Just bought an '85 Brat!

[casm]

Welp, after searching on-and-off for the longest time, I finally found The Brat. It's an '85 GL, jump seats & T-tops, no A/C. Won't be able to pick it up for about 10 days or so due to work commitments, but I'm looking forward to getting my hands on it and thumping it around the deserts and mountains. I had a base-model '86 years ago and loved it, so it'll be nice to be back in one again.

 

Anyway, I've got some questions and hopefully people have answers I did some searching earlier, but could use clarification on a few things.

 

1) I'm probably going to want to do a 5-speed swap, but will need to keep low range. My recollection is that there was an early-'90s Legacy or Loyale that had the 5-speed gearbox with selectable low range; what years did it come in, what engine was it behind, and what were the codes for that engine and transmission?

 

2) I don't have A/C, but live in Los Angeles. Was there ever a retractable screen or similar available for the T-tops? Sitting in traffic in 100degF heat is going to be pretty unbearable if I'm trapped under a glass bubble with the sun beating right into the cabin.

 

3) Lift kits. Experience in the Jeep world (I have a 2000 Cherokee lifted 3.5") has taught me that everyone has their own preference in this department, but I may eventually want around 3"-4" of lift on the Brat. What is the largest-diameter tyre that can be fitted without having to trim the wheelarches, and how much lift is required to achieve that? How do they affect suspension, steering, and driveline angles? What are the pros & cons of the various kits? Is there a FAQ I should be consulting that would answer this?

 

4) Last question: what are the options for deeper gears and/or traction aids such as LSDs or selectable lockers? I figure that I'd like to maintain economy and acceleration as much as possible with larger tyres, and fully-open diffs kinda suck in certain situations Again, is there a FAQ I should be reading?

 

Thanks in advance for answering my questions - I'm really looking forward to having one of these little beasties again and re-learning what I've forgotten about them

[85T-REX]

Nice find!!! That's a beautiful Brat!

 

I got both of my Brats from SoCal. The '84 didn't have A/C so I put it in. All of the wiring is there, bundled up, so all you will need are the components and hoses. Put it all in there, check for leaks, charge it, and enjoy.

 

You'll need everything under the hood including the relay set on the p/s strut tower, the evaporator and air ducts that go under the dash on the p/s, and the electric switch that mounts under the radio console and attaches to the heater box.

 

I did mine 9 years ago and it's still blowing ice cold.

 

I can't help you on the other stuff but good luck!

[subyrally]

well, if you want a 5 speed and low range as well as a limited slip rear, look for an old subaru rx or gl-10 turbo. some of em had part time 4wd with fwd, 4wd hi and low, other had full time 4wd with high and low, and some of the full time 4wd even have a diff lock switch.

 

the limited slip diff and turbo trans will have a final drive of 3.7. the lsd from these car is rather tight from my expiriance, had my rx on a lift and the rear might as well have been a locker, the rear wheels wouldnt turn opposite directions, but i never had any problems with it on the roads except for a but if chirping at very low speeds on dry pavement.

[newsoobdude]

Congratulations on finding a Brat!!! You MUST post pics of it.

Are you looking for a FT4wd with a Low or a PT4wd with a Low? Being in LA, what kind of off roading are you looking to do, fire roads, Glamis, Gorman, or all? If looking for FT4wd, then yes, look for an RX tranny. If looking for a PT4wd, go with an 86 - 89? 5spd D/R out of anything BUT a turbo car, if your looking for lower gearing (turbo's are 3.7, non's are 3.9). Hit up bratsrus1 for the 5 speed conversion goodies as you'll have to modify your crossmember and get a new drive shaft made. If you want lower than 3.9, you'll have to forget the Low and go with a FT4wd out of a Legacy or something and get the rear diff as well (they are 4.44 or 4.11, I forget which).

LSD's came in the 3.7 gear ratio but can be swapped over to the 3.9 as well. Lot's of people say the LSD's are good but a welded rear is BETTER for off roading (you'll have to pull one of your rear shafts out for street use unless extra careful (takes 15 minutes or so to do).

I've looked through the Off Road section of this site and found lots of good stuff on their regarding modifications and all the goodies, I'd suggest searching though it as well or posting this over their as well.

Where abouts in LA are you? S'ko is down their and has a nice modded Brat you should check out.

