Front disc brake conversion

[JWestfall]

71 Wagoneer with Dana 30 closed knuckle front axle. Installing front disc brake conversion and the caliper hits my shocks just before full stop. Can’t re-clock the caliper. What am I missing? Do I adjust the bump stops and have the turning radius of the Titanic?

[tgreese]

... Can’t re-clock the caliper. ...

Why not? Redrill the brackets.

Nickmil is the expert here - http://www.earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.ph ... ds/145504/

May be more threads about this in this search - https://www.bing.com/search?q=site%3Aea ... interferes

I think the only feature of the BJ's kit's brackets: they are pre-drilled to allow rotation of the caliper. Seems like this indicates that you can clock the caliper brackets and it will work. No need to move the shock towers (though you could).
https://bjsoffroad.com/1963-1973-front- ... rsion-kit/

[Stuka]

Do you have any photos?

Also, did this kit come with new knuckles per haps, meaning the steering stops need to be adjusted?

The location is the shocks is roughly the same between closed and open knuckle axles. And the vast majority of open knuckle axles have disc brakes (74-75 came standard with drums). And I have never seen one that hits the shock. And an open knuckle can turn sharper than a closed knuckle.

[JWestfall]

I have the stock knuckles. The calipers hit the shock tube because the shocks are mounted on the backside of the axle, rather than the front. I flipped the shocks so that the tube is on the top and adjusted the bump stops a little, so I have barely lost any steering. I know this is sometimes not ideal for the shocks, so I think I can weld on a new axle shock mount just inside of the original and that will move the shock enough to give me plenty steering travel.

[Stuka]

The shocks were on the backside of the axle on FSJ's that came with disc brakes, and the calipers were on the backside as well.

Moving the shock a bit is fine if it solves your issue. I wonder if the calipers in your kit are perhaps larger than OEM calipers.

[Herk]

When I did the swap on mine (25 years ago?!?) I had a problem with the banjo bolt on the hydraulic line hitting the shocks with the wheels turned all the way. It didn't limit turning, but would compress the caliper on the inside wheel meaning the brake pedal took a pump to bring it back up after a tight turn. Lived with it for a while but ultimately just moved the shock mount tabs in closer to the springs about 3/4" per side.

[Stuka]

When I did the swap on mine (25 years ago?!?) I had a problem with the banjo bolt on the hydraulic line hitting the shocks with the wheels turned all the way. It didn't limit turning, but would compress the caliper on the inside wheel meaning the brake pedal took a pump to bring it back up after a tight turn. Lived with it for a while but ultimately just moved the shock mount tabs in closer to the springs about 3/4" per side.

I was actually looking at your old posts because I recalled you doing a disc brake conversion on your J-Truck. Makes sense now why it looked like the shock was in the stock location if you changed it later on.

[Herk]

When I did the swap on mine (25 years ago?!?) I had a problem with the banjo bolt on the hydraulic line hitting the shocks with the wheels turned all the way. It didn't limit turning, but would compress the caliper on the inside wheel meaning the brake pedal took a pump to bring it back up after a tight turn. Lived with it for a while but ultimately just moved the shock mount tabs in closer to the springs about 3/4" per side.

I was actually looking at your old posts because I recalled you doing a disc brake conversion on your J-Truck. Makes sense now why it looked like the shock was in the stock location if you changed it later on.

Even after I moved them in, you'd have to get down there with a tape measure to tell the difference.