Daily Driver Brake Recommendations

[AjRagno]

Thats what I was lookin for
I will have to evaluate those options closer
Based on the above responses, guessin zinc plated

Im in the Midwest salt belt so
Thanks

I would put more faith in the quality of parts that Blaine supplies than I would for any normal retailer.

The front calipers have a coating of brake dust but the rears are still shiny.

View attachment 435202

In the image above, the axle looks wet because it has a coating of Surface Shield. If you’re going to drive your TJ in the winter, look into Fluid Film and Surface Shield to prevent salt corrosion. It should be applied to the frame (inside and out) and anything else that gets road spray.

Frame rust prevention:
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/rust-proofing-from-road-salt.68053/

 

[jjvw]

Yes
I do not drive any other vehicles that handle & brake as loosely as the Jeep does, with drum brakes still. Suspension and steering are a factor to address also

I own an F150 also that stops better to be fair, and I DD an F250 at work as well as diesel Internationals with air brakes.

Thats why I am looking into braking upgrades, and Hydraboost was on my list of possibilities

The real potential is there for the Jeep to perform far better on the street than it ever ought to and without compromise to its off-road capabilities.

 

[Apparition]

if you get to the point where you need better brakes enough that hydroboost is a viable option,

How do you know when this is?

 

[CreepinDeth]

How do you know when this is?

Subjective really
Just like engine power and torque
In the Jeep sense, more lift, more ability, more flex, etc

You want MORE PERFORMANCE…..or ya dont

NO ONE else can tell you what that line is
They can just make recommendations based on your expectations / goals

 

[psrivats]

Subjective really
Just like engine power and torque
In the Jeep sense, more lift, more ability, more flex, etc

You want MORE PERFORMANCE…..or ya dont

NO ONE else can tell you what that line is
They can just make recommendations based on your expectations / goals

Then we get questions from you asking for scientific proof

 

[CreepinDeth]

Then we get questions from you asking for scientific proof

Thats cute

 

[rasband]

Subjective really
Just like engine power and torque
In the Jeep sense, more lift, more ability, more flex, etc

You want MORE PERFORMANCE…..or ya dont

NO ONE else can tell you what that line is
They can just make recommendations based on your expectations / goals

I'll disagree, it's a safety thing. You'd be surprised how quickly my LJ on 35s stops. But before the big brake kit, it was on the edge of unsafe.

 

[mrblaine]

Subjective really
Just like engine power and torque
In the Jeep sense, more lift, more ability, more flex, etc

You want MORE PERFORMANCE…..or ya dont

NO ONE else can tell you what that line is
They can just make recommendations based on your expectations / goals

It is never subjective. Can you lock up your front tires? Yes, good to go or stop in this case. No, then you need to fix it until you can.

 

[mrblaine]

How do you know when this is?

When you have a problem that can't be solved any other way, problem being the inability to lock up the fronts. I use it also to solve a problem out of the ordinary. Folks are stubborn about rim size and won't go up to get bigger brakes. So, we use hydroboost with the smaller kits to lock up bigger tires.

Given that we can put together a basic kit that will lock up 40's with ease with the stock TJ vacuum booster, you have to get pretty far out there to need hydroboost. Also, when you get up to that tire size, the extra demand that HB places on the steering pump output really complicates big builds where hydro assist is mandatory.

 

[TexasTJ2004]

It is never subjective. Can you lock up your front tires? Yes, good to go or stop in this case. No, then you need to fix it until you can.

It seems to me that the brakes are one of the most overlooked items.
I doubt that 90% of the Jeeps with oversized tires are anywhere capable of locking the tires.
I doubt that average LJR with factory brakes and tires can lock tires easily.
When I compare factory brakes on TJ with factory brakes on my Kia 2021 SUV, TJ factory brakes suck balls.

 

[mrblaine]

It seems to me that the brakes are one of the most overlooked items.
I doubt that 90% of the Jeeps with oversized tires are anywhere capable of locking the tires.
I doubt that average LJR with factory brakes and tires can lock tires easily.
When I compare factory brakes on TJ with factory brakes on my Kia 2021 SUV, TJ factory brakes suck balls.

Yeah, welcome to my life eh? The problem with every single brake discussion is the terrible inconsistency of TJ brakes and they use effectively the same exact parts from 97-06. I've driven them on 37's with the stock brakes that would lock them up in a heartbeat. I've driven them on 31's that are scary. There is no rhyme or reason as to why they all respond differently and we've spent countless hours doing an AB parts swap between them to try and figure it out. Made no difference.

I can never predict how a stock brake set up is going to work.

