Well I'm using the fullsize dodge brakes from the 70s and 80s. Talk about a HUGE single piston caliper. I know what you mean about the pad spacing on the older ranger brakes but thankfully the dodge ones are setup a good deal different. The only thing I'm worried about is that with the increase in size of the caliper that the master cylinder won't have enough capacity to actually work the calipers correctly. I'll have to take a picture tomorrow of the ranger caliper next to the dodge caliper and post it up for reference. The 1/2 ton brakes will certainly be nice though for stopping power, especially once I get disks in the rear. I guess I'm leaning towards the phenolic pistons for the rust factor and if they are good enough to stop 1/2, 3/4 and 1 ton trucks then it shouldn't be much of an issue on a little ranger like mine.
As for heading out that way I have no idea, I've been working 50-60 hours a week for the past 3 months and my weekends are now taken up maintaining my moms car, my girlfriends ranger and working on my axle to get it in the truck before my balljoints and wheel bearings go bad on the TIB. At least I have 80 percent of the parts I need for it now and can start to assemble the finished axle, I just need to order my locker so I can pull the carrier and the ring gear and install it and then new axle seals and get the carrier back in so I can put in the axleshafts and the rest of the hub parts. Damn Dana 44 not haveing any clearance for the crosspin to slip past the ring gear. And of course after I get the axle in I have to figure out something to do about my poor engine, it's using a quart of oil every 500 miles or so now, but I guess nearing 400K miles will do that to an engine.
-Jason
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