Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts

Brandon's Arles Blue TJ

Well I'm not excited about it, but I think I'm finally going to install my new brakes this weekend. We go pick up our new camper Saturday and are going to camp that night. Then when we get home Sunday I'll get started and finish it up on Monday. I've got a 15" BMB kit for the front plus extended brake lines and then full new OE replacement kit for the rear plus going to go ahead and replace the wheel cylinders while I'm there. I hate doing brakes......but it'll be nice to have confidence in my brakes off-road. I've never questioned them on the road and they stop and feel fine with normal driving. However, when in 4-low and crawling I don't have the holding power I need.

Prime wheeling season will be here before we know it. Once the brakes are done I also need to get measured for shocks and make my move to 4" lift.

The corner armor is still saying expected between 2-10 and 2-17, but no tracking number yet?
 
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Time for better brakes!
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Got the rear drums done with only minor hiccups. I didn't pay attention to the pin on the rearward shoe and put it the wrong one in the wrong side first which led to having to undo all of the springs. Every time I have to do drum brakes I say I'm not buying the spring tools because I'm never doing this again....and here I am. Pliers and screwdrivers for springs lead to busted knuckles and nearly punching myself in the face! 😂
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Got the front passenger fully disassembled (except for replacing the brake line) and ready to start installing the 15" BBK tomorrow. The cotter pin seized in the lower ball joint and snapped off pretty flush with the nut. It was a pain to get out! Ended up having to break it off as far as I could and then used the nut to shear it off. Then used a pin to drive out the remaining pieces. Broke a pin doing it even, but finally got it. Also already got the caliper off of the passenger side because I wanted to get some penetrant on the unit bearing bolts.

I'm also using this as an opportunity to test my tool kit and make sure that I have stuff that I need. So far pretty good, minus one socket.
 
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bbaldwin237 said:
Time for better brakes!
View attachment 672334

Got the rear drums done with only minor hiccups. I didn't pay attention to the pin on the rearward shoe and put it the wrong one in the wrong side first which led to having to undo all of the springs. Every time I have to do drum brakes I say I'm not buying the spring tools because I'm never doing this again....and here I am. Pliers and screwdrivers for springs lead to busted knuckles and nearly punching myself in the face! 😂
View attachment 672332View attachment 672333

Got the front passenger fully disassembled (except for replacing the brake line) and ready to start installing the 15" BBK tomorrow. The cotter pin seized in the lower ball joint and snapped off pretty flush with the nut. It was a pain to get out! Ended up having to break it off as far as I could and then used the nut to shear it off. Then used a pin to drive out the remaining pieces. Broke a pin doing it even, but finally got it. Also already got the caliper off of the passenger side because I wanted to get some penetrant on the unit bearing bolts.

I'm also using this as an opportunity to test my tool kit and make sure that I have stuff that I need. So far pretty good, minus one socket.
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I’m in the middle of my BBK too. They’re big. Ball Joint Deletes too.

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I thought ball joint delete was frowned upon on this forum? Has the options changed? Iv been looking at those for some time. 🤷‍♂️
 
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Wildman said:
Getting them to fit with the RCV axles was a lesson in patience and a LOT of cuss words... But with the tires I have it was added insurance to not having issues.
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Do you have the Gen 1 or Gen 2? I thought the Gen 2’s were designed to fit with RCV shafts, though that may be only for some axles. I don’t know about that for sure.
 
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Wildman said:
NashvilleTJ & I have them too... But not stock axles..
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Not stock axles meaning different knuckles or complete different like I have Currie hp 44 in the front but with stock knuckles? Would you guess those deletes would work well in mine when the time comes.
 
PG. said:
Not stock axles meaning different knuckles or complete different like I have Currie hp 44 in the front but with stock knuckles? Would you guess those deletes would work well in mine when the time comes.
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Mine is a Ford HP44 so the knuckles are completely different than a TJ or Currie axle. I'm not sure which knuckles Currie used on yours but as far as I know they were still TJ knuckles which is why you're able to use your stock outers on them. So based on that then YES you can use the BJD's.
But I'd reach out to Currie just to verify.

https://americanironoffroad.com/col.../gen-2-jeep-1990-2017-balljoint-delete-system

JMT said:
Attention whore! It’s only post #12,994!!!!

Looks good in the Reid Knuckles.
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YEP and I'm told I'm that by my special friend too...

I think my steering having dead spots is dues to the drivers side BJD not being adjusted correctly... I didn't have a fish scale to test the tension with when I'd installed them. Which is why I'm pulling the axle back apart to adjust it.

Hell with Ryan and you plus all the other "Train Wrecks" that take 2-3 pages to die out it's amazing I'm not over 20K posts...

And those 13K posts are from 5 years of wrenching on this damn thing...
 
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PG. said:
Not stock axles meaning different knuckles or complete different like I have Currie hp 44 in the front but with stock knuckles? Would you guess those deletes would work well in mine when the time comes.
Click to expand...

I have them installed in a Currie HP44 with RCVs. I had to grind down a socket to tighten the lowers in the C, but other than that it was a simple install.

They have been good far (about a year of abuse with 38" tires). Only issue I have had is the lowers loosening and you have to remove the shaft to tighten them, but I installed with red locktite last time and that seems to be holding (they come with nylon locking nuts).
 
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gasiorv said:
I have them installed in a Currie HP44 with RCVs. I had to grind down a socket to tighten the lowers in the C, but other than that it was a simple install.

They have been good far (about a year of abuse with 38" tires). Only issue I have had is the lowers loosening and you have to remove the shaft to tighten them, but I installed with red locktite last time and that seems to be holding (they come with nylon locking nuts).
Click to expand...

I had to grind down a 1 1/16” socket to tighten the upper nuts too. Funny they never mention this stuff. Good to know about them coming loose.
 
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bbaldwin237 said:
I think I'll have mine done today. You're doing the 17" kit right? My ball joints seem ok so I'm not touching them for now. Hopefully I'm not back in there soon replacing ball joints.
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Yes. You’re much faster than me. I have to swap out the master cylinder. I may get a new hub on one side. I hope to finish this week.
 
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JMT said:
Yes. You’re much faster than me. I have to swap out the master cylinder. I may get a new hub on one side. I hope to finish this week.
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I don't know about that, the boxes have been sitting in the house for months! 😂 I just know that prime wheeling season is around the corner and I need to be able to stop these 35s. It's not fun trying to ease down an obstacle and having it roll through the brakes 😳

And this gets my extended brake lines on so they're not acting as limiting straps so I can install my 4" springs and bump stops (and rear track bar 🙄) and order shocks.
 
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Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts
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