Drum to Disc Swap

[Rifleshooter]

Does anybody know where I can find a kit to do a rear drum to disc brake swap on my 1980 volare with a 7 1/4 rear axle?

 

[89.Fifth]

You might be better off swapping in a whole rear end from a jeep that has the disc brakes already on it. That being said, kits for 8.25 rears should fit the 7.25 with some modification.
Rear Disc Brake Conversion Kit- TJ,YJ,XJ - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

 

[Rifleshooter]

What kinds of modifications would I be looking at with the 8.25 to 7.25 convert

 

[BudW]

Personally – I wouldn’t perform any modifications to an 7¼” differential – for they are not that strong. You can put 11” drum brakes on one – but you would be way ahead just to drop a 8¼” differential into it to begin with (like a Jeep version that already has rear disk brakes).

When I hear someone say 7¼” – I automatically think of an almost broken toothpick . . .

 

[4speedjim]

I agree, the 7.25 is anemic at best. The jeep 8.25 with disc brakes is much cheaper and stronger that modding the 7.25. I bought a 2000 up Exploder 8.8 with 3.73 posi & discs for $200 complete disc to disc. It pretty much just drops in. Im not crazy about the 3.73s with a 3 speed auto for the street. The 8.8 comes with lower ratios, this one just happened to be near by, complete, cheap and drops right in. Youll need to mod the driveshaft if you upgrade, but its still a lot less than doing discs on the 7.25.