I did the same thing on some parts...... FWIW even what did not come off, the wire wheel work was much easier. Again enjoy your post!!

 

Thanks dude. The electrolysis thing really works pretty well.

​Here's the drum after just 4~hrs at 22amp of charging.


Side by side with the other drum.



Then there's the other sides brackets. Rust got to these ones pretty bad, so I ordered another set

 

Add a leafs installed in the rear... And it's still Carolina squattin'. 37.5" to center of front wheel well, 36" to center of rear wheel well.





Dang it, I guess it's gonna look silly until the longer U bolts get here and I can put blocks on it.

Also got around to giving it a wash and light polish, the lower green really shines up nice. Still have a 2" body lift kit and electric fans to put on as well, but they will probably sit on the shelf a bit while other vehicles get their turns in the shop. I'll use the two tone as my local boat hauler to take my 1860 aluminum fishing boat half a mile to the river. It's an auto and my wife is not a fan of the 6spd Cummins, so she can hopefully park the trailer easier now.

 

Did you guys know you can get death wobble on an IFS? I don't think I ever cranked keys this hard before. The M18 impact bottomed those suckers out quick, using a ratchet on the last truck took all day to go half way.

Anyways, with the lift keys tightened the entire way down and chunky mud tires, she was shaking hard. Couldn't much get above 15mph without feeling like it was about to come apart. Got to 35 and thought I was gonna die. Yeah, so I backed those out a few turns and it's much better. Now the front is only slightly higher than the rear. I liked the taller look, but it was undrivable. Guess it needs that body lift next.


Sitting pretty close to level now. It'll work.

 

Fired up all the trucks today, it's been a while for some of them. The black Dak fired right up, despite sitting about a month. It did run pretty rough, gurgling a bit, smoking a lot. Smelled like oil. Most of the smoke seemed to burn off after a minute or so, but it'd give a small puff whenever I hit the gas. I'm guessing the intake plenum has been leaking while it sat and it's burning off a months worth when normally I wouldn't notice the smaller amount?

Two tone is running good, but I noticed there's no shoe at all on the one drum.

Funny how that passed inspection for the last guy, don't think it lost the entire shoe in the 500 miles I've put on it. I wish there was a disc conversion for these, that would be nice. Since I'm towing with this, I can't let it slide. Should probably redo both drums and cylinders while I'm at it.

 

There are disc conversions.

Well, is it a 5 lug or 6 lug axle? If 5 lug, no huhu. If 6 lug, if you don't mind getting rotors redrilled, no huhu.

The Middle to Late 90's Grand Cherokee has a 8.25 rear end, and its disc brakes swap right onto our axles save for the parking brake cables (gotta figure those out). For us with 5 lug axles, it even matches the rotors (!!!)

RwP

 

Its a 6 lug axle. I did not know that those parts swap over, I'll have to look into it. My buddy has one of those little cnc plasma cutters, I'll have to see if he can cut new bolt holes in a rotor for me. I guess the next question is, do I need the whole axle to get the parts from, or can I order calipers, brackets, hoses, rotors from rock auto and bolt those on?

 

Well, you'll need the backing plates, so ... I'd get the axle (and if possible, get one with a LSD! And the same ratio as you have now, if we're dreaming big!) and dismantle it. Alas, the Jeep uses a centered pumpkin so unequal axles; the Dakota uses a non-centered pumpkin and equal length axles.

EDIT: Also, while it's apart, since you have to pull the axles to get the backing plates swapped, I'd consider new axle bearings and seals. And if you get one with a LSD and yours is now open, then there you go. ENDEDIT.

I would STILL get new rotors and pads; and possibly reman'ed or new calipers. But that's me.

Now, a Big Brake kit that includes backing plates? Should also just bolt right up.

Again, save for the parking brake cable; that part I haven't found out in researching it yet.

RwP

 

If your going to swap the rear, why not get a 9.25 out of a newer dakota?

 

Because a) I don't want to, b) the 8.25 is plenty stout for my truck, and c) I don't want to.

RwP