I'm doing the conversion on a 1992 XJ you mentioned using "I also used Crown disc brake cables. Point to note- 95 and older had brake lever in center, and the parking brake cables are equal length, but crown had disc cables for this, as well as 97-01." would you have a part number? Did you order from Quadratech?
Thanks for the tip on parking brake cables. Looks like Crown makes them for my 93 as well. I’ve been looking for something to use since I made the swap.
Really good video on it! I've been wanting to do a Disc swap on my 99 XJ since owning a loving my old 99 S-10 blazer's rear disc brakes. Disc brake are more sure footed when you step on the brake.
A couple things…. First, coming from a guy that spent many years doing brakes professionally, good job. Next, although I can’t remember ever having to replace the parking brake on a liberty, it looked like that white spring on top was rubbing on the lever. Maybe upside down on wrong side. I saw that’s how it came off but if years of experience taught me anything. It’s that just because someone else put on that way doesn’t make it right. Last it you put the cross pin back in the diff immediately after you pop the axles out, you’ll save yourself a tremendous amount of heartache messing around with spider gears.
The thing is the KJ parking brakes are not mirrored, either side is identical, so there is no backwards/ inverted position for the spring. But it seems to work, I dunno
@@WAEMIDIV it seemed to be made to go around the linkage but it curved right up on it. It didn’t inhibit the function. So I guess run it. Glad to see you addressed the proportioning valve. Most people doing swaps like this have no idea.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The KJ Liberty backing plates shown in the video are MOPAR #52129177AD, which has been discontinued (and was $500 new!!). Good luck finding this part for sale anywhere- and a separate rear caliper carrier was never offered, as far as I can tell. Wanting to use all-new parts for my install, I purchased the Dorman 924-657 backing plate kit, and the PowerStop calipers shown in the video. The Dorman plates DO NOT INCLUDE the caliper carrier and integral parking brake support. Without this part, there is no way to mount a caliper to the plate, at all. If doing this swap, you MUST acquire the backing plate/caliper carrier assembly from a donor vehicle, fully intact. Lesson learned!
Good information, I really wanted to do all new parts myself, but gave up after running into stuff like that. Another reason I typically don't do "mods" like this. I don't like having people rely on donor vehicles, but sometimes there's no other option. Thankfully the world has no shortage of scrapped KJs
@@WAEMIDIV Typical pitfalls of working on a 23-year-old car! Still, without a doubt, yours is the absolute best video on the topic. Thanks for the fantastic content :)
Man, this video is awesome. You really kept my attention throughout the whole video with your commentary. I do have a question though. If I didn’t feel like messing with the parking brake, could I just leave that all not hooked up? Also, if I did that, what could I eliminate from the liberty parts list. Hopefully you see this and can answer. Thanks!
yeah if you don't want a parking brake all together, you can just remove the cables and all the hardware and brake shoes. The disc brakes work entirely independently from the parking brake, everything will work
You should do a poll on where your audience is within the US. You doubted we'd have to deal with as much rust as you have to, but I'm in Minnesota... It writes itself
I know they can get a lot worse, I've seen a leaf shackle pressed up against the spare tire before with more of the floor missing than was left. I think with a rusty XJ, it's within the boundaries of expectations to plan for it. My old silver one was alot worse than this white one is, and I learned watching videos online where nothing ever goes wrong, to treat rust like an entitled customer, and give it what it wants so it goes away. My MJ is about to split in half come the next few potholes, the entire bottom-facing surface of the frame is completely gone under the cab, and in my last MJ video we saw I had to cut, press, pound and break all sorts of bolts to get them out. I know rust. And so do you. PB and a torch are your best friends up there in the midwest.
I have been thinking about making the conversation, but I have the problem of not wanting to lose the ABS and I can't seem to find info on how to do the conversion without losing ABS. As soon as my drums on the non-ABS model go bad, I will do the swap.
