WJ Brakes Knuckles and Chevy 1 Tone OTK Steering.

[XjJeepacorn]

Ok I did a quick search and I couldn't find a Wj brake thread here so I've started this thread for anyone and everyone who has questions about this set up. I've done my research but I have a question and I was just about to pm a certian sombody but I know this is a popular subject.... so here it goes!

[4.3LXJ]

I just happen to have a WJ here on the place Naomi.

[XjJeepacorn]

Ok so everything I've read says you can't use stock rims with the akebono calipers. Right now I just have the tevis ones. I've had the calipers and brackets and the rotors for a while it was one of those projects I put on the back burner for a while before I really researched the crap out of it. My question is will the tevis calipers clear the stock rims

I wanna run the akebonos I'm gonna grab a pair on may 4 its $50 all you can carry day :D

Now I don't wanna pay someone right now to take my tires off and put them on a different set of rims so if I can make due with the tevis calipers for now I'd just rather do that until the time is right for gears and 35s

Additionally, I have a set of steel tj rims and a set of american outlaw ll rims too I would like to know if the akebono calipers will clear those if anyone knows that would be great!

If not have any of you done this swap? Could someone mesure the distance needed to clear the wheel for me? preferably in metric instead of silly fractions? Lol j/k standard is fine!

And lastly I am also running 2' wheel spacers I was wondering if this will help with the caliper possibly clearing the stock rims...

If all else fails and no once can help I have a sapir d30 laying on the floor in my garage so I can fiddle about with it and see.. thanks a million everybody :D

[XjJeepacorn]

I just happen to have a WJ here on the place Naomi.

Just the man I wanted for help!

[4.3LXJ]

We have been eyeballing those brakes for awhile too and plan to run them on a YJ. But we are resigned to the idea that a 15" rim will not clear the brakes. The rotors and calipers are just much larger than the stock XJ stuff. Besides, the XJ has a different bolt pattern 5 on 5"

[XjJeepacorn]

Yeah what about the steelies though? The stock aluminum ones are thick n stuff the steelies aren't thick and tapeted like the aluminum ones and I'd rather not go up a rim size just cause of tire prices

[4.3LXJ]

I don't think a steely will do it either. These brakes are just physically bigger. Even the rear brakes are as large as the fronts on an XJ

[abebehrmann]

And lastly I am also running 2' wheel spacers I was wondering if this will help with the caliper possibly clearing the stock rims...

With 2 foot wheel spacers, I sure hope you can clear those brakes!!! :smiley-taunt002::D:D:D

[XjJeepacorn]

I'm a metric person I forget the which ticks mean what some times!

[4.3LXJ]

That is 609.6 mm :D

[XjJeepacorn]

Lol

[XjJeepacorn]

I've read a few places now the 15's need a certian depth or sometging for them to fit I'm not buying new tires till closer to the fall maybe winter because after the steerings done I'm going to order a long arm kit and then after that its gonna be gears and 35s not that I don't belive you there are just alot of conflicting posts out the weather or not 15s will or will not fit. So once I get the knuckle welded up and all drilled out and everything I'm going to fiddle around with the stealies I have and see what I can do with the teves calipers just to tide me over till I get new tires

[4.3LXJ]

It might be possible, but they would have to not have much offset. It would be iffy at best

[XjJeepacorn]

Yeah in the winter it probably wouldn't be the greatest set up with all the salt ice and snow

[XjJeepacorn]

Just a quick update!

The track bar relocation bracket and the ball joints have aribed in buffalo!

Now since its raining out I'm heading over to my buddys to make use of his really nice drill press! I'm gonna get started on the work I have to get done on this side of the border before I go down to do the swap!

So I'm drilling out the knuckles!http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/26/y6e6u8uq.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/26/4yjyma4a.jpg
And cleaning the surfices up

I'll have more to post in a but I gotta run to part source and canadian tire before they close to pick up cut off wheels a grinding wheel a hole saw cutting oil and my o2 sensor!

[bluedragon436]

Loooking good!!

[XjJeepacorn]

I forgot the cutting oil but I'm sure chase will forgive me and let me use his lol

[XjJeepacorn]

Ok so also up on the list for tonights work is ....http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/26/re4e7ugu.jpg
Resurfacing the rotors and cutting the top off that old xj rotor so I can make a jig to drill the wj rotors to the 5 on 4.5 bolt pattern.

