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Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 1:44 pm
by Rogue-AE95
I've searched around the net trying to see if this has been done before, but I can't find anything. I suppose drum brakes aren't all that bad, but I'd prefer the easier maintenance of rear discs... but it's not like I will find a GT-S rear end very easily. So I'm wondering if anyone has ever kept their SR5 rear end, but converted it to use disc brakes. Would GT-S axle shafts with their disc brakes fit into the SR5 housing and diff? Is it possible to fit disc rotors onto the drum axle shafts? I'm thinking this would require custom fab work to get the calipers & brackets in place. I'm willing to try.

For the record, I have an '88 Corolla All-Trac, the rear end (supposedly) being basically the same rear as the AE86 SR5's (and perhaps the Tercel 4WD's).

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 6:46 pm
by carbd7age
IF your rear end is the same as an AE86 SR5 rear end, YES. Go to hawkmachine.com you need different bearing retainers and caliper brackets from them, cheap. You'll be able to use Wilwood Dynamite calipers and Mitsubishi Galant rear rotors. Mess with the brake lines a little and hammer down.

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 7:12 pm
by morgan
Buy the last issue of 86Garage magazine, it tells you how to do this

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 7:35 pm
by Rogue-AE95
:D Good to hear this, thanks. So that's all by using the SR5 axle shafts? Or do you still need GT-S axle shafts? That only leaves wondering about the parking brake cable and the prop valve.

I suppose the only problem I may have is that the All-Trac's lugs are 4x100. AE86 has 4x114. Hmm... at least there is hope and a starting point. I'm not worried about rims because I could pick up a set of aftermarket rims that have both 4x100 and 4x114 patterns.

morgan wrote:Buy the last issue of 86Garage magazine, it tells you how to do this


Thanks... had a look at their site. Do you mean the May 2012 issue? Says something about an SR5 disc rear end on the front cover.

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 7:39 pm
by morgan
That be the one. Sr5 rear converted with disk brakes

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 7:57 pm
by Rogue-AE95
I just tried to buy it but it's sold out. Augh! :(

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 8:21 pm
by morgan
Remind me next week to scan it. PM me your email.

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 10:59 pm
by Cavi Mike
You can't use GT-S axles in your rear end, they are larger. You're using your axles. I also believe in Japan there was a rare option of disc brakes with the small SR5 rear end.

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 11:54 am
by morgan
^close, but in japan the base model 86 had an sr5 drum rear with an lsd.

sorry for the delay guys, i keep forgetting to scan the pages and post. wrote myself a note to hopefully remember today.

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 12:08 pm
by BlackStar
I would be more interested in getting an LSD into the SR5 rear end. Pretty sure it was asked a lot on the old board.

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 1:15 pm
by Rogue-AE95
morgan wrote:sorry for the delay guys, i keep forgetting to scan the pages and post. wrote myself a note to hopefully remember today.


No worries, take your time. I'm pretty far off from actually working on this. Doing my research for now. I still need to read up on suspension and what I want to do (front = AE92, rear = AE86).

BlackStar wrote:I would be more interested in getting an LSD into the SR5 rear end. Pretty sure it was asked a lot on the old board.


I'm wondering if the AE95 rear diff is an LSD or not. I mean it is AWD, wouldn't that be like LSD? More stuff I don't know about AWD / 4WD and things like LSDs. Although I thought SR5 guys could fit the GT-S LSD into the rear. I'm getting confused about the nature of my AE95's rear end now... I thought it could take the GT-S LSD because they're the same size rear. :?

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 9:05 am
by morgan
well im glad i bought a bunch of copies of that issue before it was sold out, thats me on the cover!
emails of scanned pages in PDF format sent to you two.
morgan

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 2:39 pm
by Rogue-AE95
Thanks Morgan! I still have some questions even after reading the article, but I'll re-read it a few more times before posting them here. One thing is that I thought Wilwood made 4-piston calipers which could take e-brake cables as well as the hydro lines. Hmmm.

And I'm thinking that the best thing to do once the 14mm spacers are finalized is to weld them to the brackets. I'm curious if the aluminum will hold up to use & abuse?