I was curious about ABS also, and I'm confident it's possible. The Liberty has the same rear axle and uses tone rings and speed sensors that should fit right on the XJ's axle, the problem would be in the electronics themselves. I'm not so certain a KJ ABS sensor would properly communicate with an XJ ABS module. I'm sure it could be done though, but I've never really bothered with XJ ABS because it never works anyway. Hardly any XJs even have it
Yes, they are the Monroe shocks I got them from RockAuto. I got them to help out the leaf springs because I carry a lot of heavy loads all over the place all the time, and they work very well. They stopped the leafs from sagging, and actually smoothed out the back end too, it almost feels like it's a ZJ with rear coils. The only drawback I've found is they lift the back about 2" when unloaded. But I like them very much
They are load-adjusting shocks, designed to help out the leaf springs when carrying extra weight. They work impressively well, and did help out the sagging leafs, but just kinda delayed the inevitable and I need new leafs now anyway. But they're nice shocks, Monroe sells them on Rockauto
@@WAEMIDIV Thanks, I'm gonna get these since my leaf are sagging, until I can swap them out! Keep us the videos. Also I just finished my 2WD to 4WD Conversion by watching your transmission videos great work!
With Drum brakes, if you break an axle, spider gears, etc., the axles CAN and WILL come out! Disc brakes, same situation, the calipers WILL hold the axles in ;-)
That depends on an incredible multitude of things; what year, vehicle, engine, and harness you used, if the 4wd switch itself is bad, if you spliced or repinned or neither, and if your dashboard even has a bulb in the slot. I can't give you a fix based on the provided information. As far as I know you 4x4 swapped a 1928 Ford model T that has a 6.7L Powerstroke turbodiesel mated to a Chevy transmission and a Dodge transfer case, using bread bag ties for wiring and ratchet straps for a crossmember. I have no idea
"better" not really, because as I explained in the video, if the stock Drum brakes can already lock up the back wheels, then making them stronger doesn't help anything, it just makes it easier to skid tires. However, if you have a heavily modified vehicle (or tow things) and the drums cannot lock up the back wheels anymore, then a disc brake swap would definitely help.
I agree especially if you have very heavy large tires say over 32" and over 60 wide! I found that having really really large tires for a Cherokee which is both a daily driver, camping vehicle, and errand runner for Home Depot don't provide any benefit other than ones opinon on how it looks. The poor gas mileage, noise, excessive wear on drive line including brakes just doesn't make too much sense to me. Now if you are dedicating it for a specific use like rock crawling well that is a different attribute. One thing with Drum brakes you have to tighten them up manually now and then. The emergency brake method sort of works but not as good as going to the back of the drum removing the rubber cover to the port to the tooth wheel to tight up the pads. . I found the I get the best performance out of them when tuning them up. The true test is when empty find a street and try to look up your brakes if you find the rears dont lock up with the fronts with good control then you need to snug them up as stated.
They are load-adjusting shocks, designed to help carry extra weight in the back. I use the Jeep to transport stuff all the time, and some brand new Leaf Springs from Dorman only lasted about a year before they were sagging, so I got these shocks to help the leafs out. They also make the back end feel more like it's got a coil spring suspension instead of leafs, they kinda smooth it out while also retaining ride height with the trunk loaded down
@michael_fassbender They are load adjusting shocks, meant to increase payload capacity. They also make the ride noticeably smoother. I got them on rockauto, Monroe brand
It had dual exhaust pipes on it, so it's clearly got some mods! Whatever they are I want em! It was a 1991-1993, which are known to be the lightest of the Cherokees (Thinner engine block than Renix, less OBD-II stuff than 96+) but that was too epic to just be lighter I've been humiliated lol
You do not need the change the wheel bearings, just a "while you're there" thing you do need longer lug nut studs, because the face of the rotor is considerably thicker than the face of the drum. You lose a good amount of thread engagement and it needs to be made up for. This is why the front axle already has longer studs - because it also already has disc brakes
@philliprollman7421 I could never find the KJ Backing plate studs new either. They're a discontinued part and unless we find the exact measurement specifications for them, the only option is to source them from a KJ. However, you more than likely should be able to use the same studs from a ZJ, if you can find one of those any easier you need longer lug studs regardless of wheel type. We are changing the drum to a rotor, which is thicker, while keeping the same wheels. The thickness of the wheel does not change. The thickness of the brakes do - and by keeping the original lug studs, you lose about half of their thread engagement and thus risk the back wheels falling off
Never route your brake hoses away from the axle like this, period. On any vehicle or build, the hard line continues along the tube beyond the leaf spring, turns upwards, then connect to the hose that's bent back on itself. This is the difference between being a mechanic and thinking you are.
