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Complete Brake Overhaul


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Cool Tools can you list the brand and part numbers?

 

All the brake line tools were from Eastwood. Click the name for a link. From top to bottom:

 

The flaring tool (stuff in the black box) is Professional Brake Tubing Flaring Tool Item #25304. List price $250

 

The "pliers" (blue handles, sitting on cardboard) are Eastwood Brake Line Forming Tool Item #49074, $25

 

The rolling tube bender (black handles, sitting on white plastic) is Tubing Bender Rolling Item #49041 $90

 

The prices are not cheap, but I knew that going in. If you're patient there are better deals through ebay and sales they run. I tried to find some used, but no luck. I figured I could sell them after I finished my project, but they were so nice I'm going to keep them for now (which explains why there isn't a used market) since I can use them for future projects as well.

 

The brake line and nut packs are from FedHill. After much research, I chose their "Cunifer" material over stainless steel. It was very easy to work with, bend, cut, deburr, and flare. I'll be able to report on corrosion resistance after this winter.

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i-HtHfTjF-S.jpg

Cool Tools can you list the brand and part numbers?

 

All the brake line tools were from Eastwood. Click the name for a link. From top to bottom:

 

The flaring tool (stuff in the black box) is Professional Brake Tubing Flaring Tool Item #25304. List price $250

 

The "pliers" (blue handles, sitting on cardboard) are Eastwood Brake Line Forming Tool Item #49074, $25

 

The rolling tube bender (black handles, sitting on white plastic) is Tubing Bender Rolling Item #49041 $90

 

The prices are not cheap, but I knew that going in. If you're patient there are better deals through ebay and sales they run. I tried to find some used, but no luck. I figured I could sell them after I finished my project, but they were so nice I'm going to keep them for now (which explains why there isn't a used market) since I can use them for future projects as well.

 

The brake line and nut packs are from FedHill. After much research, I chose their "Cunifer" material over stainless steel. It was very easy to work with, bend, cut, deburr, and flare. I'll be able to report on corrosion resistance after this winter.

 

Thanks for sharing...

I use a Hydraulic Flare Kit http://www.eastwood.com/universal-hydraulic-flaring-kit-not-for-stainless.html allthough I got mine thru Snapon...

This is nice since you can use it on Stainless which the Hydraulic kit is not said to be used on...

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The brake line and nut packs are from FedHill. After much research, I chose their "Cunifer" material over stainless steel. It was very easy to work with, bend, cut, deburr, and flare. I'll be able to report on corrosion resistance after this winter.

 

I was glad to see that. At first glance I thought you used copper tubing for the lines. :eek: That's good stuff, nickle/copper tubing. Should last forever. :cheers:

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  • 3 months later...

Update on likes dislikes of OverHaul??? Have you used the adjuster yet? How did the load haul? Considerable more stopping power? Did you keep the 10 psi bias? I know it's only been a few months, but any more and you may forget what it was like :)

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Another few questions:

 

Why did you install the pressure bias before the adjuster?

 

The front port on the MC looks larger than the one closes to the booster... Did you hook them up backwards, or is the secondary output larger? Is it just the threads to identify front from rear or does it have a larger opening too?

 

 

 

You stated you didn't Modify the plunger, how does your brake switch work then? Maybe this is year specific, but my 89 is flat and I saw others mention it too, so maybe you have a newer MJ you modified.

 

 

Don--- you recommended the 95 vs the 00 booster, but what about the 00 WJ? I've read forums where people had used that one, however it looks like they're required to modify the firewall a bit. But I was wondering if it would have more braking pressure. http://www.4x4wire.com/jeep/tech/brakes ... /index.htm

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Update on likes dislikes of OverHaul??? Have you used the adjuster yet? How did the load haul? Considerable more stopping power? Did you keep the 10 psi bias? I know it's only been a few months, but any more and you may forget what it was like :)

 

Overall it's excellent and well worth the time and money I spent (well, I could have gotten by without a few things, but live and learn). The stopping power is ferocious, even with my crappy tires.

 

As for the adjuster, I quickly adjusted it to max and have not touched it since. Honestly I'm a bit dissapointed but I haven't lost hope yet, I've just been too busy. When I redid the pads and wheel cylinders and drums in the back, I never spent the time to properly adjust the shoes and have not yet done it yet. With absolutely 0 load in the bed, I have not had the rear brakes lock, even in the snow, though I didn't exactly try to make it happen (on dry pavement, yes, I tried). So I know I need to spend the time to adjust properly, I know there is excessive travel before the rears engage, I just haven't had the time or desire to make the effort yet, and it's really good as is with no load and since I haven't hauled anything heavy yet it's just been low on the list of priorities.

 

I've kept the 10-psi bias in there, though I don't think it really matters at this point (at least, not until I get the back adjusted properly). I'm not really sure what I was expecting when I put it in, it was really more of a "hey this is inexpensive I might as well do it and not wonder about whether I'm missing out" kinda thing. My real hope is that, with a load, it would make braking more consistent as there should be some residual pressure left in the line to keep the pads returning to a more consistent point than just relying on the springs alone (since now there is some counter tension from the lines instead of just falling back to the adjuster). Reality? Probably not, but as I'm not about to remove it to do back-to-back testing, I will blissfully in my ignorance conclude that it's doing the job.

 

Why did you install the pressure bias before the adjuster?

 

The instruction manual said to do it this way. Actually, I think it said to do it as close to the MC as possible, which in my book is before the adjuster.

 

The front port on the MC looks larger than the one closes to the booster... Did you hook them up backwards, or is the secondary output larger? Is it just the threads to identify front from rear or does it have a larger opening too?

