Nate C Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Need some help; I'm in the middle of the Brake Booster / Master Cyl upgrade. Putting in a 96' Brake Booster in place of the smaller 87' Drilled out the hole to 9/16th and ground the 96' pedal rod flat so the old switch would fit on it. The lights won't come on consistently. We used all the bushings and spacers off the 87' is there something I'm missing or something I need to take out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coon.hunter_21 Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 i just changed my brake booster too.and i don't have brake lights until i press my pedal to the floor.i really need a answer to this question too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acfortier Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Took some tinkering on my end, as I did this swap yesterday (took 15 hours to redo all brake lines and get everything properly installed... YIKES). Basically, after shaving off the rod (and figuring out it was too much) I welded little spots back on and just began to test fit it. Got to the point where I used a tin foil wedge in between the flat part of the pedal and the light switch. Works fine now, no problems. Just make sure you have the washers and bushings that hold the brake light switch in the CORRECT spots... Actually, come to think of it, I had to drill out another washer to match the ends as the stock one wouldn't fit through a 9/16" hole. Just put it in the same spot and it works good. It will definitely take some time and tinkering, there is also a certain spot where the nut had to be on the bolt for it to work well. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmaay Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 I had this same problem too. My solution was to add a very thin spacer between the end of the rod and the switch. I used a thin strip of a soup can, just fold the edges around the ends of the switch and it will stay put. My brake lights come on with the slightest touch of the pedal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddzz1 Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 If you have a standard you can just switch the brake pedal from the 96 and use the newer style brake switch. If you have an automatic (like me) it is a little more difficult. On an auto the brake pedal bracket has the shift lock cable running thru it, the newer 96 doesnt since the XJ is a floor shift. My solution was to swiych my column shift to a floor shift and use the 96 brake pedal assembly with the newer style brake switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate C Posted April 23, 2011 Author Share Posted April 23, 2011 Thanks for the tips; what do you think about cutting off the booster push rod ends and welding in the original from my 87'? As long as it's straight and the correct length,.... 5 and 1/4" I think it should work right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coon.hunter_21 Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 can someone put a picture on here of what yall r tlkn bout Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acfortier Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 Thanks for the tips; what do you think about cutting off the booster push rod ends and welding in the original from my 87'? As long as it's straight and the correct length,.... 5 and 1/4" I think it should work right? I thought about that myself, but figured it'd be too risky. But essentially, if you get the angle and everything correctly, it should work. Or just take it to a place where they can switch the whole rods out for a minimal fee. As for picture, there really isn't much to see - nor do I want to undo what I have set up. Basically, on the original brake light switch, there are two outer plastic washer clips, the metal bushing and the plastic bushing that acts as a washer between the open slotted side of the brake light switch. Instead of drilling the hole larger than 9/16", I found another plastic washer comparable to those on the outside, drilled it to 9/16" and used that instead of the plastic bushing. At first, I thought I had it installed correctly, but I found out later that the make-shift plastic washer was not in the right spot and did cause some problem, so make sure everything is in the right spot. As for little shims, I used aluminum foil from the kitchen, cut little rectangle that fit nicely in the switch where the flat part of the push rod should push the brake light switch mechanism, and just tinkered with it until I found the most responsive one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddzz1 Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 You guys (AC and Nate) both have standards it looks like from your links, Just grab the brake pedal assembly from a newer XJ with the switch. All you have to do is connect the two wires from the newer brake switch. Look here: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6611 It shows how jeff did it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakal Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 i had a hard time with my switch also. now it works. does this pic help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acfortier Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 That seems a lot easier than fiddling around with it... If I had found that thread before I would have done it that way... :doh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now