@marklinder9085 I know the camera perspective made it seem like I was a dumbass, but the nuts were only on by a few threads, leaving exposed threads behind them, which is what the locktite went on. I am fully aware it does nothing if you put it on top of things.
I concur, ford engineering blunders are why I wont touch them with a 10' pole. Example; my father owned a ford tempo & mercury topaz. To replace the water pump you have remove the engine or cut a hole in the inner fender well.
I do off road I like my drum specially go up the mountain you need handbrake or is your life you play with yes is get handbrake with a disc brake but not like the drum you not will capable to do 180 with wit dis break whit your handbrake I don't think so advantage and disadvantage is what you wanna to do with it
while I appreciate the concept of no power tools or welders you really need to anchor those hard lines or else they are going to move around and eventually fatigue and break. Great walk through other then that.
I have used the very professional method of wrapping zip ties around them in multiple spots, so they don't move at all in relation to the axle. I wish they had those protective casings around them like the stock lines do
Get a hearty deadblow hammer for knocking the beans out of your ratchet. It hurts a lot less when you miss and smack a knuckle. Not saying from experience or anything
![Jeep Cherokee: 2wd to 4x4 Swap: Everything You Need to Know to Install Factory 4wd [‘87-’01 XJ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/pBAFsMBl45M/mqdefault.jpg)
Acoustic power tools only
You’re literally the only guy who makes in deep detail videos that we can follow thank you men God bless you
I've already done this to my XJ. I just came to watch cause you're videos are entertaining AF. thanks man
What'd you think of the swap, do you have a lifted/ modded XJ?
@@WAEMIDIV The swap gives me peace of mind for future maintenance. I didn't notice "night and day" difference of breaking but she still stops. I have a 4.5" lift with big ol Goodyear Duratrac 33s and a buncha mod weight on the whole rig.
and to be fully honest, I haven't finished the parking brake because of the same problems you were facing. I'm thankful you took it to the full resolution so I can benefit from your knowledge!
@SamVeneman yes the annoying adjusters were not cooperating with me at all. I eventually just did it with the tires on and Jeep on the ground. Drove around and briefly smelled burning brake shoe, but after the initial surface of material wore off it's been fine. The parking brake lever certainly feels different too
Basic tip: Pack the back side of the seal with grease to keep spring from jumping out of the seal when you drive the seal in, it happens.
i’ve literally just started trying to research this exact topic, and you drop this right now. what a man
Just in time!
I agree with other commenters, this is by far the best video. We all appreciate the hours of work you put into this for our benefit. Good things will circle back around to you.
man this video popped up in my for you page and i expected it to be like a no commentary walk thru to kinda fall asleep to, but this was so entertaining and just so fucking funny and VERY informative i watched the whole thing. thank you
"Im not that into the modification stuff." Proceeds to mention he is 4wd swapping his 2wd. LOL. Awesome video, can't wait for the 4x4 swap.
See, I look at the 4wd Swap as "changing factory options"
I, going into it, know preemptively that all of the 4wd stuff will fit and bolt right on to a 2wd XJ, because the XJ was obviously offered with factory 4wd.
When it comes to something like the disc brakes, the XJ never had them, and therefore there is no such thing as "XJ rear disc brake parts", and we hence need to source them from other vehicles, and as a result some things might just not work (Ford Explorer Parking Brake Cables)
@@WAEMIDIV valid point, the disks were never factory. Never realized that you haven't done many modifications, just adding those rare factory options. Pretty cool.
I followed this step by step and now my XJ can now drive vertically up walls.. 🙏🏽 you made this easy
Love the videos, keep them coming. They have given me tons of info for working on my 01 xj that I just got all the parts to do this exact swap to. I would've loved to have your walk through when researching this swap but glad I have it now.
You have convinced me to rebuild my stock rear drum brakes. Thank you!
Dude I am appreciative that I own an XJ at the same time you do. Ive been putting this off because nobodys demonstrated a true bolt on upgrade. Thanks a ton!
heya you saved me in Mississippi!
Thank you for putting the links for the parts that’s is absolutely heavenly
I had the axle rebuilt with an LSD and decided it would be a good time to add the disc brakes. I just finished my conversion following this vid. It went perfectly. Thank you so much for this.
