I've been running this rig since the video was made, first with the D35 rear end as shown, and for two years now with a Ford 8.8 with disk brakes. It stops very predictably and reliably with no change in the master cylinder or valves.
looks real good . I have a 1992 yj and typical rear brakes aren't helping. so i might start looking for that 1994 jeep Cherokee disc setup. how much you spend in all the used parts parts?
drum breaks actually have more contact for breaking force. only thing disc are better about is being cleaner and easier to maintenance and they worp easier
Contact surface isn't the most important issue with brakes. Heat dissipation is a bigger deal. Disk brakes do a much better job of this, which is why they're used in cases where the brakes have to work hardest--front axles of any rig. Additionally, the 'cleaner' part of the disk brakes makes them both more efficient and consistent, since the crap that builds up in drum brakes traps heat as well. Finally, their self-adjusting function is built-in, and actually works all the time. In terms of braking power, drum brakes are perfectly adequate for the back end of a Wrangler, even, probably, if you were towing a trailer. The offset of all this, as you noted, is the tendency of disks to warp. There's also the fact that disk pads tend to wear out quicker. In this case, I doubt either of those problems will be a big issue; The Wrangler won't work those rear disks hard enough to either warp them or wear them out quickly.
Everything before 30:00 is straightforward, bolt-up mechanics. If you're good with that part, the rest of the video is the fabrication work to get the emergency brakes set up and working.
I used the ones for the Grand Cherokee, They're made for the rear disks, and so are just a little longer than the Wrangler version. If you've got aftermarket wheels, I'd still check to make sure they're going to work.
