Big brake kit or just new rotors and pads?
- Thread starter fourmustangs
- Start date
Sunder
TJ Enthusiast
If that's for me, I'm not disagreeing with you; but I'm also not saying mine always lock up. The price tag alone for the tires ensures that I don't lock up on purpose. All I'm reporting is that "I can" lock them if I want to, which is something I am not sure stock pads could do with 35" tires.
That is also the only quantifiable measurement I have with my brakes that I can report with in a forum.
I think a stopping distance from X speed would be a superior measurement, but I don't have that at that time of this writing, and I don't actually plan on that either. But I will say I believe my stopping distance is much shorter since I installed BMB pads. (something I that I initially thought was an overpriced gimmick, but am a believer in now after using personally - in case I come off sounding like a shill).
The only useful quantifiable metric for brake effectiveness is done with a G meter of some sort. All the rest is far too difficult to quantify or even reproduce if you were to try and I don't care how it is expressed. Distance at a specified speed, or % decrease in stopping distance. Anyone that publishes those numbers is asking for trouble.
I'm currently running a Super 16" kit on 31 inch tires. Even though the brakes are massively oversized for my application, I still have a lot more control than I did stock.
The only issue I have is that the front/rear bias is currently too high, and significantly more force is required to lock up the back axle after the front axle locks up. I plan to install the rear BMB pads I have to temporarily alleviate this. But all in all, the issue is minor.
In short, I don't think you're going to have any significant issues if you buy a big brake kit for 33s, especially if you choose the smaller 15/16" kits. Whether you need it is another debate I won't get into. Only downside is a lighter wallet
The only issue I have is that the front/rear bias is currently too high, and significantly more force is required to lock up the back axle after the front axle locks up. I plan to install the rear BMB pads I have to temporarily alleviate this. But all in all, the issue is minor.
In short, I don't think you're going to have any significant issues if you buy a big brake kit for 33s, especially if you choose the smaller 15/16" kits. Whether you need it is another debate I won't get into. Only downside is a lighter wallet
I did the BBK on my 05 Rubicon running 35's on 15" wheels. I thought it was ok before until a car cut in front of me and I had to slam on the brakes, and it did not stop as quick as I thought it would. It scared me a bit and I started leaving more room between me and the cars in front of me. But every time i left enough room some dip$hit would jump in there and then I no longer had my safe zone. I then decided it time to make the switch, I now stop much faster than before.
The proportioning valve reduces pressure to the rear because most of the braking is done by the front brakes. With the big brake kits it usually isn't a problem because you install them on a taller vehicle than stock, so the front/rear bias needs to increase anyways. Increasing the front/rear bias without increasing the height leads to poorer braking performance.
So yes there is supposed to be a bias but the bias is too high in my application. For ideal performance once one axle locks up the other should be close to locking up.
The Rubicon does not have ABS so it can't fight the lockup for me.
The final solution is to lift my jeep 5" and slap on 315s as planned