How much did a rebuild cost you? Including the LSD install
@@WAEMIDIV parts and labor was $1250. I bought the parts and brought them in.
Very nice clear and comprehensive video. After watching your video, this project seems like a doable upgrade.
I completely understand what you mean about experts on the internet. I spent 4 hours modding WJ control arms and finally gave up. I ended up just replacing the bushings in my original control arms.
What went wrong with the WJ arms? I've heard they're apparently a direct bolt on
@@WAEMIDIV
I got new Moogs which may have been part of the problem. They were just a little more expensive than pulling used from a yard and replacing the bushings. I completely rebuilt my front axle/suspension and didn’t want to put anything old back on.
For the uppers I had to trim 3” forward of the underside and probably trimmed 1/3 of the tube on the outside facing side and 1/4 on the inner side. This was for proper drop because there is interference from the pinch weld. I could have bent the pinch welds out of the way but could not avoid the side cuts
For the lowers I had to grind the bushings down around 1/8” on both sides so the arms would fit (front and rear). Then I had to round out the rear upper so it would not contact the firewall. Last I needed to clearance the upper part of the front to allow the axle to roll enough so the upper arms holes would line up. I gave up before clearancing the upper part of the lowers arms. If I can find your email I’ll send you some pictures of what they looked like. Probably even with all the cutting they would have been stronger than the C-channels from the XJ.
It was hot and I had spent 6 hours fighting the new arms. I had to get the truck back on the road and I had the new bushings for the originals so that was the end. I may revisit because I do have to fix my rear main seal. (Great video of that by the way!)
@angelopetraglia8326 well that certainly sounds like a not-bolt-on upgrade. I will note this
Awesome video, I’ve seen a lot of videos on this and you definitely have the best one. Definitely gives me more confidence on going for it. Another plus about this swap, is that if you break a axel or bust a c-clip the disk breaks will prevent the axel and wheel from coming out. You will be able to limp it home at least.
I have a 2001 XJ and thank gawd I found your video. I was sweating bullets because my welding skills absolutely suck. I'm so bad that my welds look like someone dripped molten metal pellets on to the joint. I'm so bad that I could burn a hole in a steel I-beam. But I digress, thanks again. I'll be playing this while I do the swap this weekend. And I'm subscribing.
yep I've never welded a thing in my life, so you're already better at it than me
The detail is awesome! Thank you so much for taking the time to make this!
The BEST video I have found on this subject. Thank you!!
Lol I love the description of the crisp vs the drum at the end LMAO great video!
Good tip for cutting cables, I had to abandon a 8.25 from a junkyard because I couldn't get them loose from the backing plate.
Somehow between replacing drum brake pads and doing this swap, this seems like the less complicated option
I haven't finished this video yet, but I am super excited to watch it! I did this swap on my lifted xj and I watched a lot of videos. The most difficult part was figuring out the soft line, the ZJ soft line was too short, so I ended up using the standard front brake lines, and then drilling and tapping a hole. No welding required, and all stock, replaceable parts! :D
By far the BEST Video on this conversion out here. I’ve already done this conversion on my 99 with 2004 Liberty parts but wish like hell I would’ve found this video before hand, this is what how to videos should look like, AWESOME JOB!!!
Excellent job, thanks!
Too little, too late I know, but if you replace the center pin as soon as you remove the C clips and axles, it will hold the spider gears in place until you are ready to replace the axles. Also, when doing this conversion, it would be a great time to do a lunch box locker upgrade. Thanks for the video and commentary. Great job!
Spent 20 years living in Wisconsin, owned two Cherokees, might of passed you on freeway? Safest ride when you have 2 feet of snow and an hour drive to work. Green Bay area. Miss the Spotted Cow beer, you can have the cheese. Excellent as always, thank you!
- Edited
I had an uncle who lived in GB, but I haven't been up there in years. I'm glad you've escaped cheese land
I did this conversion to my 93 4 door xj with 4wd, and thought I’d share some differences.
I used Powerstop calipers , but also brake shoes and slotted/drilled rotors from them.
I used ZJ rubber hoses to connect to Stock brake hard lines (bent them to needed position and they are in decent shape). The hoses had an L bracket with mount hole - we widened the hole, cut part of bracket off and mounted it on one of the leaf spring bolts. Works beautifully.
