M151A1 disc brake conversion

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Carboarius
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M151A1 disc brake conversion

Unread post by Carboarius » February 28th, 2015, 11:13 pm

I know it would be possible to do a conversion, but I was wondering if there was anyone who had done it before out there. I noticed a Ford half ton from around the 1960s has the same bolt pattern and there are conversions made for it. I was hoping that there was someone who might know. Thank you, Carboarius
"If a sign of certain victory were needed, this is it, the Jeeps have arrived."
- Robert Sherrod, Time correspondent

1969 Ford M151A1 ex MRC108 Forward Air Control
1965 Ford M151A1 ex Civil Air Patrol
197? AM General M151A2
1954 GMC M211
1953 GMC M220
1967 Jeep M725

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Horst
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Re: M151A1 disc brake conversion

Unread post by Horst » March 1st, 2015, 7:18 am

yes, it has been done. There was (is?) a company in Italy offering conversion kits. They also had differential locks and other upgrades. Problem was the owner has a very questionable business attitude and I would never buy anything from him a second time. Website is dead at this time.

Usual question of course is why do it in the first place. I don't know about an A1, but the A2 has very good brakes. The only difference to an A1 are the bigger wheel cylinders in the front wheels. Apart from the stopping power which is very good, I don't think you would ever bring the brakes to their thermal limits. Even driving down long pass roads in the Alps, they never faded. I can lock the wheels any time and pedal pressure would be not high to do it. If your jeep brakes not like this, it is a different problem but not the design.

And don't get me wrong, I am not against any upgrades in general. My Pontiac has still drum brakes and I definitely will need to do a front disc upgrade some time in the future. I just don't think it is worth a penny on a M151.
Horst

1972 USMC M151A2 w/ROPS (ex Barstow) and M416
1962 M201 and trailer
1966 GTO,1982 E350 Skoolie, 1987 SJ413, 1987 911
Gone: 2xM35A2c, Unimog 404S, Hanomag AL28, DKW Munga

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rickf
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Re: M151A1 disc brake conversion

Unread post by rickf » March 1st, 2015, 11:31 am

The Ford pick-ups have a COMPLETELY different front end, not even close and none of the parts will work. You are comparing apples to lemons here. The guys in Pakistan have done it using parts from Toyotas but they have retrofitted the entire front wheel and hub assemblies. Keep in mind you will have to convert to a dual circuit brake system which means adapting in a new master cylinder and a proportioning valve. Simply not worth it. I put the 1" wheel cylinders from an A2 on the front of mine and life is good. It worked quite well before that but now my rear wheels will not lock first and chance a swing around.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

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Re: M151A1 disc brake conversion

Unread post by Fil Bonica » March 1st, 2015, 12:51 pm

After driving an M38 and trying a panic stop a 151 feels like it has power assisted brakes.
If aint broke dont fix it !

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K1ABW

Carboarius
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Re: M151A1 disc brake conversion

Unread post by Carboarius » March 1st, 2015, 1:18 pm

Thank you. I was considering disk brakes as this M151A1 will most likely be a daily driver. I do not have a running example yet, so I didn't know the braking power personally.
Thank you, Carboarius
"If a sign of certain victory were needed, this is it, the Jeeps have arrived."
- Robert Sherrod, Time correspondent

1969 Ford M151A1 ex MRC108 Forward Air Control
1965 Ford M151A1 ex Civil Air Patrol
197? AM General M151A2
1954 GMC M211
1953 GMC M220
1967 Jeep M725

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Horst
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Re: M151A1 disc brake conversion

Unread post by Horst » March 1st, 2015, 1:27 pm

Get one first and then decide if you really want it as a daily driver. There is one member on this board who put 60.000 miles on his jeep before he got hit by another car and rolled over. Luckily he escaped pretty much uninjured and is building his next jeep. Other than him I don't think anybody would consider the 151 as a daily driver.
Horst

1972 USMC M151A2 w/ROPS (ex Barstow) and M416
1962 M201 and trailer
1966 GTO,1982 E350 Skoolie, 1987 SJ413, 1987 911
Gone: 2xM35A2c, Unimog 404S, Hanomag AL28, DKW Munga

Carboarius
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Re: M151A1 disc brake conversion

Unread post by Carboarius » March 1st, 2015, 1:56 pm

I have two and I am working on making them driveable, but the winter weather here is impeding the progress.
Thank you, Carboarius
"If a sign of certain victory were needed, this is it, the Jeeps have arrived."
- Robert Sherrod, Time correspondent

1969 Ford M151A1 ex MRC108 Forward Air Control
1965 Ford M151A1 ex Civil Air Patrol
197? AM General M151A2
1954 GMC M211
1953 GMC M220
1967 Jeep M725

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Horst
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M151A1 disc brake conversion

