1960 CJ5 Backing Plate Question

[mpjay2000]

Can someone tell me what the pieces are that I marked with arrows?

I'm cleaning everything up getting ready to do some brake work and I cannot figure out what these are. They are on both rear backing plates. Not sure if a previous owner modified something or what.

Thank you for any and all help! I included pics of the front and back of both rear backing plates.

Jay

[TJones]

Welcome Jay.
First question is does your CJ5 have a brake drum behind the transfer case that the emergency brake is housed in?
If it does, it looks like the previous owner may have changed the backing plates off a later model Jeep that had the emergency brake that is in the rear brakes to put bigger brakes on your CJ5.
From the pictures it looks like what you have is the remains off the emergency brake cable that was cut off on both sides off the backing plates on both the front and rear of your CJ.
Measure the brake drum diameter and that will answer the question and probably solve the mystery!!

[mpjay2000]

Thanks, TJones! It's still a 9" brake setup. I believe I have the brake drum at the transfer case but I haven't got under there yet to explore. When I bought it, it did not have any parking brake handle or cables so I'm trying to figure out how this all came together over the years. Thanks for the reply!

Jay

[TJones]

After looking close I now see it’s the inside and outside of the rear only backing plates, I’ve never seen front brakes that had emergency brakes. It makes sense now, one of the other wizards will jump in and solve your mystery I’m sure.
I really don’t know that exact year they switched from the emergency brake behind the transfer case to the rear drums but if it didn’t have one when you got it that may be the reason, the cable may have rusted up and they just cut the cable off at the backing plates and left you with the head scratching question “what the heck is this”

[bmorgil]

TJ you are seeing the same thing I am seeing. The backing plates are from something else. The items are indeed the cut off e-brake cables, from backing plates off of something that utilized a rear wheel integrated emergency brake with cable activation.

I could be wrong but I don't think CJ's ever used anything but the transfer case mounted e-brake. Someone just bolted on a set of 9" backing plates and took it from there. Who knows what the backing plates are off of. The axle bolt pattern on the flange for the backing plate is fairly standard. You can bolt a lot of things to that flange.