I also used Crown disc brake cables. Point to note- 95 and older had brake lever in center, and the parking brake cables are equal length, but crown had disc cables for this, as well as 97-01.
The 94 and older models have a single diaphragm brake booster. But the double diaphragm booster from 95-96 is drop in fit for 91- 94, so I swapped that in + went to newer style reservoir. I had to grab brake reservoir to proportioning Valve lines from a ZJ and bent them slightly, but no complications.
My observations- going to rear disc made a HUGE difference on overall braking for me. Much faster and stronger. I also live in greater Seattle area where rain is common, and these make big difference braking in rain. I almost had accident - the disc brakes prevented that. If XJ was still on drum brake , I likely would have rear ended the car.
I installed a g2 diff cover on my 8.25. It has drain plug, max level overflow plug, and fill plug. When filling, you add oil until it just starts to drip from max level, then put fill & fill overflow plugs in. Makes oil change much easier + plugs have magnets to grab metal particles.
The lube locker is the bomb; so glad I converted to it
I bet you also saw better braking moreso due to the diaphragm upgrade, those older brake boosters are actually known to be terrible, there was a recall for them and a highly recommended swap for the pre 95 guys. My MJ's brakes are literally entirely brand new but they always sucked in comparison to the 01XJ, I bet that diaphragm is why. Never bothered me though because Renix's engine brake is alot more effective and I hardly use the brakes
so you knocked out a lot of weak points at the same time, sounds like a good ✅️
@@WAEMIDIV I didn’t do the brake booster swap at same time. The disc brake conversion ran late , so booster and newer reservoir didn’t get swapped for a week (the zj prop valve was done however). Even without the diaphragm & reservoir swap, there was significant improvement on braking. The friend helping me had thought conversion was not really worth it , but when he test drove it and felt difference, he was stunned and changed to believing it was well worth it. He wants to do this for his daughters 91 now. :)
I haven’t worked on remix era xj or mj, but it’s interesting to hear the engine braking is much better. I did run into someone with an AMC era xj, and it was fun to compare differences.
Hello there I'm doing the conversion on a 1992 XJ you mentioned using "I also used Crown disc brake cables. Point to note- 95 and older had brake lever in center, and the parking brake cables are equal length, but crown had disc cables for this, as well as 97-01." would you have a part number? Did you order from Quadratech?
About to do this swap right now.
r e a l l y
Thanks for the tip on parking brake cables. Looks like Crown makes them for my 93 as well. I’ve been looking for something to use since I made the swap.
Really good video on it! I've been wanting to do a Disc swap on my 99 XJ since owning a loving my old 99 S-10 blazer's rear disc brakes. Disc brake are more sure footed when you step on the brake.
Love the ford screw up old internet modem sound. Got ya big time.
Really love this style of video with the interjected jokes, would love to see this with other XJ topics or even a D44 swap into an MJ!
WOAH woah woah a Dana 44 swap?? Calm down there guy, calm down!
first I gotta get 35s!
I've been meaning to get around to this swap as I tow a lot with my jeep. Maybe this video will finally make me do it lol. Thanks.
Yes, for towing I bet this would actually help quite a bit!
Never thought of the reverse braking advantage of disk brakes. Good for the boat launch.
commenting to hopefully kick engagement up and get this to the top of the lists!
Well done video sir...
Thanks for the video , very informative.
Excellent video!
Thank you for service
Great video as always!
Thumbs up for the 2400 baud music.
A couple things…. First, coming from a guy that spent many years doing brakes professionally, good job.
Next, although I can’t remember ever having to replace the parking brake on a liberty, it looked like that white spring on top was rubbing on the lever. Maybe upside down on wrong side. I saw that’s how it came off but if years of experience taught me anything. It’s that just because someone else put on that way doesn’t make it right. Last it you put the cross pin back in the diff immediately after you pop the axles out, you’ll save yourself a tremendous amount of heartache messing around with spider gears.
The thing is the KJ parking brakes are not mirrored, either side is identical, so there is no backwards/ inverted position for the spring. But it seems to work, I dunno
@@WAEMIDIV it seemed to be made to go around the linkage but it curved right up on it. It didn’t inhibit the function. So I guess run it.
