OK, got the brakes working better; turns out my right rear adjuster was seized, and not only that, but it was seized ALL THE WAY in. Pulled it out, clamped it in the vice, hit it with some PB Blaster, and then took some channel-lock pliers and cranked on it until it came loose (took me forever to figure out that it has backwards threads
), but I pulled it all the way apart, smothered it in neverseize, and put it back in, then adjusted it. Brakes are rock hard like they should be again.
However, they're still kind of a pain and tend to have stuff like this happen a lot, at least for what I've been around for with my family's XJ, the truck, and now my SJ. If nothing else, sure they have similar
power to the discs, but with discs you can make a hard stop, and then get back up to speed and make the same hard stop again, pretty much all day long, and you won't have a problem, whereas the drums just can't shed heat that fast. We just had the ZJ out in CO, where I'll be spending quite a bit of time, and on the way down the one super steep slope, all 4 wheels were smoking. I can only imagine that rear drums would have faded out LONG before that.
So I've been continuing to research the rear discs. I found this kit that would allow me to use Mustang rear calipers, BUT I'd have to figure out drilling the rotors and such.
https://www.mpbrakes.com/rear-brake-con ... FB0E8DE946
I also discovered that the '90s and '00s Isuzu Rodeos have a 6x5.5 rotor, that's not super thick like the GM ones are. Additionally, they went on a Dana 44 rear end. They have a parking brake/caliper setup that's very similar to the TJ and Explorer style rear disc brakes. I haven't been able to find the actual axle-to caliper brackets for sale anywhere is the issue, and additionally I can't verify one way or another whether or not they use the same flange on the outside axle. I suspect it's pretty close, possibly the same as the TJ, and there's always that outside chance that it DOES just bolt up. But they came with 15" and 16" wheels so it should clear, so if I can find it, that's absolutely the way I want to go. If anybody has any info or anything on the Rodeo brakes, please chime in.
'71 Wagoneer (DD)
-B350 (HEI, iron 4-barrel, Edelbrock 1406), TH400, D20
-'74 D44 front (nonpower discs)
-custom headliner
-Front shoulder belts (rears eventually)
viewtopic.php?t=23070
There are 2 major differences between new Wranglers and FSJs. FSJs are meant to be both utilitarian and capable, not just capable. FSJs are also rarely initially recognized as Jeeps by the average American.