[XjJeepacorn]

So these are the 1/4 inch hub spacers from JKS
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/26/a2u3a7a3.jpg
Because this will bring the rotor out 1/4 of an inch the caliper mounting bracket needs to come out 1/4 of an inch as well to enable the caliper to sit properly on the rotor. So I've grabbed a 1 and a 1/2 hole saw and a 15/32 drill bit to make spacers for the mounting brackethttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/26/eguhereb.jpg
I'll take more pics and let yas take a look at my progress later we'll see how far I get tonight! Tomorrow is a write off got a brake job on a masda mpv and I have to swap the doors on the same van and then I'm going to midevil times for my birthday :)

[XjJeepacorn]

My god! Making a jig to drill out those rotors has been harder then I though! Thought cutting the cap off a rotor was a good idea seemed about right tull I got stumped for about 10 seconds about how to make sure it would be absolutly center before drilling commenced! Then I thought well what if I flip the wj rotor and put in the plate I had just made it fits!!!! BUT! ! There was maybe 1 tick of an inch lol on the tap mesure of play in the inside... and I was like damn! That almost was a good idea! So then I go the great idea of using an old hub and putting the wj rotor on it and then my plate just to center it all perfectly... the wj rotor was perfectly snug againts the hub but the plate I made ended up making still had that smidgen of play so then!!! I just decided I was going to use the hub! I can drill out the bolt pattern on the old hub but!!!!! Now my issue is I have to find something the will fit over and sandwitch the hub and rotor so I can bolt it down and drill ot out!! I'll let you guys know what I come up with

[4.3LXJ]

Tack weld it Naomi.

[XjJeepacorn]

Hey why didn't I think of that!

[4.3LXJ]

Refraining from rude comments :D

[XjJeepacorn]

Lol! I'm not used to having a welder around! ... something about a box n thinking!

[4.3LXJ]

Better gift wrap it then :D

[XjJeepacorn]

Oh god so just close ot up and give it away? Re gift my used box thinking? I doubt it would be very useful any ways!

[4.3LXJ]

If you ship it and insure it, then we could arrange for insurance money from you loosing your mind :D

[XjJeepacorn]

Lmao

[XjJeepacorn]

All right so heres a little update before bed!

I finshed the jig today and then drilled 1 hole for the 5 on 4.5 bolt pattern and then my fabrication mentor sliced his hand open with a miniature pry bar. We decided to call it a night lol!

5242
I was trying to avoid showing yous guys my welds because I'm new! I can't make them all pretty like yet! But thats the hub tacked to the rotor.

[XjJeepacorn]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/01/qehenu9a.jpgSo then I drilled 3 holes from the wj rotor on to the xj hub for ease of drilling the next one.

[XjJeepacorn]

So next I ground off the welds and bolted the hub to the rotor woth 5/8 bolts (same as the drill bit I am useing)
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/01/ydadyruv.jpg

[XjJeepacorn]

Then I had to grind the one side of there the 13 mm 12 point bolts attach to the knuckle to the hub a bit more so that the drill bit would pass. You only have to grind one spot because that part spins http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/01/duperupe.jpg

[XjJeepacorn]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/01/ypaha3u4.jpg
Then I set it up and clamped it down and drilled my one hole for the 5 on 4.5 pattern. I'll show yous guys what they look like tomorrow all drilled out and cleaned up tomorrow

[XjJeepacorn]

:D!!!!

[4.3LXJ]

You are welding on cast iron there anyway Naomi, not like welding on steel. You just have to practice. The secret to a good weld is watching the puddle. Maintain a good puddle of molten steel and the weld will come out OK as long as you don't burn through. Congrats on the new bolt pattern

[XjJeepacorn]

yeah well it didn't really penatrate the rotor at all there were some small pits on it. The main thing is it held for the drilling and I just cut the welds with an angle grinder and then gave it a couple good whacks with a sledge and it came right off lol.

I'm still going to have to weld those hub spacers on I guess baking the knuckles and then cooling them in sand is the way to go. Would you think heating it up with an Oxy Acetylene torch to hear them up quickley would be a better idea or no? Would that warp them maybe?

[XjJeepacorn]

I mean I don't wanna stick them on the bbq for an hour at 500 and not even get a slab of roast animal out of it!

[4.3LXJ]

If you are going to weld the spacers on the knuckles, I do believe the knuckles are cast steel and weldable. Also, bear in mind that the spacer needs only be held in place with a small weld. It is the hole and bolts that provide alignment

[XjJeepacorn]

Yeah thought was to bolt it down to the hub and then weld a couple inch or so welds on all sides. Some people say you don't need to but JKS says to.tig weld it. I figure mig is a happy medium lol

[XjJeepacorn]

ok!!! so the big trip is coming up I'm going state side on friday to star the upgrades

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/07/6ysaqaty.jpg

so there are the knuckles with the spacers welded on.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/07/yteguhuj.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/07/9azynyju.jpg

that is the jig I made to drill out the wj rotors.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/07/y2ebe2u6.jpg

thats one of the drilled out rotors they just have a bit of surface rust on them nothing big no groves or anything but none the less I'm going to take them into work to give them a quick spin on the lathe.

:)

[XjJeepacorn]

so I bought

- ruff stuff steering linkage and the chevy 1 tone tres as the title of the thread suggests!

- jks track bar relocation bracket

- clayton off roads adj track bar

- us alloy ball joints

- extended sway bar mounts

- sirious offroad long arm kit

- iron rock off roads 2nd steering damper.

- tnt frame stiffeners + the extention stiffeners they sell that go all the way up to the coils.

I think that about covers it unless I'm forgetting something??

lol

[4.3LXJ]

Better get busy Naomi if you are going to get that done by Friday. Good Luck

[XjJeepacorn]

no I'm leaving friday :)

[XjJeepacorn]

and I have a feoend down there thats going to be helping me get everything done :)