ECaulk

iTrader: (6)

Like the title says I'd like to take the JL9 (LSJ) front loaded caliper and disk (I have the 5 lug JM4) and just replace the little baby JM4 (LT) disk and caliper?

I searched and searched but couldn't find a definitive answer.

Info on my car, 5lug JM4 (LT) with ABS and 17inch SS/NA rims.

I know the rears require a mounting bracket John Powell offers, or I have to swap to the JL9 rear axle.

Thanks

Powell Race Parts

iTrader: (3)

so long as the loaded caliper has the bracket for mounting to the knuckle you will be golden. The JM4 bracket is too short. good luck. I have stainless rear caliper brackets and the hardware if you need to convert from drum to disc at the back.

ECaulk

iTrader: (6)

Thanks for the quick response John. Looks like I'll be making the front conversion shortly.

I have to replenish the mod'ing funds a bit, and I'm debating on the rear beam you offer, which I'm assuming wouldnt require the rear brake conversion kit.

Powell Race Parts

iTrader: (3)

IF I were you I would save some money, buy the rear plates and the brackets and hoses, if you need them, and buy our new pivot bushings, your rear beam would be kick ass for little money compared to buying and shipping a new one...a rear add on bar will take care of the smaller weld in bar you already have, so I think it would work well. Not cheap by anymeans but a lot cheaper than an entire rear beam.

and with this conversion you can then add as much rear camber as you want if you feel like rollin' squenchy

BLKLS

Lol, your lucky, I'm doing the swap but my car is 4 lug, so I gotta buy hubs, I got the front calipers and 4 wheels for a really cheap price.

Powell Race Parts

iTrader: (3)

^^^ I am doing an auto LS non abs conversion to brembos and 5 bolt for an in house project; its a lot of parts to get, and sucks you cant fit the TC bearings, but then the n/a auto doesnt really need monster axles lol
ps using sky wheels i got off a member here, very nice wheels, one slightly bent but easily fixed... cant wait to see it finished to tell the truth.

BLKLS

Lol, shoulda told me! I got a non abs car ! I'm doing it more cause from everything I've heard/read it balances the brakes more, plus I've always felt the ls brakes are too small. (I over heated the fronts to the point of failure once, never wanna go threw that again, f#%king scary) Gonna use a set of what I think are Malibu SS wheels powder coated black.

Axelthered05

iTrader: (9)

click

tpete763

iTrader: (2)

I had all the parts to do an LSJ brake swap on my LS. the only reason I didn't do it was because I found out the brake bias had to be messed with (since I don't have ABS) I decided that it wasn't worth me getting into an accident over If I didn't adjust it right. Is it hard to adjust the brake bias?

tpete763

iTrader: (2)

Me too, my wheel shakes because of my brakes, I can replace them and a month later it shakes again, it doesn't matter what combination rotor/pad/etc I use, it always happens. I don't know if anything else is wrong on my car that would make em do that (everything looks fine visually to me). I just feel like the brakes on me LS suck lol

j27-2

has anyone done this and kept a 4x100 bolt pattern.

Powell I would like to know more about the rear plates, the brackets your new pivot bushings.

ECaulk

iTrader: (6)

Only reason I was leaning to replacing the entire beam was from the accident I got in after owning the car for 2 weeks, and my rear drivers side toe is out of spec 0.03degrees (0.31degrees total) although I have yet to have serious tire wear issues. And I could take care of it with a shim kit, just thinking 2 birds one stone

Yeah I snagged all 4 calipers disks and pads for a good price from a guy in our local club, he got t-boned and bent the roof and rocker panel.

