Well, my current set-up is as follows:

Front, Dana 30 (I Know) with stock brakes, YJ brake lines..
Stock Master Cylinder, Ford 8.8 with Discs...

I am running a stainless line to the rear....

Basically, my front brakes cannot even come close to locking down the front tires... I tried the combination valve mod posted in another topic, and now the rear lock-up just fine... What can i do to get better braking? I know i can get stainless front lines, but i don't see that making a huge improvement...

86 XJ, has 200,000 miles on it and probably has the original master cylinder... Pedal feels a bit soft, but gets hard about 1" from the bottom ofthe stroke... If i need to put in a new master cylinder, it would make sense to change it to something bigger right? Any ideas what might fit? I am only running 33" TSL bias plys for now with bart beadlocks, surely they aren't too heavy for the system? Well, time to quit thinking and have a :beer:

Thanks god I never drive near Boons, NC. :flipoff2: See my reply to the other thread. :)

Originally posted by punkskalar
Well, my current set-up is as follows:

Front, Dana 30 (I Know) with stock brakes, YJ brake lines..
Stock Master Cylinder, Ford 8.8 with Discs...

I am running a stainless line to the rear....

Basically, my front brakes cannot even come close to locking down the front tires... I tried the combination valve mod posted in another topic, and now the rear lock-up just fine... What can i do to get better braking? I know i can get stainless front lines, but i don't see that making a huge improvement...

86 XJ, has 200,000 miles on it and probably has the original master cylinder... Pedal feels a bit soft, but gets hard about 1" from the bottom ofthe stroke... If i need to put in a new master cylinder, it would make sense to change it to something bigger right? Any ideas what might fit? I am only running 33" TSL bias plys for now with bart beadlocks, surely they aren't too heavy for the system? Well, time to quit thinking and have a :beer:

I assume you have drum brakes on the front and disk on the rear? I'v had it where the adjusters on drum brakes are frozen. Check them and adjust the shoes. Your problem may be solved. (it's the little things that get missed).;)

:question: Stock brakes on the front of an '86 XJ would be disks.:beer:

Originally posted by CJ-Jeeper
:question: Stock brakes on the front of an '86 XJ would be disks.:beer:

Your right 86. The pistons may be frozen it happend on may rear disks. :emb4:

Originally posted by rubiconray


Your right 86. The pistons may be frozen it happend on may rear disks. :emb4:

I got a YJ, 33" swampers... same problem, rear locks up fine.. Front doesn't. I changed out to a larger master cylinder, the braking got better, but I still can't lock them up. (They work fine for off-road though) I've been through the entire brake system, there's nothing wrong with it... it's just the mass of the larger tire hurting your breaking performance

After an axle swap is out of the way, I'll be looking at a dual-diaphram booster.

Originally posted by twaldher

After an axle swap is out of the way, I'll be looking at a dual-diaphram booster.

I've thought of this too but doesn't the YJ already have a dual diaphram booster? Also, you could go to a shop and have them measure the line pressure at each wheel to make sure it's not the calipers. They may even be able to measure the booster pressure.

Regardless, if pressure is constant and friction is increased you should see improved results with performance pads.

I don't *think* the YJ's have a dual diaphram booster.

In my case I've replace the calipers, running braided brake lines. So I doubt the calipers are the problem. another idea I haven't had the energy to attempt yet (need a good long summer day) is replace all the brake lines in the jeep with the next larger tube and proportioning valve (flow more fluid) to match the bigger master cylinder.

The one thing my YJ does that I really hate.. the pedal goes all the way to the floor braking hard. All the work occurs in the last 1/3 of pedal travel. Braking system checks out, but I would love to have the pedal work in the first 1/2 of travel instead. Would at least make me feel better about my brakes.

punkskalar....
alot of xj guys report huge gains in braking performance from switching to the ~95+ MC and Dual Diaphram booster.
im pretty sure someone has a tech article on it...
check in over at www.naxja.org

95+ Master Cylinder and the Booster too? Hrmm, that would seem easy enough... What about later model calipers as well, do you think that there is a difference in those? Any ideas where to get some performance pads? Thanks John, im gonna check that link... Slowly getting this thing a little bit more street friendly... Right now Im afraid to let anyone drive it unless they know it well... Hugh

Hugh, you can get the performance pads at just about any auto parts store. Look for the brand called Performance Friction, they make good stuff. Brutestop is another IIRC.

I just replaced my rubber hoses with braided SS lines up front. I took it for a test drive today and I still need to bleed some air out of the system. I will let you know if there is any improvement.

Look around on 4x4wire. I remember seeing something about a Navajo brake booster doing a damn fine job of stopping things.