Unread post by Horst » March 1st, 2015, 2:01 pm

Sounds good. I am waiting for better weather too. We will do another Alps trip this year, guess it will be somewhere between 600 and 1000 miles and I need to bring the jeep in the condition to do that. We did one 2 years ago and one solid week on trails took some toll. Nothing big but a few parts did not survive the constant vibrations.
Horst

1972 USMC M151A2 w/ROPS (ex Barstow) and M416
1962 M201 and trailer
1966 GTO,1982 E350 Skoolie, 1987 SJ413, 1987 911
Gone: 2xM35A2c, Unimog 404S, Hanomag AL28, DKW Munga

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whiterabbit
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Re: M151A1 disc brake conversion

Unread post by whiterabbit » March 1st, 2015, 5:42 pm

Why wouldn't it be a daily driver?? Yea, it's kind'a loud and definitely not weather proof with a vinyl top/sides but for round and about stuff it should be fine?? Wouldn't a properly sorted out M151 be just as good as say a mid 70's CJ jeep? I drove 500+ miles a week for 4 yrs in a old '78 military Land Rover. Lots of break downs the first yr but after that the bugs were worked out and I haven't had to fix anything for quite awhile. (me knocking on wood) :lol:
I like drum brakes, plenty of stopping power for a little jeep. If it was a big heavy truck then they'd be an upgrade but totally not needed for the M151A2.
"It’s the unconquerable soul of man, not the nature of the weapon he uses, that insures victory." Gen. George Patton

1986-2014 Ordnance Corps RETIRED!
XVIII Airborne Corps Combat Affiliation
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1972 M151A2
1978 exMOD 109 Land Rover S3 (sold)
1942 WLA
M274 (sold) Big mistake. Sigh....

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rickf
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Re: M151A1 disc brake conversion

Unread post by rickf » March 2nd, 2015, 1:13 pm

Way too much maintenance and the u-joints are starting to get hard to come by. Especially the drive shaft ones. A daily driver you are looking at greasing those outer joints weekly and the inners at least monthly.Spark plugs are also starting to be in short supply. Then you have the handling and rol problems. I am the main person who tells people NOT to worry about rollovers, drive with common sense. When you are driving a vehicle every day you tend to get over confident plus you do not have control of the other idiots on their cell phones on the road.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

sherwan_88
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Re: M151A1 disc brake conversion

Unread post by sherwan_88 » March 2nd, 2015, 3:40 pm

Disc brake conversion is not that hard to do but one has to shuffle quite a bit of things.

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Sherwan

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The Last Of Its Kind. A Ton Of American Steel.

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Re: M151A1 disc brake conversion

Unread post by rickf » March 2nd, 2015, 6:28 pm

Sherwan, Didn't you do a complete write up back when you did that? For some reason I thought you used complete Toyota front end parts, I was wrong. If you did a write up I will try to search it out. You swapped so many parts by the time you were done I lost track. :roll: :lol:
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

sherwan_88
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Re: M151A1 disc brake conversion

Unread post by sherwan_88 » March 2nd, 2015, 6:58 pm

For the brakes, the only Toyota parts were the rear calipers. They were off a Daihatsu Mira. I did put a Toyota Diesel motor in it though.

Not much had be altered. One just has to remove the entire drum brake system off the hub, fabricate a plate to hold the caliper, then just bolt everything together with the plate in between the hub and the arm. One can screw the rotors in or just have them riding on the wheel studs.

I ended up using Suzuki Samurai Calipers for the front, Mira calipers for the rear and Samurai rotors all round.
The only problem was the original rim would not go on as it didn't have the depth. That could be solved by reducing the rotor size and the height of the caliper fab plate.

Did also manage to do away with the U-Joint problem for all. Had a set a set Frankenstein style axle shafts made.
Retaining the original center splines had some commercial vehicles U-Joint assembly welded to them and a adapter plate for the diff mounting.
Worked pretty well. No more part scavenging and scrounging.

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Sherwan

1982 M825 (Former)
Muttless at the moment. :(
The Last Of Its Kind. A Ton Of American Steel.

Carboarius
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Re: M151A1 disc brake conversion

Unread post by Carboarius » March 2nd, 2015, 9:43 pm

It would require a bit more work, but it would be a fine daily driver. The disk brakes would provide better stopping power and I am going to put on rops and better tires. So that solves the vehicle problem and as for the stupid people, I suggest a jammer for the cell phones, albiet it is illegal.
"If a sign of certain victory were needed, this is it, the Jeeps have arrived."
- Robert Sherrod, Time correspondent

1969 Ford M151A1 ex MRC108 Forward Air Control
1965 Ford M151A1 ex Civil Air Patrol
197? AM General M151A2
1954 GMC M211
1953 GMC M220
1967 Jeep M725

sherwan_88
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Re: M151A1 disc brake conversion

Unread post by sherwan_88 » March 3rd, 2015, 7:50 am

My used to be daily driver.
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Sherwan

1982 M825 (Former)
Muttless at the moment. :(
The Last Of Its Kind. A Ton Of American Steel.

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