Rear brake swap

stratocu510 · Aug 23rd, 2007, 11:28 AM

I have a 1991 Pathfinder XE with drum brakes on the rear. I would like to swap them out for a disk setup. Can I just take everything I need off a rearend with a disk setup and bolt it to mine or are the drum and disk rearends so different that I will need to get the entire rearend. I realize that I will need to probably get the dual disk brake master cylinder as well to complete the swap.

Thanks,
Greg

smj999smj · Aug 23rd, 2007, 07:47 PM

I really don't think the hassle is worth the benefit even if it is possible...but that's just my opinion. Rear drum brakes work pretty well on these trucks when routinely cleaned and adjusted.

I do know that the master cylinder is differant. 91-95 shows two master cylinders: one for drum brakes and one for SE model/Disc brakes. I would think that the proportioning valve is differant, as well. Obviously, the parking brake cables are differant....at least the rear cables. It might be hard to remove the rear brakes lines to swap, as they are generally pretty rusted, but this is a minor issue as the original or new lines can be modified/fabricated. The other thing to look at is the LSV (load sensing valve).

The big issue to me would be if the axle housings were the same. If you are working with the same model rears, then I might think that the brake assys. would be a bolt-on procedure. If the rears are differant models, I would be inclined to think that this would not work. Assuming you have a 4WD, you would have a H233B model, as do all 91 4WD Path models, including the SE...so I guess it's possible. I'm not sure if that goes for all years, but I would think it would be so for 91-95 models.

**88pathoffroad** · Aug 25th, 2007, 09:14 PM

If you have the V6, then a swap is fairly straightforward and simple. Axles are the same from 87-95 AFAIK.

Nissan Nut