 

You are correct on that they are for identifying purposes. I looked inside and the inlets were identically sized, and in fact the lines are the same too, so there is no purpose other than to keep from mismatching the lines up. To answer your first question though, I am not actually positive if I hooked them up backwards or not. Given the inability to lock the rear, it's possible I switched them, but I'm not going to conclude that until I get the adjustments done properly. I was operating under the notion that the rear port is for the front brakes, and the front port for the rear, since that's how every MC I've worked with is set up, but since they switched the MC from SAE to Metric who knows, why shouldn't that be backwards too? When bench bleeding you could easily tell that the two ports engaged at different rates, so if my rear brakes don't improve after setting up perfectly I'll probably get some more line and try swapping them. Or I could do actual research but that's crazy talk.

 

 

 

You stated you didn't Modify the plunger, how does your brake switch work then? Maybe this is year specific, but my 89 is flat and I saw others mention it too, so maybe you have a newer MJ you modified.

 

From memory, the switch was attached to the pedal sort of on the top and towards your leg rather than the firewall, and not directly actuated by the rod. Since the rod put the pedal in the same position as before the swap, the switched just kept working the same way. Maybe this changed in '91? I can snap some pics tomorrow if it helps.

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From memory, the switch was attached to the pedal sort of on the top and towards your leg rather than the firewall, and not directly actuated by the rod. Since the rod put the pedal in the same position as before the swap, the switched just kept working the same way. Maybe this changed in '91? I can snap some pics tomorrow if it helps.

 

Yes, the brake switch changed in 1991. It's plunger is activated by the brake pedal arm and it's adjustable. Each switch has three sets of contacts; two NC (normally closed) sets of contacts for the auto tranny torque converter unlock and cruise signal, and one NO (normally open) set of contacts for the brake lights. When you depress the brake pedal, the NO contacts close to complete the brake light circuit and the NC contacts open to unlock the torque converter and deactivate cruise (if you have the AW4 and/or cruise control).

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From memory, the switch was attached to the pedal sort of on the top and towards your leg rather than the firewall, and not directly actuated by the rod. Since the rod put the pedal in the same position as before the swap, the switched just kept working the same way. Maybe this changed in '91? I can snap some pics tomorrow if it helps.

 

Yes, the brake switch changed in 1991. It's plunger is activated by the brake pedal arm and it's adjustable. Each switch has three sets of contacts; two NC (normally closed) sets of contacts for the auto tranny torque converter unlock and cruise signal, and one NO (normally open) set of contacts for the brake lights. When you depress the brake pedal, the NO contacts close to complete the brake light circuit and the NC contacts open to unlock the torque converter and deactivate cruise (if you have the AW4 and/or cruise control).

 

 

Don--- I had posted a question to you in a message to jeepcoma... Don you recommended the 95xj vs the 00 xj booster, but what about the 00 WJ? I've read forums where people had used that one, however it looks like they're required to modify the firewall a bit. But I was wondering if it would have more braking pressure. http://www.4x4wire.com/jeep/tech/brakes ... /index.htm

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Don--- I had posted a question to you in a message to jeepcoma... Don you recommended the 95xj vs the 00 xj booster, but what about the 00 WJ? I've read forums where people had used that one, however it looks like they're required to modify the firewall a bit. But I was wondering if it would have more braking pressure. http://www.4x4wire.com/jeep/tech/brakes ... /index.htm

 

I did the 95/96 booster because it's plug and play into my 91, except for bending the new M/C lines. Plus I already had done the rear disk swap, so I wasn't concerned about braking pressure. In a Renix you have to modify the booster arm using either booster (unless you use the 91+ brake switch). If I had a Renix, I'd probably do the WJ swap since I like the idea of the alloy booster can.

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If I had a Renix, I'd probably do the WJ swap since I like the idea of the alloy booster can.

 

I'm looking at the cardone ones through auto zone... their specs on autozone show same diameter and weight. Alloy? If the photos are correct on autozone the 96 xj one appears to come off at an angle, but both need that 1/4" spacer correct?

 

For me i guess the limit will be what I find at the JY. Unless i break down and buy a reman... the wj booster is more $$ and so is the MC

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If I had a Renix, I'd probably do the WJ swap since I like the idea of the alloy booster can.

 

I'm looking at the cardone ones through auto zone... their specs on autozone show same diameter and weight. Alloy? If the photos are correct on autozone the 96 xj one appears to come off at an angle, but both need that 1/4" spacer correct?

 

For me i guess the limit will be what I find at the JY. Unless i break down and buy a reman... the wj booster is more $$ and so is the MC

 

Found a master/booster for around 74 bucks at my local junkyard. Out of a 99 WJ.

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  • 1 year later...

I'm going to wake this thread up if thats ok with you guys.

i believe the booster in my '88 is going. i can hear it hiss every time i touch the brakes, until i the pedal reaches the floor, and my idle gets pretty rough. i know my preferred JY had a WJ and a 97+ XJ that were waiting to be processed and moved to the yard last week so they should be ripe for picking. i will refer to the DIY for parts list but...

Don, you mentioned a '91+ brake light switch swap. which makes more sense? modifying the rod? or swapping the switch?

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If it were me with a Renix, I'd replace the switch with the 91+ type and wire it in. You could p/u the switch and bracket from any XJ at the yard. It also saves you from having to do that precise grinding for the switch contact flat spot using the old switch. I know Mjeff and several others used the new switch on their rigs; maybe they will chime in.

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If it were me with a Renix, I'd replace the switch with the 91+ type and wire it in. You could p/u the switch and bracket from any XJ at the yard. It also saves you from having to do that precise grinding for the switch contact flat spot using the old switch. I know Mjeff and several others used the new switch on their rigs; maybe they will chime in.

so it isnt PnP? color for color? there is a 95 limited out there i know i could pull it from. 

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