[casm]

Thanks for the replies, folks. It looks like I'll be bringing it home a week from Tuesday, so I'll post some photos once it's here. Anyway:

 

I got both of my Brats from SoCal. The '84 didn't have A/C so I put it in. All of the wiring is there, bundled up, so all you will need are the components and hoses. Put it all in there, check for leaks, charge it, and enjoy.

 

Interesting. How horrible of a job is it? Any vehicle I've ever owned with broken A/C (or that didn't come with it as an option) I've just left that way and suffered, but this may be worth doing if it's not too bad. Is it all fairly drop-in, or are there any gotchas I should be aware of? Did A/C and non-A/C cars both use the same mounting brackets for the steering pump and alternator?

 

well, if you want a 5 speed and low range as well as a limited slip rear, look for an old subaru rx or gl-10 turbo. some of em had part time 4wd with fwd, 4wd hi and low, other had full time 4wd with high and low, and some of the full time 4wd even have a diff lock switch.

 

Not a lot of RXes around here (I don't even remember the last time I saw one), but GL-10 turbos occasionally crop up in the junkyards. Good to know thanks.

 

Are you looking for a FT4wd with a Low or a PT4wd with a Low? Being in LA, what kind of off roading are you looking to do, fire roads, Glamis, Gorman, or all? If looking for FT4wd, then yes, look for an RX tranny. If looking for a PT4wd, go with an 86 - 89? 5spd D/R out of anything BUT a turbo car, if your looking for lower gearing (turbo's are 3.7, non's are 3.9). Hit up bratsrus1 for the 5 speed conversion goodies as you'll have to modify your crossmember and get a new drive shaft made. If you want lower than 3.9, you'll have to forget the Low and go with a FT4wd out of a Legacy or something and get the rear diff as well (they are 4.44 or 4.11, I forget which).

 

Awesome, thanks for the info I'm OK with FT4WD, but want to keep low range and would like to have the option of locking the centre diff if at all possible. My guess is that I probably currently have 3.7:1 gears, so if I do end up going to bigger tyres it looks as though 3.9s will be the only option that let me keep low range.

 

Most of the off-roading I do falls into the 'trail riding' category, though I do have a habit of taking any technical stuff I can reasonably do without breaking my daily driver too badly. Been through Calico, parts of Johnson Valley, the Mojave Road, a good chunk of Big Bear, Rodman Mountains, Gorman, and a lot of random stuff in the general area. Not too big on dunes, to be honest - I've been to Glamis and Pismo and while it's fun, I'm more into the 'let's go see cool stuff' aspect of off-roading. If there's an abandoned mining camp, ghost town, petroglyphs, or something else to look at at the end of the trail, that's the sort of stuff I'm into.

 

Where abouts in LA are you? S'ko is down their and has a nice modded Brat you should check out.

 

I'm in Pasadena. Funnily enough, I was passed on the freeway a few months ago by a really nicely-modified blue Brat and couldn't catch up with it in traffic to get a good look at it, but from what I remember it looked like it was on around 6" of lift with about 30" tyres. Rear quarter panels were diamond-plated, I think. Dunno if it was his or not, but I'd be more than interested in talking to anyone locally who has already done this - I like having some idea of what I'm getting into before I start getting into it

 

In any event, thanks for the advice, everyone. I'll probably end up running it stock for a while until I figure out what exactly it is that I want to do with it, but this is certainly giving me some food for thought.

[newsoobdude]

Awesome, thanks for the info I'm OK with FT4WD, but want to keep low range and would like to have the option of locking the centre diff if at all possible. My guess is that I probably currently have 3.7:1 gears, so if I do end up going to bigger tyres it looks as though 3.9s will be the only option that let me keep low range.

Actually, if you're N/A, you already are 3.9:1, so stay away from Turbo tranny's and parts (minus an LSD that will have to be re geared).

I'm in Pasadena. Funnily enough, I was passed on the freeway a few months ago by a really nicely-modified blue Brat and couldn't catch up with it in traffic to get a good look at it, but from what I remember it looked like it was on around 6" of lift with about 30" tyres. Rear quarter panels were diamond-plated, I think. Dunno if it was his or not, but I'd be more than interested in talking to anyone locally who has already done this - I like having some idea of what I'm getting into before I start getting into it

Kind of a sky blue? Sounds VERY much like S'ko's Brat minus the 30s. He lives down in Redondo Beach and is a very nice guy, definitely hit him up for local info and help. Good luck with everything and next time I'm down in The Valley, maybe meet up and talk cars.