 

[TexasTJ2004]

Yeah, welcome to my life eh? The problem with every single brake discussion is the terrible inconsistency of TJ brakes and they use effectively the same exact parts from 97-06. I've driven them on 37's with the stock brakes that would lock them up in a heartbeat. I've driven them on 31's that are scary. There is no rhyme or reason as to why they all respond differently and we've spent countless hours doing an AB parts swap between them to try and figure it out. Made no difference.

I can never predict how a stock brake set up is going to work.

Back in Israel, I was dealing with a with a fleet of military TJs (4 door, 4.10 gears, 32 inch military tires, Dana 44/30, factory SYE, 6 speed manual).
The safety regulations defined shifting down gears and braking with the engine as a major part of braking process. Riding the brakes was forbidden, as it might leads to overheat in the hills when one goes downhill. Ideally braking was supposed be used when one is already in 3rd or if possible lower gear. Keeping the distance from vehicle in front was mandatory and enforced. For that type of driving, the braking was adequate.
The problem is that today I drive in the middle of Texas suburbia, with automatic transmission (braking by using automatic is a process not really healthy for a auto transmission), and with nearly impossible to keep a proper distance from a vehicle in the front (you have large distance, somebody gets his F-150 into the gap). And I am on 31s, not anything larger.
So, if we want to drive TJ like we drive a car, we have to have better brakes.

 

[mrblaine]

So, if we want to drive TJ like we drive a car, we have to have better brakes.

I can do that.

 

[Apparition]

When you have a problem that can't be solved any other way, problem being the inability to lock up the fronts. I use it also to solve a problem out of the ordinary. Folks are stubborn about rim size and won't go up to get bigger brakes. So, we use hydroboost with the smaller kits to lock up bigger tires.

Given that we can put together a basic kit that will lock up 40's with ease with the stock TJ vacuum booster, you have to get pretty far out there to need hydroboost. Also, when you get up to that tire size, the extra demand that HB places on the steering pump output really complicates big builds where hydro assist is mandatory.

You had me questioning my setup without hydroboost when you said all brake kits should have it.

But, my 16” brakes in my 15” wheels are easily capable of locking the front 35” tires so I guess I’m ok for now. They definitely came in handy last week in Moab.

 

[mrblaine]

You had me questioning my setup without hydroboost when you said all brake kits should have it.

Pretty sure I said if I had my way they would all have it if there was a way to make it affordable.

But, my 16” brakes in my 15” wheels are easily capable of locking the front 35” tires so I guess I’m ok for now. They definitely came in handy last week in Moab.

Fairly common response with that kit and 35's.

 

[jjvw]

...

But, my 16” brakes in my 15” wheels are easily capable of locking the front 35” tires . ...

Same here with my 15/16" Vanco set to 16". One thing beyond having brakes that work really well that I really enjoy is the modulation control while braking. I've gotten fairly good at knowing how hard to brake right before initiating a skid and being able to hold that point where the tires just begin to sing as the Jeep slows down.

 

[CreepinDeth]

I'll disagree, it's a safety thing. You'd be surprised how quickly my LJ on 35s stops. But before the big brake kit, it was on the edge of unsafe.

Again
No one else is going to know that, except the owner and what feels safe to them. Take a 60 year old woman, and your version of safe, is not theirs

I would gander a guess
90% of the Jeeps on this forum are built different

Not all of us drive the same either
Im a very aggressive driver as I grew up in Chicago. Suburbian people dont drive the same, and neither do rural people.

So my first Jeep driving experience was ….wow, this thing is pretty weak and less safe Vs everything else I drive. Bigger brakes are my first priority

 

[jjvw]

Again
No one else is going to know that, except the owner and what feels safe to them. Take a 60 year old woman, and your version of safe, is not theirs

I would gander a guess
90% of the Jeeps on this forum are built different

Not all of us drive the same either
Im a very aggressive driver as I grew up in Chicago. Suburbian people dont drive the same, and neither do rural people

Most people have something to compare their Jeeps to, the same way you recognize your truck has better braking than the Jeep does.

The actual commentary surrounds people's ability to discern differences along with their interest in moving beyond the "it's a Jeep thing/it drives like a Jeep" excuses and justifications that plague the hobby with poorly behaving rigs.

 

[TexasTJ2004]

I can do that.

Yeah. I am aware.
Just put an order today for front and rear pads.
With rear disk brakes, all perfectly tuned and bled, today it brakes acceptably, but not more than that.
With these BMB pads and 31s, it should brake like a modern car.

 

[Hasselblad]

Yeah. I am aware.
Just put an order today for front and rear pads.
With rear disk brakes, all perfectly tuned and bled, today it brakes acceptably, but not more than that.
With these BMB pads and 31s, it should brake like a modern car.

Most of the braking is done from the front, you might not notice much of a change if you just do the rear.