Going to rear discs

scotts90ranger · Nov 26, 2014

I already did a Explorer 8.8 swap, but my drums are being VERY inconsistent (sometimes the drivers side will lock up which is interesting with a locker, and sometimes the pedal is soft...) and don't want to throw money at drums and I know I just need to bolt the backing plates and related hardware to my axle tube, my question is on the brake lines, do they mount up like my drum brake line in the center?

Next question is parking brake cables, I haven't had a parking brake since sometime in 2010 and I would really like to hook it up when I put the new parts in, any recommendations? do I need to get cables from something else to make it easier? I'm willing to make something to adapt which I figure I'll need to do no matter what...

A local junk yard is doing a 50% off sale this weekend and the Rangers brakes have ticked me off enough to get me to do something about it, and I need to find a donor 1354M and probably some other things...

I tried to look, but didn't really find anything

Thanks for the help.

adsm08 · Nov 26, 2014

The lines are not hard. I used the Ranger's splitter, got two Explorer hoses, both right hand IIRC, and then ran a new hard line of correct length across the axle.

The parking brake cables should just hook up, more or less. They will all be the right length to mix and match, but the bulb on the Explorer cables was too big for my connector, so I have a few layers of gorilla tape wrapped around it to hold it in place. Haven't come up with a better solution yet. LOKAR makes a cable kit, but I don't feel like paying that much.

PlumCrazy · Nov 26, 2014

I believe the cables from the Explorer worked without modification on my swap. Like adsm said...use a pass side Explorer hose on both sides and then run hard lines from them to the center drop Ranger hose. (on the expo the drop comes down and T's off the driver hose) You will need to add some sort of tab to the back of the spring perch to bolt the hose to. Just a quick tack weld or a 1/4" bolt will do the job.

scotts90ranger · Nov 26, 2014

Sounds simple enough, I'll grab two pass side hoses while I'm there and as much of the parking brake stuff as I can since I lost half the stuff that was stock...

Thanks guys.

I do have the disc brake parts off of a Lincoln Town Car in my shed, I might look at them tonight as they were pretty simple...

RangerSVT · Nov 26, 2014

The lincoln parts are probably for a 7.5 axle depending on the year, newer ones would be 8.8, but only 28 spline. Explorer axles use a 31 spline, meaning the flange for the backing plate is a different bolt pattern...

SVT

scotts90ranger · Nov 29, 2014

The Lincoln was 28 spline 8.8, skipped that idea...

Got the disc axle today, got one with new discs and pads

, needs shoes though as it was driven with the parking brake on... Since I was buying a whole axle I got one with 3.73 LS, gonna have to get some nuts to connect to the center line...

Turbroke · Dec 3, 2014

Good luck with the upgrade! Sounds nice. No end in sight once it starts..is there?

Ha! BTW, Thanks for all you're help on my 2.3T project.

scotts90ranger · Dec 3, 2014

Once I get the disc conversion done and get my longer radius arms built, there's only little stuff left to do and it'll be about where I hope it will stay

4x4junkie · Dec 4, 2014

Pretty sure the parking brake cable attachments are completely different (I know they are for Ranger drums vs the Ex discs, the drum cables have a small solid cylinder at the end that fits into a notch, the disc cables have looped ends that attach onto a lever arm).

For my BII's 8.8" I used the OE Explorer p-brake cables and fashioned up a threaded linkage to attach the Ex cables to the stock (BII) main park pedal cable.

A bracket will likely be needed on the frame to support the cables since the Ex cables are a bit shorter than stock Ranger (BII) cables are.

adsm08 · Dec 4, 2014

I didn't need an extra bracket to hook up my parking cables. The Explorer cables must be used at the wheels for the reasons Junkie mentioned, but the lengths are close enough, if not perfectly correct.

My brake is strong enough to hold the truck still in neutral on a hill, but it is still weak enough that if I forget to release it I can drive away and not notice, and the switch for my light is shot. I actually drove off like that twice tonight, figured it out when I couldn't get my foot in to kill the high-beams.

4x4junkie · Dec 5, 2014

The cables I got with my '99 Ex axle were a good 8-10" shorter than both my BII's OE cables, as well as the cables on my '94 Ranger (you can see the bracket I made is about that distance behind the leaf spring hanger bolt).

Maybe for earlier years they were more similar?

adsm08 · Dec 5, 2014

Maybe. I have a 97 axle in my 87 and they lined right up, no issues. My only problem is that the bulb on the Ex cable is bigger than the binder, so I jammed it in there best I could and taped it up.

scotts90ranger · Dec 6, 2014

Thanks, I grabbed up til the cable junction and was thinking of doing something like Junkie did, shouldn't be too bad no matter what. I'll probably be installing those components in January, gotta get it back on the road first, just wanted to get the right parts since they were cheap T day weekend

scotts90ranger · Feb 3, 2015

Everything but the parking brake is done as of now, WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!!!! Smooth strong braking that is completely controllable, and a pretty dang simple install, it took me about 8 hours to do the swap but I had to extract the C clips out of the aussie locker, and a few other things... While I was there I also finally installed the 1/2" plate diff cover I've had for like 4 years... I'm glad I replaced the parking brake shoes while I was in there, and found an axle with new discs and pads

. Would have gone faster yesterday if I wasn't sore from playing at the dunes on my 3 wheeler the day before...

Ok, so I just remembered I still need to weld on supports for the soft lines, but that can wait a bit, I've got an engine to rebuild this week...

Thanks for the help!

adsm08 · Feb 3, 2015

So did you end up swapping a whole axle, or did you just install the brackets and brakes? I forget.

I'm interested because I just picked up an FX4 LII axle for my BII and I may want to go disc at some point.

Going to rear discs

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