Call it a long shot, but are you running a swaybar up front? When I took mine off (doesn't fit anymore) I had a large loss in braking ability. Since the suspension isn't limited it will nose dive a lot heavier and way too much weight transfers up front for the stock brakes to lock up. The rears will lock fine though since the rear suspension unloads. Just something to think about.

Hrmm, thats a thought, but really i don't see how if both front wheels carry the same load, how the swaybar will make any difference... It won't make a difference if both wheels travel upwards the same distance (aka brake dive), as the swaybars main function seems to be to limit travel in opposite directions... Swaybar is long gone anyhow, and plenty of leaf sprung rigs don't have them... Might have to look into the Navajo /Ford Explorer master cylinder though... Thanks

95 YJ, 2.5L, 30/35 with 38x12.50 SXs and I can lock the fronts up no problem, no pedal until about 1" from the floor, but they work.

Side note, while off road (hasn't happened on-road yet, but not driven on-road that often) about 1 in 50 brake pedal attempts the pedal goes to the floor with ZERO braking.

Hrmm, this information helps me how? I don't think id wanna let you follow me down the trail... Is this with all stock brakes and stock axles? Are you insane to even try to drag around those tires with those axles? Just curious...

Originally posted by punkskalar
Hrmm, this information helps me how? I don't think id wanna let you follow me down the trail... Is this with all stock brakes and stock axles? Are you insane to even try to drag around those tires with those axles? Just curious...

The information was to give you a comparison to wage your problem against. You mentioned about pedal travel, which also is an issue that I have, yet my brakes work fine, I can lock them up in ANY mall parking lot.

That is why I figured you might find it interesting.

I mention that I have the stock axles so that you would realize that not only do I have the stock MC, and Brake Booster, I also run the smallish disks/drum combo that the wranglers come with.

All of this information, and I am running 38s, so I am begining to think that maybe you are just a moron, but who am I to say? I don't wheel, just ask the 'Benders.

Don't start with the newbie sh!t:flipoff2:
I don't get it. I still have my stock axles on a 93 YJ with 33 swampers and I can barely stop. How do you people with even bigger tires stop. I've changed the MC and bled about 2 gal. of fluid through. I don't get it. I literally can't stop on small hills. I almost don't want to drive it. I don't think it's the booster but you never know. I guess I'm just posting because I can relate and I want answers too.

Mugsy:mad:

What about upgrading your calipers and disks to some from Willwood? They would help slow you down.

Side note, while off road (hasn't happened on-road yet, but not driven on-road that often) about 1 in 50 brake pedal attempts the pedal goes to the floor with ZERO braking. [/B][/QUOTE]


Now that was what bothered me about your statement, which basically tols me that your brakes never work... I have actually see some 30/35's work really well with 36's, but they were welded which may actually take the stress off of them (no moving parts, no bangs into and out of gear, etc..) Sorry if i took it the wrong way, but hell, when someone tells me that they can only stop 1/50th of the time, that doesn't seem to great... Im sure you wheel, i don't think anyone here is complete poseur material (they'd have been flamed by now for sure)...

Thats a 95 wrangler, so maybe you have a bigger booster than i do... I am definitely gonna look into something... Thanks for the info, Hugh

I have a 96 XJ and hate my brakes too. I used to work at Napa, and just before I quit I bought all new brake stuff to try and make it better. I replaced the rotors, drums, shoes with heavy duty shoes and pads with ceramic pads. The ceramic pads help, but aren't that cool. I think that since you have rear disks, if you swap in my style master cylender and booster, and ceramic pads front and rear, it should be better. I know that I needed to do something about my brakes when times doing down my pedal is all the way to the floor but I am still rolling. Time to get an Atlas II for more compression braking!

You could also move the rod on brake pedal down a little so it strokes further when you push the brake pedal.
getting the stainless brake lines will help as the rubber expands.
You may have to change the master cylinder entirely as calipers take more fluid to work than drum wheel cylinders.

Hey Hugh,

You can eliminate changing over to late model calipers if you already haven't. The steering knuckles change at some point @ 1990 for the newer brakes. They have an entirely different caliper mounting system. The newer calipers won't bolt up.

I put some '86 axles in my 93 XJ for the 4.10 gears and found out this the hard way. Ended up having to buy new 86 brakes rather than reuse the realitively new set of 93 brake stuff.

I'd check out the 95+ booster. I've heard that works but you do have some custom work on the linkage or mounting holes (can't remember which)

Hope that helps

You read it backwards, maybe one in 50 tries the brakes dont work, and a simple pump of the pedal solves the issue. So, atleast 98% of the time, they work well.

I didn't pick this thread apart yet, since I only surf at work :flipoff2: but what about swapping to a late model explerer master cyl and booster?