The pics there, I doubt the caliper is even bolted to the knuckle

OP gonna kill someone or himself driving that around

 

Rotor is not to small, caliper isn't even installed corectly or is totally wrong for this axle.

OP, how about answering questions asked of you?

Have you contacted seller to find out what's up with this mess?

 

I've taken everything apart. The brakes are from 89 jeep. The mounting brackets are also 89 but were slightly bent or just a bad hack job. I'm replacing w all new 89 parts. The front left was not working it seems. It's in the garage now taken apart waiting to get the parts in.

 

If the bolts are somehow in, and the piston is not about centered on the pad, you have the wrong parts. If you like, see if you can bolt it on without the pads. If the piston is about centered on the rotor surface, find pads that fit.

See if they list different pads for an 88.....there was a change there, they often screw up. (you might have 91 pads? ...

 

Bottom of piston was bout flush w bottom of pad. From the casting number, the caliper and bracket is 89. It just appears the brackets were possibly bent in a wreck, possible why a front axle change and the front left 1/4 painted a lil darker. Was looking for identifying info on the front axle and couldn't find any. Does look like an older Dana 30. The pass side looks way more solid and put together properly. I appreciate all the responses. A few wanted questions answered earlier but 16 hr days at work and 8 hr Sats doesn't leave alota time on the Internet. Again, thanks for the responses.

 

+1 for OP

Works his tail off and still comes back to say thank you in his thread.
Good on ya OP

Hope you get it all squared away

 

OP,if u are unsure about doing disc brakes,maybe u could have a friend stop by to help look at this before u order parts u may not need.

 

Got it all taken care of. Working on bleeding them now. Prob be next weekend when I get around to it. Thanks again

 

Any chance you might feel like letting us know what the problem waz?

 

Find your bill of material number and look it up on this site.
http://www2.dana.com/expertforms/deabill.aspx
Then you will know everything about the diff.

Max

 

My '88 XJ has brakes a whole lot like that...where the caliper piston peeks up over the pad. They are assembled properly and work properly.

 

If the two bolts that hold the caliper to the frame on the hub are threaded in their holes and the rotor is in between the pads and not binding up, then the calipers were on properly.

Blame Bendix for the weird design....

 

The first time I took the wheel off and looked at the brakes, I was surprised and confused to see the caliper piston like that. The design is odd, but I will say that it is a very smart design in that you can extricate the rotor off of the hub without having to remove the caliper frame. Just remove the two bolts and you can get the pads out and the rotor. Even the bolts are weird, allen head bolts, but they are less likely to strip or round out than a traditional bolt head would.

They will only go back on one way, as you would not be able to get those two bolts threaded in unless it was on right.