[casm]

Actually, if you're N/A, you already are 3.9:1, so stay away from Turbo tranny's and parts (minus an LSD that will have to be re geared).

 

Got it. It sounds like 4.1 is the next bump up in gearing, which wouldn't be that much of a jump over 3.9 anyway - less than 10% for more than that in tyre diameter increase. What are the largest gears that my diffs can take, and are there any direct swaps with deeper-geared diffs if they won't?

 

Kind of a sky blue? Sounds VERY much like S'ko's Brat minus the 30s.

 

That sounds about right. I'm not sure on the 30s since I was just eyeballing them while moving; that was pretty much just my best-guess estimate and they could easily have been smaller or larger.

 

He lives down in Redondo Beach and is a very nice guy, definitely hit him up for local info and help. Good luck with everything and next time I'm down in The Valley, maybe meet up and talk cars.

 

Cool, sounds good!

[newsoobdude]

Got it. It sounds like 4.1 is the next bump up in gearing, which wouldn't be that much of a jump over 3.9 anyway - less than 10% for more than that in tyre diameter increase. What are the largest gears that my diffs can take, and are there any direct swaps with deeper-geared diffs if they won't?

Depends on what tranny you use. The 3.9 is the lowest available with a Dual Range (High and Low gear 4WD) without going custom gears and goodies, but you can get 4.11:1(?) with a newer single range Full Time 4WD (no Low) EJ series manual tranny, but that requires custom axles and goodies if I remember right. If you go with a t-case lift, you don't have to worry about the tranny gearing only the diff gearing and can go 4.44:1 from an auto EJ series (Legacy, Outback, etc), but would still have to deal with custom axles. I know on the Off Road section awesomedude is asking about a 4.11:1 D/r conversion, so might want to check out that section of the forum for more info and ideas.

Personally, the cheapest way to do it would be a D/r out of an 86 - 89 Non Turbo vehicle and bratsrus1's conversion kit for that. You'll still be 3.9, but will have the added benefit of a 5th gear (and if i remember right, unless doing the High/ Low split for 2WD [see Off Road Forum], you'll still have the same RPM's as regular 4spd at highway speeds, just better around town/ hill climbing gearing. That and the only custom part that needs to be done is a drive shaft, everything else is OEM Subaru from the parts bin.

BTW, you ever go up to the hang glider take off spot off Osborne or Messenger Flats/ Lightning Point off Angeles Crest? Both are great spots to go wheelin', Messenger Flats/ Lightning Point has trails that'll take you out to Palm Dale that are basically fire roads and fun to Rally on, Hang glider take off spot is more a trail with some fun spots but can and has been done in my friends 2WD Bronco II.

[casm]

Personally, the cheapest way to do it would be a D/r out of an 86 - 89 Non Turbo vehicle and bratsrus1's conversion kit for that. You'll still be 3.9, but will have the added benefit of a 5th gear (and if i remember right, unless doing the High/ Low split for 2WD [see Off Road Forum], you'll still have the same RPM's as regular 4spd at highway speeds, just better around town/ hill climbing gearing. That and the only custom part that needs to be done is a drive shaft, everything else is OEM Subaru from the parts bin.

 

Cool, thanks - this sounds like the route I'm most likely to want to take. I'll definitely do some digging on the Off-Road forum.

 

BTW, you ever go up to the hang glider take off spot off Osborne or Messenger Flats/ Lightning Point off Angeles Crest? Both are great spots to go wheelin', Messenger Flats/ Lightning Point has trails that'll take you out to Palm Dale that are basically fire roads and fun to Rally on, Hang glider take off spot is more a trail with some fun spots but can and has been done in my friends 2WD Bronco II.

 

Wasn't aware that it's a hang glider launch spot - but I'm very familiar with that area; been geocaching up on the Santa Clara divide a number of times. Ever been up to the old Nike missile silo on Magic Mountain? It's been converted to a microwave repeater site for L.A. County, but you can still see the old launch tubes and water tanks. Link's here if you ever want to check it out. Cleghorn Road (starts here) off of the 15 and runs back up to Silverwood Dam on the 138 is another good day run - most of it's mild fire trail, but there's some interesting stuff off to the sides. Watch for quad riders and dirt bikes...