Glad to see you addressed the proportioning valve. Most people doing swaps like this have no idea.
Pretty sure I’m in the don’t need to category but it definitely looks like a great project.
You could use metal hose clamps and a piece of rubber hose to clamp them brake lines to the axle tubes .. YW ! 😁 That looks like Summerfield?
IMPORTANT NOTE: The KJ Liberty backing plates shown in the video are MOPAR #52129177AD, which has been discontinued (and was $500 new!!). Good luck finding this part for sale anywhere- and a separate rear caliper carrier was never offered, as far as I can tell. Wanting to use all-new parts for my install, I purchased the Dorman 924-657 backing plate kit, and the PowerStop calipers shown in the video. The Dorman plates DO NOT INCLUDE the caliper carrier and integral parking brake support.
Without this part, there is no way to mount a caliper to the plate, at all.
If doing this swap, you MUST acquire the backing plate/caliper carrier assembly from a donor vehicle, fully intact. Lesson learned!
Good information, I really wanted to do all new parts myself, but gave up after running into stuff like that. Another reason I typically don't do "mods" like this.
I don't like having people rely on donor vehicles, but sometimes there's no other option. Thankfully the world has no shortage of scrapped KJs
@@WAEMIDIV Typical pitfalls of working on a 23-year-old car!
Still, without a doubt, yours is the absolute best video on the topic. Thanks for the fantastic content :)
QUESTION: Why are longer wheel studs required? Great Video!
The disc rotor is thicker than the face of the drum
thank you.. EXCELLANT video.
Man, this video is awesome. You really kept my attention throughout the whole video with your commentary. I do have a question though. If I didn’t feel like messing with the parking brake, could I just leave that all not hooked up? Also, if I did that, what could I eliminate from the liberty parts list. Hopefully you see this and can answer. Thanks!
yeah if you don't want a parking brake all together, you can just remove the cables and all the hardware and brake shoes. The disc brakes work entirely independently from the parking brake, everything will work
Can i use the 06 kj abs backing plates to complete the swap on my non abs 8.25 or do i need non abs kj backing plates
@@juniormartinez1807 You can use the ABS backing plates they're the same aside from the wheel speed sensor, which can just sit there unplugged
I was hoping so thanks for the reply I was just going to remove speed sensors and bolt from backing plates and install
You should do a poll on where your audience is within the US. You doubted we'd have to deal with as much rust as you have to, but I'm in Minnesota... It writes itself
I know they can get a lot worse, I've seen a leaf shackle pressed up against the spare tire before with more of the floor missing than was left.
I think with a rusty XJ, it's within the boundaries of expectations to plan for it. My old silver one was alot worse than this white one is, and I learned watching videos online where nothing ever goes wrong, to treat rust like an entitled customer, and give it what it wants so it goes away.
My MJ is about to split in half come the next few potholes, the entire bottom-facing surface of the frame is completely gone under the cab, and in my last MJ video we saw I had to cut, press, pound and break all sorts of bolts to get them out.
I know rust. And so do you. PB and a torch are your best friends up there in the midwest.
I have been thinking about making the conversation, but I have the problem of not wanting to lose the ABS and I can't seem to find info on how to do the conversion without losing ABS. As soon as my drums on the non-ABS model go bad, I will do the swap.
I was curious about ABS also, and I'm confident it's possible. The Liberty has the same rear axle and uses tone rings and speed sensors that should fit right on the XJ's axle, the problem would be in the electronics themselves. I'm not so certain a KJ ABS sensor would properly communicate with an XJ ABS module.
I'm sure it could be done though, but I've never really bothered with XJ ABS because it never works anyway. Hardly any XJs even have it
What parking brake cables do i need for 88 xj
Did you run into one parking brake cable being too long?
Nicely done Waemid.👌That 4 door sure did smoke you 😂😂😂😂
I was in disbelief! It was like a 93 or something, I thought they didn't have a chance. Put me in my place!
hi what parking brake cable would you recommend for 1989? I would order teraflex but I need it for tomorrow. please help!
Hey the Delwalt ratchet 3/8 drive has two versions, I am not sure which one your using, but one of them can't handle the hammer.
I have a 2001 wrangler with a Dana 35. Will this conversion work?
Or if I upgrade to a Dana 44 what would I use?
