1953 M38A1 Brakes

Are the front and back brakes the same? I am rebuilding the brakes and the manual shows they are the same but the front and rear are different on the vehicle

I just did my '55 A1. The front and rear are the same. I had all 4 drums and all 8 shoes next to each other and I didn't see any difference.

Can you post some pics of what you have? We can probably identify which ones are the correct A1 brakes and which ones are wrong.

I had the same problem Nhavasu. I suspect someone may have swapped an M38 axle to the rear(and it was bad).

I had a spare rear axle on a donor M38A1 and it had excellent shoes so we just swapped that onto the AF Jeep

The wheel cylinders are different diameters, the smaller ones go on the rear.

Brakes on M38A1

These are pics of what I have on the front

Looks like 10inch brakes from a CJ5 65-71 with a v6.

those appear to be 11 inch bendix plates for post 1971 cj-5/cj-6 . They are a typical swap for a bolt on brake upgrade (less Disk swap) If your current front brakes are indeed 10" or perhaps 11" dia. I'd keep them on if you plan on driving her often. The 11" braking surface is a dramatic improvement to the stock 9" on the M38A1 you have.

Disc it

Has any body heard if the adapter brackets have been made yet for the disc brake conversion I would invest in the better system (lawyer reasons) . Suzuky Samori or Geo Tracker front brakes fit perfect with the adapter. I know a man that has a T model with wooden spokes with disc brakes (lawyer reasons) OUT!

I know Ron is working on a setup using suzuki parts and putting a package together. do a search at the G503.com chat forum under GPW modifications. Currently he is still developing the brackets last I heard.

Rodger that, They are now for sale at 65.00 a pair . I just mailed the cashiers Check to him , nice friendly man. Goes by artificer which in Austrialya means very high trained on mechanical trades , I think John has several degrees . He has the special made brake hoses Jap to USA type connections for 35.00 a pair. I can not wait to see them .Contact Mr. John Gibbins at 1-775-772 7787 he lives in Sparks ,Nevada SGTFROST OUT