Better Brakes.

breakerbacker · **Joined:** Wed Dec 07, 2005 1:23 pm **Posts:** 76

Jeep liberty brakes are pretty bad from the factory. I ran across EBC yellow stuff pads for the front, green stuff for the rear, along with slotted rotors front and rear. I wonder if these would actually make some improvement.

http://www.carjunky.com/partstore/buy.p ... ke_code=JP
http://www.carjunky.com/partstore/buy.p ... ke_code=JP

I am familiar with EBC pads and they are pretty good for sports cars. I am not to sure about using them on a truck.

Anybody care to chime in on these. Also posted in General.

Greg

TDI4BY · **Joined:** Sun Apr 02, 2006 11:56 pm **Posts:** 644

What are you comparing them to? I think the brakes are very good stock.

BVCRD · **Posted:** Sat Apr 14, 2007 3:38 pm

TDI4BY wrote:

What are you comparing them to? I think the brakes are very good stock.

me too, and no dust. Some guys swear by ceramic pads, but they shorten the rotor life and my mechanic freaked when I suggested putting them on the KJ to get rid of the rear brake noise. He said they were a "lessor grade" than OEM pads.

breakerbacker · **Joined:** Wed Dec 07, 2005 1:23 pm **Posts:** 76

Comparing them to my '03 chevy 2500hd and a '95 M5 touring. I guess maybe the bar has been set a bit high.

litton · **Posted:** Sat Apr 14, 2007 7:37 pm

I also tend to think the stock brakes are pretty darn good. Stopping is limited by the traction of the tires and there seems to be no fade. Longivity, from all reports is quite good so what is the problem you are experiencing? I won't swear to it but I think the stock pads are some form of ceramic.

BVCRD · **Posted:** Sat Apr 14, 2007 7:42 pm

litton wrote:

I also tend to think the stock brakes are pretty darn good. Stopping is limited by the traction of the tires and there seems to be no fade. Longivity, from all reports is quite good so what is the problem you are experiencing? I won't swear to it but I think the stock pads are some form of ceramic.

Not ceramic. Not sure if metallic or otherwise, but not ceramic.

litton · **Posted:** Sat Apr 14, 2007 7:55 pm

BVCRD wrote:

litton wrote:

I also tend to think the stock brakes are pretty darn good. Stopping is limited by the traction of the tires and there seems to be no fade. Longivity, from all reports is quite good so what is the problem you are experiencing? I won't swear to it but I think the stock pads are some form of ceramic.

Not ceramic. Not sure if metallic or otherwise, but not ceramic.

Yeh, I think that's what I meant and mis-spoke.....sorry about that. They're pretty good whatever they are.

Pablo · **Joined:** Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:06 pm **Posts:** 1201

breakerbacker wrote:

Comparing them to my '03 chevy 2500hd and a '95 M5 touring. I guess maybe the bar has been set a bit high.

Maybe you bar is a bit high, but also the brake modulation leaves a bit to be desired. It feels like a bad master cylinder at first (mushy) and then gets real firm and provides lots of power further down the pedal. Once going, they do have good stopping power. Unfortunately, replacing the pads/rotors is not going to do much to change how the braking system modulates.

When I first got my CRD, I hated the brakes-- it felt like the vehicle was about to run off unless you stood firmly on the brake pedal. I think that was partially the fact that I was not used to it, and partically the torque converter/tranny being messed up from day one and not wanting to disengage when slowing down/stopping. I could pop the thing from drive to neutral while braking and it would nose dive when the tranny shifted out of gear (that engine just kept pushing and the brakes had to hold back all the torque).

After a few weeks, the pushing just stopped and the brakes got better. I will say that at highway speed, mine stops VERY quickly when you push that pedal down. Not Volvo or BMW quick, but close enough that I have not felt a need to change anything.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Sat Apr 14, 2007 9:56 pm

breakerbacker wrote:

Comparing them to.......'95 M5 touring.

Here are my apples, here are my oranges.

chadhargis · **Posted:** Sat Apr 14, 2007 10:09 pm

I'm not really pleased with the brakes either. They work fine, but the pedal does have some mush to it. I grabbed my vaccuum bleeder and commenced to bleed the system and flush it with some fresh synthetic fluid. The rear brakes were a piece of cake. 10mm bleeder screw...easy job.

The front, a different story. I tried the 10mm...too big. I tried a 9mm...too small?? WTF?? What size is that darn bleeder screw. It's most likely an SAE size, and if so, I'm outta luck. All my box end wrenches are metric. If someone can tell me what size it is, I'll run to Sears and pick up what I need.

