[skitzlux]

my mate has bought a lj50 and we want to know is it possible to put a disc brake front end on them ? thanks

[Ben_Sierra]

Why bother, they don't go fast enough to need better brakes

[hooki]

i believe you can use the front setup from a NT diff....it also gives you free wheeling hubs. I'll be doing this when i get the lj80 body back on the chassis.

[3cyl]

Yea but you need to use 1 litre CV's on LJ axles with either 1.3 or 1 litre swivel housings. Also your steering rod will be too long but I just bought a new one (the one from the relay arm to the passenger side) from Repco, it's got a longer thread so it can go on a LJ50 or 80 so you can adjust it shorter.
Unless you move the steering box and go to Sierra steering totally. Either that or learn to live with funky toe out on your front end.

[royce]

why do you need the swivel housings? you use the LJ ones on an LJ80

[Highway-Star]

royce wrote:

why do you need the swivel housings? you use the LJ ones on an LJ80

Because the LJ swivel housing are very different. Sort of hard to explain without pictures. Did see a guy on LJ10 who used the LJ swivel housings, but it looked no where near as neat and simple a solution as the Sierra swivel hubs is. Plus Sierra Swivel housings give you FWH if you want them.

If I ever get around to it, I'll take some pictures of the front diff rebuild on my LJ81, its got all this done.

[royce]

are lj50 different to lj80?

[2stroker]

Yeah LJ is different, spindle or stub axle or whatever you want to call it is a press fit into the hub knuckle and designed to accept drum brake with constant hub drive. Start with a I litre disc brake assembly including stub axle, knuckle, caliper, and rotor and fit the equal length LJ axles to it.

[3cyl]

royce wrote:

why do you need the swivel housings? you use the LJ ones on an LJ80

I just thought it would be easier to put discs on it if you use parts off a disc brake sierra instead of a drum brake LJ50 or 80?

[303zuke]

royce wrote:

why do you need the swivel housings? you use the LJ ones on an LJ80

Not the swivel housings on the axle, the hub side. ie everything Sierra (1.0 or 1.3, NT or WT) from the Kingpins out, so that the 1.0 Sierra CV fits in the Sierra Spindle, on to which you mount the Sierra hub, discs and FWH or drive flange. Same applies wether you're doing an LJ80 or LJ50. LJ80 can use the standard width NT Sierra track rod with one of the LJ steering shafts flipped, LJ50 need to shorten the NT (or WT) track rod and also uses the flipped LJ50 steering shaft.

The 1.0 Sierra CV is marked 75AC, while the 1.3 CV is 82AC. The LJ inner axle splines will only fit a 75AC CV.

[303zuke]

The LJ swivel hub is set up for internal bearings and you can't fit a Sierra hub. You need to replace the whole LJ assembly from the Swivel seal outwards and replace it with the Sierra. Split the LJ Axle shaft and kee the inner shaft. This then fits into the 1.0 Sierra CV.

ANY Sierra swivel arm/brakes will work for the conversion, but the CV MUST be a 75AC from a 1.0lt.

[303zuke]

The tie rods used on the Sierra track rod and steering arms is a slightly larger taper than that used with the LJ. You can use the LJ steering rods, but they won't quite tighten fully and an Engineer might knock you back if they notice they're loose. Also, the LJ uses an "inverted Y" design that accentuates bumpsteer and tyre wear. The direct Sierra rod is a better design.

The LJ80/81 is the same track as the NT Sierra, so a Sierra track rod will go in as a direct replacement, but it needs to be shortened by 100mm for an LJ50 (or by 200mm if your donor rod is from a WT). You then use the steering rod from the right side of the LJ steering to connect to the Sierra track rod and this will place the tie rod in the correct position for the LJ steering relay arm.

As the Sierra tie rod shank on the Sierra track rod is bigger than the LJ taper, and also because the taper is now coming in from the opposite direction, you need to open out the hole on the LJ rod with a file to accept the taper of the Sierra track rod. See 2nd pic below.

[3cyl]

Better than I could have explained it but now I've pulled it apart I may as well post the pics, left one is Sierra, right is LJ80.

[royce]

Interesting, I must of been given a bum steer on it

do you find it steers funny with the sierra hubs? looks like it would knock the Ackerman about a bit

[303zuke]

No, it actually improves it with the solid Sierra track rod as the toe-in remains correct at all steering angles and suspension compression. The original inverted Y set-up was a bugger for steering issues and tyre wear.

[3cyl]

royce wrote:

Interesting, I must of been given a bum steer on it

do you find it steers funny with the sierra hubs? looks like it would knock the Ackerman about a bit

I kept the "Y" steering to avoid the taper issue already mentioned and the steer arm I bought from Repco was only about $80. Also it sits a little higher so harder to hit on rocks. It steers just as good/bad as it did with LJ swivel boxes just stops a lot better.
Umm... what's an Ackermann?

[Highway-Star]

Put simply, ackerman is the angle difference between your two front wheels when they steer. Its because the inside of your car when you turn is traversing a smaller turning circle then the outside of your car, and hence requires a tighter steering angle.

There is lots of theory on how much ackerman certain cars should have etc. Obviously Suzuki don't care too much, as both LWB and SWB Suzukis had identical diffs, hence the same ackerman angle. The slower you go the more ackerman angle you want. Some people say over certain speeds you don't want any ackerman at all, as at high speed cars apparantly handle better without it.

[Jeepmalta]

Hi all, I know this is an old post so hope someone knowledgeable is still around. I have done the disc brake conversion in my
Lj80 using SJ Hub arms and used the long drag link from the SJ.
No lift all stock and now I have a hard steering. Besides I am experiencing a death wobble ( when it hits bumps the steering feels out of control) some call it bump steer?
Anyhow, to add all things up this was a nut and bolt restoration and I don’t remember how the steering acted prior to the conversion but I owned an lj80 when new in the early 80’s and felt nothing like this.
I’ve put the narrow wheels on in case it got to do with the wider wheels, I’ve re bushed the steering linkage, changed the steering box to what looked a better one then the one it had on, New drag links so all ball joints are new,..it is just driving me crazy. I’m spending more time lying down beneath the car scratching my head rather then using some wrenches.
Thanks to all those who would find some time to give me a helping taught on this one.

[303zuke]

Nothing to do with the Disc Conversion, it's your Kingpin Preload.

Check and re-shim as per the Factory manual.

[303zuke]

Jeepmalta wrote:

I have done the disc brake conversion in my LJ80 using SJ Hub arms and used the long drag link from the SJ.

In an LJ80, you should use the TRACK ROD from an SJ410, and the original DRAG LINK from your LJ80. The LJ80 Drag Link is shorter than the SJ. This applies in either RHD or LHD, just use the respective components.

[Gwagensteve]

Bump steer isn’t steering wobble or death wobble. Bumpsteer is a measurement of how far the steering deflects when as they suspension cycles. On an LJ I understand suspension cycling causes toe in/toe out. On a Sierra suspension cycling causes the steering to move left/right. This is undesirable of excessive but will not cause a wobble or shake.