 

Edit: it just occurred to me that I have Google Earth .kml files for a lot of this stuff, and they include routes - if there's a way for me to attach them, I'd be more than happy to post them. Could be handy for folks with GPS receivers.

[85T-REX]

Interesting. How horrible of a job is it? Any vehicle I've ever owned with broken A/C (or that didn't come with it as an option) I've just left that way and suffered, but this may be worth doing if it's not too bad. Is it all fairly drop-in, or are there any gotchas I should be aware of? Did A/C and non-A/C cars both use the same mounting brackets for the steering pump and alternator?

It's all drop-in and absolutely worth doing. Especially in SoCal. You will need the mounting bracket for the compressor. Make sure you save all of the bolts. You will need to undo the rad bolts to put the condenser in but you won't need to remove the rad completely so no need to drain it. Everything else under the hood is pretty simple.

 

The trickiest part will be putting the evaporator under the dash. You may want to make sure the heater core and the rest of the cooling system is in good shape first. Some SoCal folks like to put tap water in their cooling systems and that will tear up a Soob. If that's good, you will just need to take out the long plastic duct piece and install the evap and the short piece(s) of duct.

 

As far as the switch that turns the A/C on, you can use the factory style switch or modify a push-button to turn it on or off whenever you want. The factory style switch will turn the A/C on in A/C, Max A/C, and defrost.

 

When you pull the components from the donor car you will see how easy it will be to put it all in your Brat. Just don't forget the relay block on the p/s strut tower.

[s'ko]

I'm in Pasadena. Funnily enough, I was passed on the freeway a few months ago by a really nicely-modified blue Brat and couldn't catch up with it in traffic to get a good look at it, but from what I remember it looked like it was on around 6" of lift with about 30" tyres. Rear quarter panels were diamond-plated, I think. Dunno if it was his or not, but I'd be more than interested in talking to anyone locally who has already done this - I like having some idea of what I'm getting into before I start getting into it

 

In any event, thanks for the advice, everyone. I'll probably end up running it stock for a while until I figure out what exactly it is that I want to do with it, but this is certainly giving me some food for thought.

 

yep it was me. If it was in that area I was headed towards the new Impreza Drive the Legend event.

 

If you are looking to do the D/R 5 speed swap, Scottf has all of the bits. He has a turbo BRAT that he's getting rid of and he was a D/R 5spd w/all of the components needed. I think there is less than 80K on the tranny. He lives in Santa Ana.

 

It's cool that you live in Pasadena, I might be getting a job in that area or nearby. (I hope to know by the end of the week.)

 

Will PM you w/my contact info. I have a bunch of parts that you can have if you need them.

 

Anywho welcome to the Club. Looks like there soon will be enough SOCAL members to do a respectable meet.

 

BW

[casm]

It's all drop-in and absolutely worth doing. Especially in SoCal. You will need the mounting bracket for the compressor. Make sure you save all of the bolts. You will need to undo the rad bolts to put the condenser in but you won't need to remove the rad completely so no need to drain it. Everything else under the hood is pretty simple.

 

Cool. I can deal with (mostly) bolt-on upgrades Will an '82-'87 compressor from the junkyard be OK to use R134 in, or should I look for a rebuilt unit? Obviously a rebuild is better, but if I can save a couple of hundred bucks...

 

Some SoCal folks like to put tap water in their cooling systems and that will tear up a Soob.

 

Yep - electrolytic corrosion between the head and the block! This one's coming from an area that gets snow, so it's been run with antifreeze (checked this with the seller). I'll likely have to deal with rear wheelarch rot, but from the photos it looked a lot better than my last one was in that regard.

 

When you pull the components from the donor car you will see how easy it will be to put it all in your Brat. Just don't forget the relay block on the p/s strut tower.

 

Sweet. One last question: is anything in this list Brat-specific, or can I use items from a GL sedan/wagon? I'm guessing it's all straight-swap stuff, but want to be sure before I scour the junkyards - I think I've only seen one Brat in there in the last two years, but you can usually throw a rock and hit a half-dozen GLs.

 

yep it was me. If it was in that area I was headed towards the new Impreza Drive the Legend event.

 

Confirmed I tried playing catch-up in traffic' date=' but never quite made it. Nice Brat!

 

If you are looking to do the D/R 5 speed swap, Scottf has all of the bits. He has a turbo BRAT that he's getting rid of and he was a D/R 5spd w/all of the components needed. I think there is less than 80K on the tranny. He lives in Santa Ana.

