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Planning WD21 Drum to Disc Conversion


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So I have researched quite a bit on the forums about converting my 95 pathy drum to rear discs. It's pretty straightforward. The discs would be coming from another 95 pathy. I know that so far for the conversion I would need to also purchase the calipers, brake lines, and maybe new inner axle seals just to be sure it will last a while. I think the whole thing from the local pick your part will cost me a total of about 60-70 dollars. Any tips for someone doing the swap?

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LSD has clutch packs inside. Power can be supplied to both tires, but when you turn, the clutch packs allow slippage so the outer tire can turn faster than the inner.

 

Open means only one tire ever gets power.

 

There should be a orange sticker on the diff that says LSD if it is one.

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LSD has clutch packs inside. Power can be supplied to both tires, but when you turn, the clutch packs allow slippage so the outer tire can turn faster than the inner.

 

Open means only one tire ever gets power.

 

There should be a orange sticker on the diff that says LSD if it is one.

It has the orange label that says to only use LSD oil. Would i have an issue with the conversion with it?

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Just make it easy and buy the whole axle, calipers and all. If it's '95 or earlier, everything will bolt right up. Just remember that the automatics had 4.6 gears and the manuals had 4.3.

Would I also have to replace the outter grease seals before I put the new axles in? I dont think they would be broken

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They stop better than discs before they get hot. More friction surface, and the leading shoe will slip down slightly and push on the trailing shoe and give more braking force.

 

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Disc brakes are much easier to work on, especially because you don't have to screw around with getting the drums off. This also neglects performance disc systems like 4 piston brembo stuff.

Edited by PathyAndTheJets
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They only stop better when dry and cool. Drums grab when they get wet, like when wheeling, and heat much faster under load, like coming off of a steep hill. If you have ever driving a four wheel drum vehicle in the rain you would know why disk are superior.

 

Drums on the rear aren't too big of a deal since only 30-40 percent of the stopping force is back there, and every time one grabs it doesn't try to rip the wheel out of your hand.

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Would he need to remove the thrust block in the diff for the swap?

 

Changing the outer grease seal requires completely disassembling the axle shaft assembly...which requires a press, and is a lot of work for a $1 part and likely warrants changing out the bearings while you're in there. Definitely change out the inner oil seal at the end of the tube...noting that I've had to destroy them to remove them. Lastly, there's a large o-ring on the outer lip of the axle tube that should be replaced.

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I dunno man, I think your drums were out of adjustment, drove a 68 Chevy pickup with 4wheel drums, manual steering and brakes. Didn't pull or anything under heavy braking. Yes It was driven in the rain.

 

But my point was that drums are perfectly fine in the rear, and that they'd probably perform better than the single piston discs on the back of a Pathfinder.

 

That being said, I wouldn't convert to drums. But I'm also not going through the trouble to convert to discs. Not to save me half an hour once in a blue moon if I have to service the rear brakes.

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It was a friend's truck. Late sixties Chevy, 327 and three on the tree. He was pretty lazy so the brakes could have been out of adjustment, I don't think they had the auto adjusters back then.

 

I agree, not enough of a difference to mess with changing on a rear axle.

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  • 11 months later...

Thought this thread was dead but i guess I was wrong :laugh:. I was thinking about it but I think I'll leave my rear end as it is. And I think I am fine for the time being since my dad and I got brembo rotors for the front along with new pads. Thanks for the responses, I'll probably be posting more of these threads if i think of anything interesting for restomodding our vintage rust buckets :laugh: .

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Yeah, and less maintenance on the drums. I seem to replace my pads every other year in the back. And I don't really notice a difference in the performance TBH. Other than the fact that my &^%*ing parking brake doesn't work.

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So, I've been watching this post, because I've been wanting to find an LSD with the disc brakes assy for a few years now. Today I finally found what I was looking for!! Everything attached, and not torn up or torn apart!! Best Part...$160 for the whole assembly... Worst part, tearing it off the donor vehicle in the middle of a rainstorm downpour at 45F. Sucked ass. but...worth it.

 

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