D30 brake upgrade options

[Str8sixfan]

I'm starting a SAS project (well at least accumulating parts) in which I already have a D30 secured from a 90s XJ.

The end goal is a 4 wheel disk operation when I can secure a explorer 8.8. With that being said, I kind of want to know what brake upgrades I can throw on a D30. Anyone know of a good sticky thread maybe on a jeep forum or something?

I know around here I've seen someone do a explorer sport trac disk (maybe 13" rotor?) swap on a D30.

My pig won't have a lot of power when I'm done, but I want to do the brakes portion right from the start so in the event on down the road I start throwing more power/bigger tires at the thing I can get it to stop appropriately. It seems like a lot of times in the 4x4 world this is one of the last areas addressed, so I'd rather address it up front so on down the road when kids come around and I can't spend as much on my project I can throw the fun things at it when I get that little window to spend.

 

[Str8sixfan]

nothing?

 

[dangerranger83]

Brakes from, if I remember right, off 1998+ or 2000+ D30 axles have dual piston calipers. The catch...you have to change the knuckles out due to the dual piston and single piston ones have different boltings plus I think that they have to shimmed so that the wheel sits up and down correctly.

Now you could get slotted and drilled rotors too. You can find brake upgrades for them in Jeep magazines too.

My D30 axle is an 85 and has from what I have found out has a larger piston caliper then those of the 90s ones but not sure that they are any better. I am currently running all stock brakes on mine and it stops my truck with no problems.

My truck is running 32 inch MT tires and is far from a power horse with the 2.8.

There are people on here that are running bigger tires and larger engines and have not said a word about braking problems so I think you will be fine with what it has.

 

[Str8sixfan]

Thanks that helps a little. I don't plan on throwing a lot of tire/power at my axle (likely somewhere between a 33-34" tire on 16s, so like 285s to 305s maybe), but I was thinking instead of doing an explorer rear upgrade with 4wheel disks I might just go overboard on the front disk set-up to keep costs down.

I won't have a lot of power either (2.3L here), but eventually on down the road (I dunno, 5 years after the swap), I'd like to throw some sort of 4cyl diesel motor at it. Probably won't ever really up the tire size beyond 35s, but I just sort of want whatever I put on the axle during the conversion to not be undersized clear down the road.

 

[dangerranger83]

You dont want to put anything over 35's on a D30 or you may be asking for trouble quickly unless you go chromo shafts and whatnot.

 

[Str8sixfan]

yup I'm aware of that...sort of why I worded the previous post the way I did.

 

[Str8sixfan]

Apparently some upgrade to Grand Cherokee rotors, but that involves getting the knuckle from them as well in addition to it changing the bolt pattern. I want to keep the 4.5 on 5.5 pattern, so I think I'll keep with the 4-wheel disk idea of swapping in an explorer 8.8

 

[cdawall]

There is nothing you can do to upgrade to larger front disks on a D30 without ditching 5 on 4.5" if you move to 5 on 5.5" you can swap a set of WJ knuckles on which will also give you crossover steering. It is a good swap, I highly recommend it. Cool thing is if you can run a cclip eliminator kit for the rear and move to 5 on 5.5" to match.

There was a rumor floating around a bit that the dual piston sport trac caliper and rotors on a D30 you just have shim them. I have not seen anyone do this however. I know for a fact the 2005 ranger calipers are not even close bolt hole wise.

 

[dangerranger83]

I may look into the sport track thing. What years were they dual piston, if not all of them?

 

[dangerranger83]

I found this video on youtube for fitting a 2002 rotor on a D30. Dont know if it will work for an XJ but it may.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJAgPJFJHHI

If doing this I recommend having a backup unit bearing with this mod already done to it so that you can do a quick replacement if needed.

I will looking around more for such info. on sport track brake swap stuff.

Heres a link to somemore stuff I found on it. Looks like it has to be shimmed .188 to .250. Some have used washers to space and there might be custom brackets made by Custom Overkill Fabrications (going to look into that).

 

[Str8sixfan]

There was a rumor floating around a bit that the dual piston sport trac caliper and rotors on a D30 you just have shim them. I have not seen anyone do this however. I know for a fact the 2005 ranger calipers are not even close bolt hole wise.

Don't know the user's name off the top of my head, but I believe the guy with a red extended cab with a supercharged 4.0 did the sport trac brakes. I think he got those orange d44 knuckles that work on a d30 too. He did have to shim 'em.

 

[Str8sixfan]

I know around here I've seen someone do a explorer sport trac disk (maybe 13" rotor?) swap on a D30.

Here's the build I was thinking of:

WJ knuckles+Sport Trac disks/calipers/hubs

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80533&highlight=d30

 

[dangerranger83]

Ive seen that build thread, was a great one too. The info for the brake swap needs to be put in the tech library as I see it useful to others that may want to upgrade their brakes.

 

[Str8sixfan]

I'm reconsidering this route...cheaper way for cross-over steering without having to throw the money on the knuckles and linkage. Would then only have to spend the $ on the (teraflex) linkage this way.

*edited 4/23...can fab my own linkage to fit the high-steer set up for much cheaper.

 

[Str8sixfan]

Took the plunge, picked up a pair of WJ knuckles today.