 

Sweet! Does that retain the 1.5:1 low range, or is it the 1.2:1? I really want to keep the 1.5:1 ratio - to be honest, it's not as deep as I'm used to so don't want to reduce it any further until I've got a feel for it.

 

It's cool that you live in Pasadena, I might be getting a job in that area or nearby. (I hope to know by the end of the week.)

 

Will PM you w/my contact info. I have a bunch of parts that you can have if you need them.

 

Cool, thanks very much! We'll have to figure something out for a meet & greet after I get the thing down here - should be back late Tuesday night if all goes according to plan.

[85T-REX]

Cool. I can deal with (mostly) bolt-on upgrades Will an '82-'87 compressor from the junkyard be OK to use R134 in, or should I look for a rebuilt unit? Obviously a rebuild is better, but if I can save a couple of hundred bucks...

They should be okay for R134. An A/C tech could tell you for sure. I wouldn't go with a rebuild. I tried that once with my RX and it wasn't worth the price diff for a new factory unit. As long as you can turn the comp by hand it should be good with a fresh charge and oil.

 

Yep - electrolytic corrosion between the head and the block! This one's coming from an area that gets snow, so it's been run with antifreeze (checked this with the seller). I'll likely have to deal with rear wheelarch rot, but from the photos it looked a lot better than my last one was in that regard.

Not really between the head and block, that's all aluminum. The freeze plugs, tubing, heater core, and hoses are what really gets damaged by tap water even with antifreeze mixed with it. That's why you should only use "Distilled water" with antifreeze. 50/50 mix.

 

Sweet. One last question: is anything in this list Brat-specific, or can I use items from a GL sedan/wagon? I'm guessing it's all straight-swap stuff, but want to be sure before I scour the junkyards - I think I've only seen one Brat in there in the last two years, but you can usually throw a rock and hit a half-dozen GLs.

No, all of my parts came from a wagon. I would suggest finding a donor that is '83 or newer. That is: '83-'84 anything and '85 and newer Brats and Hatches only.

One thing I forgot is the second electric fan for the radiator that you will need to grab.

 

It's all bolt on and plug in so it makes a really cool project with a big reward.

The only component you might need to buy new is the dryer. Depending on if and how long it's been exposed to the atmosphere it could be shot. New ones are only about $20.

[casm]

One thing I forgot is the second electric fan for the radiator that you will need to grab.

 

Good call. Thanks

 

It's all bolt on and plug in so it makes a really cool project with a big reward.

The only component you might need to buy new is the dryer. Depending on if and how long it's been exposed to the atmosphere it could be shot. New ones are only about $20.

 

Sounds good. Are there any online sources for cheap OEM parts I should know about? If it doesn't run to too much, I'll probably just order the whole lot in one go.

[85T-REX]

I would suggest getting it all from a j/y first. If you can find one car with everything still in it, it should all work good as long as you can turn the comp.

 

Try that first. OEM parts cheap? I don't know about those.

[casm]

Aaaand she's home

 

Did the 400-mile drive from Sacramento without any problems at 70-75mph all the way. Found that the fast idle screw likes to back out (Carter/Weber carb) of position this morning, but at least I know what the issue is and can adjust it as needed. Planning on doing a Seafoam and oil change tomorrow as well as checking the plugs, rotor, etc. - all the usual basic stuff you do after getting a 'new' car.

 

The good: Engine pulls well, clutch is good, everything works, but the tranny's in need of attention. Basically, it's extremely sloppy in all positions and third's a real bugger to engage smoothly - I suspect that the synchro is on its last legs since it goes in OK as long as you rev-match it, but that's really tricky (particularly on downshifts) given the lack of accuracy in the lever. I haven't got in to look at it yet, but if it's a fairly easy fix (bushings or similar) I'd appreciate knowing about it; the Haynes manual wasn't exactly specific in this regard.

 

The bad: rust is worse than I could tell from the photos. The passenger-side outer wheelarch was eaten through and Bondoed at some point; the Bondo's mostly flaked-out by now. The inner wheelarch on that sid isn't too bad though there is some bubbling, but the driver's side inner wheelarch also got the same Bondo treatment, most of which has also gone AWOL. Shock mounts are good, though.