You have links for everything new except the ZJ proportioning valve parts - are those junkyard only? I'm having a hard time finding online.
Yes, I was only able to find them used. You'll have to find a ZJ being parted out somewhere
You use the old XJ axle shafts right? I've got limited slip on my 8.25 XJ
Yes, the only reason we remove the axle shafts is to fit the new backing plate behind them, and punch out the wheel studs
I'm noticing the coil over shocks you got there, are those the MONROE 58594? How do they perform, you like em?
Yes, they are the Monroe shocks I got them from RockAuto. I got them to help out the leaf springs because I carry a lot of heavy loads all over the place all the time, and they work very well.
They stopped the leafs from sagging, and actually smoothed out the back end too, it almost feels like it's a ZJ with rear coils. The only drawback I've found is they lift the back about 2" when unloaded. But I like them very much
16:38 did you really put the lock tight on last/ on the nuts in stead of the threads? 😅
The nuts were all loose, I put on locktite (which kinda got all over everything), then tightened them, then torqued them
Great video, what kind of shocks are you using?
They are load-adjusting shocks, designed to help out the leaf springs when carrying extra weight. They work impressively well, and did help out the sagging leafs, but just kinda delayed the inevitable and I need new leafs now anyway. But they're nice shocks, Monroe sells them on Rockauto
@@WAEMIDIV Thanks, I'm gonna get these since my leaf are sagging, until I can swap them out! Keep us the videos. Also I just finished my 2WD to 4WD Conversion by watching your transmission videos great work!
With Drum brakes, if you break an axle, spider gears, etc., the axles CAN and WILL come out! Disc brakes, same situation, the calipers WILL hold the axles in ;-)
Did you apply thread locker to the outside of a fastened nut and bolt?
no they were just on the end of the threads, with exposed threads behind them. Threadlocker went on the threads, not on the outside of the nut
Finished my 4x4 swap I got the harness on and my 4x4 lights don’t work still how do I fix?
That depends on an incredible multitude of things; what year, vehicle, engine, and harness you used, if the 4wd switch itself is bad, if you spliced or repinned or neither, and if your dashboard even has a bulb in the slot. I can't give you a fix based on the provided information. As far as I know you 4x4 swapped a 1928 Ford model T that has a 6.7L Powerstroke turbodiesel mated to a Chevy transmission and a Dodge transfer case, using bread bag ties for wiring and ratchet straps for a crossmember. I have no idea
Does the swap provide better rear braking compared to stock? I have hear mixed reviews that most rear disc brake kits are too small.
"better" not really, because as I explained in the video, if the stock Drum brakes can already lock up the back wheels, then making them stronger doesn't help anything, it just makes it easier to skid tires. However, if you have a heavily modified vehicle (or tow things) and the drums cannot lock up the back wheels anymore, then a disc brake swap would definitely help.
I agree especially if you have very heavy large tires say over 32" and over 60 wide! I found that having really really large tires for a Cherokee which is both a daily driver, camping vehicle, and errand runner for Home Depot don't provide any benefit other than ones opinon on how it looks. The poor gas mileage, noise, excessive wear on drive line including brakes just doesn't make too much sense to me. Now if you are dedicating it for a specific use like rock crawling well that is a different attribute. One thing with Drum brakes you have to tighten them up manually now and then. The emergency brake method sort of works but not as good as going to the back of the drum removing the rubber cover to the port to the tooth wheel to tight up the pads. . I found the I get the best performance out of them when tuning them up. The true test is when empty find a street and try to look up your brakes if you find the rears dont lock up with the fronts with good control then you need to snug them up as stated.
The iron man joke goes hard 😂
What size socket did you use for the backing plate bolts
The nuts on those bolts were somewhere around 1/2", but the bolts themselves are press fit - they don't have a hex head
What about if you have ABS on my 92 I installed a 8.25 on. DO you need to do anything different with the port valve?
@cameronwebb3959 nope the proportioning valve is all good
Nice job!
Why do you have springs over your shocks? Not seen that before
They are load-adjusting shocks, designed to help carry extra weight in the back. I use the Jeep to transport stuff all the time, and some brand new Leaf Springs from Dorman only lasted about a year before they were sagging, so I got these shocks to help the leafs out.