BlackLibertyCRD · **Posted:** Sun Apr 15, 2007 4:13 pm

chadhargis wrote:

I'm not really pleased with the brakes either. They work fine, but the pedal does have some mush to it. I grabbed my vaccuum bleeder and commenced to bleed the system and flush it with some fresh synthetic fluid. The rear brakes were a piece of cake. 10mm bleeder screw...easy job.

The front, a different story. I tried the 10mm...too big. I tried a 9mm...too small?? WTF?? What size is that darn bleeder screw. It's most likely an SAE size, and if so, I'm outta luck. All my box end wrenches are metric. If someone can tell me what size it is, I'll run to Sears and pick up what I need.

If 10 mm is to big and 9 mm is too small, then 3/8 inch should fit.

chadhargis · **Posted:** Sun Apr 15, 2007 4:21 pm

I'll give that a try. I'll need to make a run to Sears and pick up a 3/8" box end.

I work mostly on motorcycles, and they are nearly all metric. My SAE tool collection is sorely lacking.

jinstall · **Posted:** Wed Apr 18, 2007 3:21 am

I am not a big fan of EBC brake pads. I haev driven cars with the Greens and I had reds on my race car. The reds lasted 1500 miles. I currently use Ferodo DS2500 and I am looking to see if they make pads for the KJ. I was looking for Brembo Max rotors for the KJ but they do not make them, yet. I have seen slotted Brembos for the KJ but have not seriously looked into them, yet. My rotors are about ready for replacement at 22,000 miles. Tehy are starting to heat up too fast while driving on th autobahn and I can feel them starting to warp. I need a softer rotor compound like in the Brembo Max.

kccrd · **Joined:** Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:35 pm **Posts:** 267

I feel the best way to get a better and more precise feel at the pedal is to install stainless steel brake lines and some good D.O.T. 4 brake fluid the new SS brake line always give you a firmer feel because they do not expand under the pressure from the master cylinder you will notice the enhanced pedal feel more in the hot summer months because they will not expand like the rubber lines will thus keeping there original diameter and giving you a firmer pedal feel. I have replaced the lines on all my cars over the years with SS brake lines and have had very good results, plus I change my brake fluid every 2 years because we all know brake fluid will attract moisture and hold it, reducing the boiling point.

chadhargis · **Posted:** Wed Apr 25, 2007 1:16 pm

I put in Valvoline synthetic DOT4 fluid and bled it with my Vacula. Vacuum bleeding brakes is easy and effective. You don't have to worry about getting air in the line unless you let the reservoir run dry. You also don't suck all the dirty fluid through the system. You vacuum out the reservoir and fill it with clean fluid.

My pedal is still a bit soft of my liking, but the brakes are much more linear. I think the old fluid, being hygroscopic (attracts water), had some moisture.

My right front bleeder valve was rusted badly. I tried the 3/8" wrench, and it stripped the bleeder even after I tried heating it, and then using WD-40 to penetrate. It wasn't coming off for anything. Someone must have really torqued the thing down tight, and the rust didn't help matters. It took me a pair of vice grips and a LOT of banging with a hammer (on the vice grips of course) to get it free. I snugged it up with the vice grips when I was done. I'll buy a set of speedbleeders before I do my next brake service. They work really well with the vacuum bleeder.

The steel braided hoses might be a good option too. I use them on my motorcycles and it does make a big difference in brake feel.

GilaMonster · **Posted:** Wed Apr 25, 2007 2:50 pm

breakerbacker wrote:

Comparing them to my '03 chevy 2500hd and a '95 M5 touring. I guess maybe the bar has been set a bit high.

I can understand that since I have a '00 K2500 4x4 with ceramics and used to have a '95 M3 (actually traded it in on the CRD) with floaters running Hawk ceramics.

Yeah, they have a spongy feel and some fade, but some braided lines and ceramics would stiffen the pedal up a bit and stop better. But, you can not compare the anti-lock on the Liberty to BMW what-so-ever, and that might be what is disappointing you, combined with a spongier suspension.

Still, you cold probably slap some Hawks or EBCs in there an be much happier.

GilaMonster · **Posted:** Wed Apr 25, 2007 2:52 pm

chadhargis wrote:

...then using WD-40 to penetrate. ...

Try Kroil or PB-Blaster next time, you may be pleasantly supprised at the results.

chadhargis · **Posted:** Wed Apr 25, 2007 3:40 pm

I used the WD-40 since I have two spray cans of it and most of a gallon can. I use it to rinse fork oil out of my fork tubes on my motorcycle when I work on them.

Better Brakes.

Who is online