 

Overall I'm pretty happy with it. Think I'll leave it stock (at least as long as it has the EA-81 in it), but definitely want to look into a 5-speed D/R conversion. Should make for a fun little runner, and photos are up here.

[TomRhere]

Nice looking '85!!!!! (even with the rust issues).

 

There's a couple repair methods listed in the USRM for shifter slop. Had to do that repair on my '85, shifter is nice and crisp now.

 

As for the sycro problem, try some Rislone Engine Flush in the tranny. Drain some of the gear lube out, pour in the Rislone and drive it for 50 miles or so shifting thru the gears, drain and re-fill with gear lube of choice. Should help it, but it's not a "fix-all". Dextron ATF will work as a cleaning agent also.

[casm]

Nice looking '85!!!!! (even with the rust issues).

 

There's a couple repair methods listed in the USRM for shifter slop. Had to do that repair on my '85, shifter is nice and crisp now.

 

Thanks - checked on those, and although I'm leaning towards the 5-speed conversion, if it turns out to be cost-prohibitive I'll definitely look back into them.

 

As for the sycro problem, try some Rislone Engine Flush in the tranny. Drain some of the gear lube out, pour in the Rislone and drive it for 50 miles or so shifting thru the gears, drain and re-fill with gear lube of choice. Should help it, but it's not a "fix-all". Dextron ATF will work as a cleaning agent also.

 

Hm. Interesting. After a few days of driving it around, I'm fairly convinced that the synchro on 3rd is basically shot - double-declutching and rev-matching works about two-thirds of the time, but it's definitely not as it should be. This is why I'm leaning towards the swap: if the tranny's going to have to be torn apart anyway to do the synchro (something I don't have time for since this is my only vehicle currently), the swap may be a better all-around option.

[dfoyl]

>>the swap may be a better all-around option

 

It IS a better all-around option. It loses that big hole between 3rd and 4th, and makes highway driving so much quieter.

 

Also worth looking at RX/Turbo rear discs if you do a lot of stop/start traffic - they come up pretty regularly on the FS page for about $100 a set...

 

I've had my Brat for about a year, and my changes were : ditch the stock wheels to 14" steel pugs (much better handling, I'll probably step up to redrilled 6-stud 15" rims though), slanted console for the CD player, EA82 5-speed box, Turbo rear discs, install A/C, and am now working on SPFI...

 

Dean.

[casm]

It IS a better all-around option. It loses that big hole between 3rd and 4th, and makes highway driving so much quieter.

 

Cheers - you just sold me on it. The 2nd-3rd gap was liveable, but 3rd to 4th seemed like they were oceans apart. I don't know if this is early senility creeping in, but the MV I owned previously seemed to have better-spaced ratios.

 

Also worth looking at RX/Turbo rear discs if you do a lot of stop/start traffic - they come up pretty regularly on the FS page for about $100 a set...

 

Funny that you should mention those; I was looking at the USRM earlier and mourning the lack of photos for that specific thread. Improved stopping power aside, I hate dealing with drum brakes anymore - if there's a way to get them out of the loop, I'm entirely in favour of it.

 

I've had my Brat for about a year, and my changes were : ditch the stock wheels to 14" steel pugs (much better handling, I'll probably step up to redrilled 6-stud 15" rims though)

 

On the cards - I'm already plugged in to the local French car community, being a long-time owner of the same. Still trying to decide if I want to lift it or not, but since there are no more aggressive tyres available for 13" rims... We'll see.

 

slanted console for the CD player, EA82 5-speed box, Turbo rear discs

 

Have to sort out the crappy carb that can't reliably hold idle first, but yes

 

install A/C

 

Slated for the long-term, but given that it's Los Angeles, probably sooner rather than later. Baking under the T-tops doesn't seem terribly appealing

 

and am now working on SPFI...

 

Not to question your motives - but why not go with a later MPFI unit?

 

Cheers,

 

- casm.

[TomRhere]

MPFI has 2 intake runners per side, no work on EA-81. Seeing as you're in California, the SPFI swap would be better than a Weber swap due to emission testing.

 

Rear disc swap is easy. Three bolts to remove drum stuff, along with brake line and axle nut. Disc stuff bolts on with 3 bolts for backing plate, 2 bolts for caliper, steel hard line on the BRAT gets twisted slightly to align with hose of off caliper. Bleed brakes, install axle nut and wheel, test brakes and enjoy.....