I also would like to know fi this would work, as My sons 98 sport came with a limited slip and when the bearings went bad, the shop replaced it with an open diff. I found a badly crashed Ruble Bee (Telephone pole head on at a high rate of speed) in a junk yard today, and he quoted $900 for the complete rear axle assy.
The reason we are looking for the bigger brakes, is the way he drives everyday, extra stopping power would be a bonus. We also are playing with the idea of autocrossing the truck.
The one thing I have heard so far, is the E-brake cables woun't hook up, and will need to replace them.

 

I also looked into a later model rearend complete with brakes and was quoted $1000 - $1200. I know I could make the entire axle swap work but wondered if the later model brackets, calipers, rotors, etc. will bolt on a second gen. Ram. I thought surely someone out there in 2nd Gen land would have tried this by now!

 

Stainless Steel Brakes also makes a conversion kit for about $1080 with everything you need including parking brake if you have money to burn.

 

This is my next summers project so I have done some research. As long as you go back with the 9.25 from a new year there shouldn't be to much work involved. 2001 1/2 is the year of rear end I have sitting in my garage and I have measured and looked. Everything seems to be pretty straight foward. The only thing I haven't figured out is the proportioning valve dodge puts on the fender well and how it works to be able to hook it up. Oh well thats next year, goota get back to my 426 build.

 

I know you definitely cannot use the stock proportioning valve because drum brakes have springs to pull them away from the drums and forces fluid out of the wheel cylinders and back into the master cyl. Rear disc brakes used with the stock prop. valve will drag and ruin your brake rotors in about 1500 miles. There is a story on it the latest issue of Car Craft. (probably on their website too)They fixed it by removing the stock prop. valve completely and installing a wildwood adjustuble valve at the master cyl. in the rear line only. You can then fine tune the front to rear bias to taste. (especially if autocrossing) You do, however, lose the anti-lock function if you had it to start with. Let me know how it turns out.

 

I gotta go back and see if the Rumble Bee I saw at the bone yard is still there. For 9 bills, getting posi and disc would be a big benifit. Also I will se if the proportioning valve and master cylinder are in good shape. The truck hit a tre or pole dead center at a high rate of speed