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Mon May 06, 2013 8:00 am
by ga_goosh
morgan wrote:Buy the last issue of 86Garage magazine, it tells you how to do this


+1 that mag has the complete swap in it

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Mon May 06, 2013 8:27 am
by morgan
yup, but my issues sold out Sean. you know if Jonas is making another printing of the Out Of Stock issues?

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Mon May 06, 2013 9:16 am
by ga_goosh
no I havent heard anything other then he has his hands full with these mags lol

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Mon May 06, 2013 5:37 pm
by Rogue-AE95
morgan wrote:yup, but my issues sold out Sean. you know if Jonas is making another printing of the Out Of Stock issues?


If he did, I would still buy the magazine out of respect for having printed the article. I'm loving that there are options out there for those of us unlucky enough to have factory drum brakes. I'm just hoping I can make this work for an AE95, and maybe use those Wilwood calipers that have both hydraulic and cable brake capability. I'm sure my friend can help me fab something up if those Hawk parts won't work for me... but the hawk stuff is a great launching point.

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Mon May 06, 2013 5:42 pm
by morgan
I'll email Jonas and see...

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 6:13 am
by Imtrevorurnot
Would the same parts apply to the JDM AE86 GT-V with an LSD?

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 9:25 am
by worloc918
Does anyone still have this pdf. I'm looking to do the swap on my SR5

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 6:25 pm
by rumsawatti
Isnt it cheaper and easier to just buy/find a GTS rear end then to do this conversion?

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 8:32 am
by Slowdive
So I just tried to buy myself a copy, and as many others have stated, it's sold out. Could someone out there message me the PDF for this? I'd love to do a GTS swap, but finding one locally has produced more headaches than success. I figure it may just be easier to do the swap on my SR5 rear. I was planning on running a spool regardless of rear end, but man...drum breaks hurt my feelings. :P

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 8:45 am
by morgan
Stop by my place, take pics or borrow a copy

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2014 7:18 pm
by Slowdive
morgan wrote:Stop by my place, take pics or borrow a copy


Thanks for the offer, man. I'll take you up on this for sure!

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 9:39 am
by jetmanblack
Hey guys, I know this is a bit of an old thread, but can someone send me a copy of the article about the brake conversion? I have an sr5 that I'd like to swap the drums for disks too.

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Wed May 07, 2014 5:55 pm
by Rogue-AE95
A year later, and I'm only at the parts-acquisition stage. I decided not to do the Wilwood calipers. The calipers with cable parking brakes are expensive. I thought about adapting AE92 Corolla GT-S rear calipers and discs to my AE95, but used parts go for too much. I'd be better off buying new / reman parts for not much more cost. I can't find AE92 GT-Ss anywhere around me in junkyards.

Well, I found an '88 MR2 in the junkyard recently. I pulled the rear calipers, and today I got my rear rotors. I only need one more parking brake cable and some other bits and pieces. I won't be able to do this conversion anytime soon, but at least I will have all my parts gathered up.

Image

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 10:10 am
by LEEJODA
Hey guys,
Would anyone have a pdf file to share of that how-to swap? I'm just getting underway on a monster build w/ my wagon.

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 10:21 am
by Glock30
Rogue-AE95 wrote:A year later, and I'm only at the parts-acquisition stage. I decided not to do the Wilwood calipers. The calipers with cable parking brakes are expensive. I thought about adapting AE92 Corolla GT-S rear calipers and discs to my AE95, but used parts go for too much. I'd be better off buying new / reman parts for not much more cost. I can't find AE92 GT-Ss anywhere around me in junkyards.

Well, I found an '88 MR2 in the junkyard recently. I pulled the rear calipers, and today I got my rear rotors. I only need one more parking brake cable and some other bits and pieces. I won't be able to do this conversion anytime soon, but at least I will have all my parts gathered up.

Image


I'm very curious as to if you got the MR2 parts to work.

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 12:40 pm
by jetmanblack
Any news on this conversion?

Re: Possible to convert SR5 rear axles to use disc brakes?

Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 4:01 am
by henahito
I am trying to do the same here in Okinawa. I have done some research and have seen write ups saying that the Toyota Surf and Nissan Primera rear ends are the same size and will work. I understand these models are not the same in the US but maybe they have a different name?