They also make the back end feel more like it's got a coil spring suspension instead of leafs, they kinda smooth it out while also retaining ride height with the trunk loaded down
@@WAEMIDIV that’s cool, didn’t know they were a thing. Thank you
Bro question, is there any way to tell what transmission came with a Comanche from the vin number?
Yes there are VIN decoders out there. If you register it with ComancheClubForums they'll decode it for you and can tell which transmission it had
what rear shocks are those?
@michael_fassbender They are load adjusting shocks, meant to increase payload capacity. They also make the ride noticeably smoother. I got them on rockauto, Monroe brand
Next time paint the rotors red to match the calipers. 2X the stopping power with red disc's.
That old white XJ was quick! LOL
It had dual exhaust pipes on it, so it's clearly got some mods! Whatever they are I want em!
It was a 1991-1993, which are known to be the lightest of the Cherokees (Thinner engine block than Renix, less OBD-II stuff than 96+) but that was too epic to just be lighter
I've been humiliated lol
@@WAEMIDIVYea that was sick!
Is it necessary to change the bearing out for a 8.25? And do I need longer wheel studs?
You do not need the change the wheel bearings, just a "while you're there" thing
you do need longer lug nut studs, because the face of the rotor is considerably thicker than the face of the drum. You lose a good amount of thread engagement and it needs to be made up for. This is why the front axle already has longer studs - because it also already has disc brakes
@@WAEMIDIV thanks i keep getting different answers about it.
I have steel wheels can I just keep my factory lug nuts and I been looking all over I can't find new jeep liberty backing plate studs and nuts
@philliprollman7421 I could never find the KJ Backing plate studs new either. They're a discontinued part and unless we find the exact measurement specifications for them, the only option is to source them from a KJ. However, you more than likely should be able to use the same studs from a ZJ, if you can find one of those any easier
you need longer lug studs regardless of wheel type. We are changing the drum to a rotor, which is thicker, while keeping the same wheels. The thickness of the wheel does not change. The thickness of the brakes do - and by keeping the original lug studs, you lose about half of their thread engagement and thus risk the back wheels falling off
@WAEMID IV thanks buddy I appreciate the info just wanted to know before I do all this and get stuck.
i just wonder why the "TIMKEN" bearing has "KOYO" written on it. 😆
Never route your brake hoses away from the axle like this, period. On any vehicle or build, the hard line continues along the tube beyond the leaf spring, turns upwards, then connect to the hose that's bent back on itself. This is the difference between being a mechanic and thinking you are.
As soon as you poured locktite over the studs AFTER the nuts were on, that's when I tuned out. That's NOT how you use locktite.
@marklinder9085 I know the camera perspective made it seem like I was a dumbass, but the nuts were only on by a few threads, leaving exposed threads behind them, which is what the locktite went on. I am fully aware it does nothing if you put it on top of things.
I concur, ford engineering blunders are why I wont touch them with a 10' pole.
Example; my father owned a ford tempo & mercury topaz. To replace the water pump you have remove the engine or cut a hole in the inner fender well.
I always say at my workplace we'd be out of business if not for Fords. Always coming in with broken shit, and always being a complete pain to fix
I do off road I like my drum specially go up the mountain you need handbrake or is your life you play with
yes is get handbrake with a disc brake but not like the drum you not will capable to do 180 with wit dis break whit your handbrake I don't think so
advantage and disadvantage is what you wanna to do with it
Wishing a Lego step! 🤣
while I appreciate the concept of no power tools or welders you really need to anchor those hard lines or else they are going to move around and eventually fatigue and break. Great walk through other then that.
I have used the very professional method of wrapping zip ties around them in multiple spots, so they don't move at all in relation to the axle. I wish they had those protective casings around them like the stock lines do
you could have just bought two of the same parking brake cables for the ford and it would have been fine
21:14 LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Nothing like cave man tools on break job... Good video the comedy was a bonus!!
Awesome less nose dive
Get a hearty deadblow hammer for knocking the beans out of your ratchet. It hurts a lot less when you miss and smack a knuckle. Not saying from experience or anything
10/10 but I'm gonna be a bitch and use power tools.
No problem with using power tools lol, I just don't like watching videos where they claim they won't and then do
@@WAEMIDIV Oh 100% agree! I was thoroughly entertained throughout your video.