From the threads I read through, Maven's thread being the main one that gave the best answer, it throws the bias off when you do all four with a non abs car, but just the fronts doesnt throw the bias way off, Maven said he ran the JL9 in the front and JM4 drums in the back

Powell Race Parts

iTrader: (3)

yes, contact john or gloria@powellraceshop.com

Powell Race Parts

iTrader: (3)

Maven said that, but I have not found it at all , when i did a full LNF conversion on a drum brake car, also an LNF front/LSJ rear on a drum brake car. In fact the bias was very good. So not sure where Maven got that info. from, it sure did not happen that way when I did it. Must be magic.
with independent caliper brackets you have to get your car aligned and it is fully adjustable for all parameters.

tpete763

iTrader: (2)

Interesting, maven seems to know his stuff and this was one of the reasons I decided against it. I had the LSJ front brakes and I had the 5 lug drums for the back (from an LT? that came equipped with the 5 lug drum rear), and I was going to do a 5x114 conversion while I was at it. Powell, do you know if having LSJ fronts and 5 lug drums in the rear will still work? Will it even out the bias using the bigger 5 lug drums in the rear? If so, this may become a project for me again really soon lol I hate having my steel rims and hubcaps lol The reason for doing the 5x114 swap is that i already have a set of rims I want to use in that pattern.

tpete763

iTrader: (2)

The JM4 drums are from a base model or the 5 lug drums off an LT (i think)? If they are from the LT this is great info (it was the same swap I was going to do) but decided against it when I read maven's thread.

ECaulk

iTrader: (6)

Yes the JM4 is from a base model. Halfcent has a sticky with the suspension and brake info

BLKLS

Wait hold up, I thought the only differance between the four and five lug rear drums was the number and place ment of holes??? Are you telling me the inner diameter is different? I thought it was the same, don't they use the same shoes?? This is gonna ruin everything.... I didn't want to go to rear rotors to do this.

tpete763

iTrader: (2)

I'm not 100% sure about this but they seem to be bigger rear drums than the 4 lug ones. Its raining out now, so I can't go snap a pic for comparison, but they look to me as if they are bigger, but then again maybe i just haven't had them side to side for a comparison lol

For the conversion, I bought new hubs (all around), LSJ calipers, pads, and rotors (which I recently sold), and the 5 lug rear drums (JL4 rear brakes).

tpete763

iTrader: (2)

So JM4 is either 4 or 5 lug pattern? (I'm a base model (4 lug)) I saw maven's thread and he did the same thing I was going to do. The he started talking about the brake bias having to be changed, but that was talking about converting the rear to disc from an LSJ or LNF. Reading beat me on this one.

It looks to me (from his thread) that the LSJ fronts are safe to run the 5 lug rears with without changing the bias. Only when Maven talks about changing the rear beam and to a rear disc does he say that the bias has to be changed. If this is true, I'm gonna be a little pissed lol I had everything for the swap for more than a year and didn't do it because I thought I had to mess with the brake bias.

BLKLS

If I remember correctly I did a search on an autoparts web sight the outer part of the drum is larger on the 5 lug but the inner diameter is the same but I would be putting on 18's so who cares.

Powell Race Parts

iTrader: (3)

rule of thumb for brake upgrades:change the mechanical complete front and rear, leave the hydraulic actuation and abs cal alone.

tpete763

iTrader: (2)

So you're pretty much saying it would have been safe to do? I should have looked into this a bit more before I sold the front brakes now im kicking myself over it lol

tpete763

iTrader: (2)

comparing specs on some car parts sites and they are the same size!, just different lug patterns. Wish I would have known this before I bought the complete rear drum setup (drum, backing plate, pads, hydraulic, etc...) would have save me some money just buying the new 5 lug drum and hubs lol

BLKLS

off of autozone's web sight

4 lug
inside diameter: 230mm
depth: 73.5mm


5 lug
inside diameter: 228.6mm
depth: 65.5mm

the center bore is different but if your changing hubs what does that matter.

i'm not worried about the inside diameter differance but i'm worried about the depth differance, 8mm is a lot... i might just have to buy a drum and hub and see if it works. if not thats the end of this car for me, i dont wanna spend the money at this point to change to rear disk.