Thats news to me JetBlackBronco. I wasn't aware that the 8.8 with 5 on 5.5" bolt pattern was even fitted with factory discs until sometime during the Expedition model run. Now the 8.8 used in the RWD cars had factory discs earlier but the bolt pattern is the 5 on 4.5". If you find out what year they were available it'd make doing the swap a nice OEM replacement setup.
__________________ Only stupid question is the one you don't ask.
1993 Bronco XLT 5.0, E4OD (at the moment)
1992 F-150 XLT 4.9, M5 (at the moment)
2007 Dodge Caliber SXT 2.4 VVT, shiftless auto (grocery getter)
2007 Saturn Sky Redline 2.0 VVT turbo, 5-speed (The Toy)
The weight transfer issue is the key - as augathor stated earlier. The front brakes are the ones doing the work when you stop quickly. Rear disk brakes are very good for some vehicles, but I just don't think there would be any tangible benefit for the Bronco. Consider cash outlay, difficulty with a parking brake, replumbing lines, etc. Even with used parts it's probably a $500.00 job. I think most owners would feel the difference if they replaced all three old worn soft brake hoses, machined the drums, replaced pads and shoes with good quality oe replacements, and cleaned/adjusted the rear brakes properly. For $200, or less, your brakes would be in good order the whole way around.
Jeff's Bronco graveyard has the conversion but you have to use GM ElDorado or Toronado parts and I just couldn't bring myself to use GM parts on my Bronco. As for the weight transfer issue here's one for you. Here in Delaware to pass our vehicle inspection, to test the brakes you actually drive over a machine about 5mph and hit the brakes. It tests the ratio front to back as well as left/right etc. My old 1964 T-Bird has a single chamber master cylinder. drum brakes front and back, and up front a heavy old 390 V8. When I hit the brakes on the machine the front pitches down and the rear of the car hikes up in the air and it fails the brake test. The machine shows great front brakes and very little in the back. No matter what I did, adjustments, new brake shoes, bleeding, nothing. It failed each time. What did I do? I put about 300 pounds of lead in the very back of the trunk. Went back to the inspection lane, jammed on the brakes on the brake machine and passed with flying colors. Bronco's are not all that heavy in the back
Im telling you like Cheggie said, your not going to have that much stopping power in the rear. I think you might want to seriously consider a hydroboost. It not only helps the rear brakes but the fronts as well.
Consider cash outlay, difficulty with a parking brake, replumbing lines, etc. Even with used parts it's probably a $500.00 job. I think most owners would feel the difference if they replaced all three old worn soft brake hoses, machined the drums, replaced pads and shoes with good quality oe replacements, and cleaned/adjusted the rear brakes properly. For $200, or less, your brakes would be in good order the whole way around.
Calipers with a parking brake provision are not a problem (as readily available as any other disc calipers) and there is no replumbing to do. Simply the addition of a pair of flexible lines from the original wheel cylinder fittings to the calipers and short extensions on the parking brake cables and its done. Drum brakes are not as effective as disc brakes. Its a documentable fact. Yes, we all know that more weight is transferred forward during normal braking and MORE during HARD braking. I won't reiterate my comments about carrying a jack and a tire iron but we are not talking about a vehicle that has no considerable weight over the rear axle like a pickup truck. 33 gallons of gasoline, 250lbs of removable top, 100+lbs. of rear seat, a much heavier tailgate with a huge piece of glass in it, along with a factory class II hitch in most late models don't leave the rear axle with nothing to stop. Its not like the Bronco stands on its head when you come to a stop. If there were that much loss of braking power to the rear end of the Bronco, the rear ABS would kick in one helluva lot more than it does. To say nothing of the added benefits of having that additional stopping power should you be A)fully loaded with gear, B) towing a trailer, C) running in mountains and areas with steep grades that will superheat the front brakes to the point of fading and leave you with less braking power overall. Or, the worst case scenario, you find yourself under all three of the afforementioned conditions and suddenly you are asking a fading set of front discs and a slower responding, less efective set of rear drums to bring you to a safe stop or at the very least keep you from joining the people down the hill in front of you in their back seat.
Lastly, if there is so little benefit to rear disc brakes, why are they standard equipement on so many new vehicles and becoming the norm rather than the exception? I'm sorry guys but the idea that the Bronco is so disproportionately heavy in front that rear discs won't do anything to help, is pardon me, ludicrous. I didn't realize that all of the modern vehicles that have four wheel discs that are constructed with the same basic weight proportions as the Bronco (i.e. just about every other SUV on the market) were so poorly utilizing the factory disc brakes.
__________________ Only stupid question is the one you don't ask.
1993 Bronco XLT 5.0, E4OD (at the moment)
1992 F-150 XLT 4.9, M5 (at the moment)
2007 Dodge Caliber SXT 2.4 VVT, shiftless auto (grocery getter)
2007 Saturn Sky Redline 2.0 VVT turbo, 5-speed (The Toy)
yea, i was mistaken, i looked it up tonight, and i was misinformed. in 93 or 94 it was 4 wheel anti lock, but not discs. but i still would like to have rear discs.
Off an explorer, and redrilled the rotors for my wheel pattern. And bolted it right on as seen in the pictures. Oh yeah I had to turn my axle flanges down a bit to fit the rotors, 5 mins on the lathe and I was done. I'll post some new pictures soon.
As far as I'm concern the question isn't whether disc brakes are more effective or not, but whether the endresult worth all the work and money. While I do tow or carry heavy loads occasionally, most of the time I don't have much stuff in there.
I may buy a travel trailer sometime, and that would change my cost/benfit analysis drastically, but until then, I'm not convinced that I really need one.
But let's gather some facts first:
a) Who has disk brakes on a Bronco's rear axle?
b) What is the experience with them? (stopping power, wear on front, etc.)
c) What did it cost in parts and time?
I guess I have about 150.00 in mine, 60.00 bucks to buy them used off of an explorer, 40.00 bucks for new shoes, and 50.00 bucks for hoses and odds and ends. Oh and I had a porportioning valve already, and yes you need it even with ABS!!! Or ever stop light you hit the ABS will come on and you'll blow right through it, those of you that drive in snow know that feeling.
Was it worth it? Bet your ass it was!!
I don't know about wear differance on the front, but I sure like the firm pedal and the postive braking.
Ok I upgraded the housing over the weekend on my bronco with one I rebuilt with 4.10 gears and a locker, took 4 or 5 picks and added them to my gallery, shows the installed discs. I'll post more after I redo the brake lines to my liking. Bought some new hoses today and will install them in a night or 2.
This 4.10 gear change was well worht it also. I give it a 5 bronco rating. Now I need to do the front dana, I have it all ready to go, all I need is time......
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