Brake upgrade for larger tires?

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tony'sgfhasajeep

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so the gf's jeep is going into the mechanics on thursday, the tires and suspension was upgraded and now the larger tires are causing a serious issue with braking power. any reasonable and not too expensive upgrades? maybe a particular brand of brakes/rotors or something. a disc conversion is probably not in the budget at the moment.
 
There is no better brake upgrade out there for our TJs than Black Magic Brakes, designed and operated by forum member @mrblaine.

He designed these upgrades specifically for the TJ. I run his Vanco 16" big brake kit, and let me tell you... This thing STOPS!
 
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All you need is the brake pads, not the big brake kit! The brake pads are what makes the difference.
 
@Chris

I was under the impression I would need Centric rotors to get the best performance from the Black Magic pads? I currently have ACDelco Professional Durastop rotors I bought new and installed in April of 2015. Planning on doing my brakes sometime in July. New Knuckles and hoses as well as rebuilt calipers.

Can anyone confirm if the Centric rotors are indeed needed? Im pretty sure they're recommended to pair w Black Magic.

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I can't confirm nor deny that Centric rotors are required for Black Magic pads. I have priced out calipers, rotors and pads with the associated hardware and the stock kits that mrblaine sells are a good deal. I couldn't save enough piecing it togather to justify buying the parts seperatly. Plus, Blaine's reputation of standing behind his parts makes up for any difference. I think the front kit, complete, stock, is around 308 bucks. That's the direction I'm going. Both front and rear. His stock drum rear kits are a bargan with all the fiddly bits he includes.

That's just my 2 cents worth, so take it for what it's worth.
 
I can't confirm this either. It would sure be nice if @mrblaine chimed in at some point.

Because in all reality, this IS the best braking setup out there for our TJs.
 
The only caveat I've read on his website is:
"Caution: It is highly recommended that these pads be used only with very high quality rotors like the Centric Premium versions we sell. If you install them on other rotors, we will be unable to predict the level of performance you may experience."

 
I did a some searching late after my post. And yes, they're recommended. I don't have an issue w that. If Im going this rout it's because I want a solution and results that matter. My current brakes aren't horrid w 33's on city / suburban roads or arteries. But at highway speeds and crawling they're not 100%.


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How big of a tire?

I just put a complete new brake system on my jeep using Centric Premium rotors and Summit Racing brake pads. It stops my 31's no problem. I a big fan of Hawk pads, which I've ran on all my jeeps but decided to give Summit's pads a test and they are pretty good. They seem to get better over time.

Cannot go wrong with Black Magic though. I haven't heard a single bad review on them.
 
Look into the EBC yellow brake pads. While I will also recommend BMB pads, because brakes aren't a place where I personally care too much about cost, I know it's not always feasible to drop the cash when you really need a replacement set.
 
Good idea for the OP. I considered those as well, since my rotors are pretty damn new. But I'll compare the cost. Rotors aren't expensive.


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Chris said:
Here's the EBC yellow pads BTW:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001C8WP8Y/?tag=wranglerorg-20

Still not cheap, but I don't think you're going to find "good" brake pads for really cheap. The $25 ones they sell at AutoZone, cost $25 for a reason.
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This is also important. I know I said it's ok to not spend the most you could on pads...but they are your brakes. And the fact of the matter is, you put the bigger tires on the Jeep, it needs bigger brakes. Stock brakes won't cut it anymore, and upgraded pads cost more than stock ones. The extra cost of big tires is more than what you pay for the tires themselves.
 
PStov98TJ said:
This is also important. I know I said it's ok to not spend the most you could on pads...but they are your brakes. And the fact of the matter is, you put the bigger tires on the Jeep, it needs bigger brakes. Stock brakes won't cut it anymore, and upgraded pads cost more than stock ones. The extra cost of big tires is more than what you pay for the tires themselves.
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Yep, I agree, especially with bigger tires, good brakes is a must.

Obviously I don't wan't to come across as snooty, but with something like brakes, it's probably not a good idea to cheap out. There may be some supposed "performance" brake pads that you can get on eBay for $50 or so, but those are nothing more than Chinese crap... The same sort of brake pads you'd get at AutoZone, only with the word "performance" printed on the box.
 
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The BMB kit is 235.00, no where near out of line for quality brakes. Don't skimp on brakes like @Chris said. Its seems backwards and counterproductive for folks to spend hundreds to thousands on lift/tires/wheels etc but scoff at a couple hundred to stop it all safely.

I can attest to Power Stop brakes as I run them on my Silverado. I went with their extreme duty set up because I knew I would be flat towing my TJ. I have no stopping problems with the bed loaded with gear and towing the TJ. The best part of them is they actually improve as they heat up. You can go that route which is less expensive than the BMB but still not Autozone cheap,
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UB92DU/?tag=wranglerorg-20

There are some negatives to drilled rotors on off road vehicles, specifically getting rocks trapped in the holes. PS makes a different set without drilled and slotted rotors but I didn't see it when I looked.
 
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Rob5589 said:
The BMB kit is 235.00, no where near out of line for quality brakes. Don't skimp on brakes like @Chris said. Its seems backwards and counterproductive for folks to spend hundreds to thousands on lift/tires/wheels etc but scoff at a couple hundred to stop it all safely.

I can attest to Power Stop brakes as I run them on my Silverado. I went with their extreme duty set up because I knew I would be flat towing my TJ. I have no stopping problems with the bed loaded with gear and towing the TJ. The best part of them is they actually improve as they heat up. You can go that route which is less expensive than the BMB but still not Autozone cheap,
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UB92DU/?tag=wranglerorg-20

There are some negatives to drilled rotors on off road vehicles, specifically getting rocks trapped in the holes. PS makes a different set without drilled and slotted rotors but I didn't see it when I looked.
Click to expand...
Hey Rob? Where did you get the price on the BMB kit at $235? What's it include? The reason that I'm asking is the front kit I was looking at on the BMB site that included plated Centric Calipers, Rotors and BMB pads with the pins and bolts was $380. If you have a line on that kit for less money, I'm all in! (Oh, never mind, I think the kit you are talking about is the pads and rotor kit, right?)

Be a little careful of some of the "higher quality" pads out there. I put a set of recommended and highly regarded ceramic pads on the 'Bourbon a couple of years ago. While they stopped the white whale in an amazing fashion, they also ate the rotors in less than 20,000 miles and squeaked horribly. I got exactly what I asked for though. Just not the rest of the story.
 
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