Brakes - 1996 Jeep Cherokee Country

CapaJeep · 11-17-2005, 02:48 PM

I’m looking for some help. I have a 1996 Jeep Cherokee Country with 131,000 miles.
About 2 weeks ago, I noticed the front passenger’s side brake was locking up when I would hit the brakes. This of course made the vehicle pull to the front right when I applied the brakes. I am now losing brake fluid. I can’t see exactly where the fluid is coming from but it appears to be from underneath centered in front of the oil pan. The pedal still feels about the same as before. Is this the master cylinder? If so, will it last for a week or so if I continue to add brake fluid? And, how much does it generally cost to fix/replace?

FYI: I am currently out of town and won’t be able to see my regular mechanic until next Wednesday.

Thanks for your help,

CapaJeep

AZ Jeff · 11-17-2005, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CapaJeep

I’m looking for some help. I have a 1996 Jeep Cherokee Country with 131,000 miles.
About 2 weeks ago, I noticed the front passenger’s side brake was locking up when I would hit the brakes. This of course made the vehicle pull to the front right when I applied the brakes. I am now losing brake fluid. I can’t see exactly where the fluid is coming from but it appears to be from underneath centered in front of the oil pan. The pedal still feels about the same as before. Is this the master cylinder? If so, will it last for a week or so if I continue to add brake fluid? And, how much does it generally cost to fix/replace?

FYI: I am currently out of town and won’t be able to see my regular mechanic until next Wednesday.

Thanks for your help,

CapaJeep

Your caliper is sticking and leaking. Replace BOTH calipers, bleed the system, and your problems will go away.

CapaJeep · 11-17-2005, 03:36 PM

AZ Jeff,
Thanks for your reply. If it is the caliper, would the brake fluid be leaking from where I described? If I can wait to see my regular mechanic, I would like to do so. If I continue to add brake fluid, do you think it will last until next Wednesday when I can see him? How much do you think it would cost to replace the calipers?
Thanks again,
CapaJeep

AZ Jeff · 11-17-2005, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CapaJeep

AZ Jeff,
Thanks for your reply. If it is the caliper, would the brake fluid be leaking from where I described? If I can wait to see my regular mechanic, I would like to do so. If I continue to add brake fluid, do you think it will last until next Wednesday when I can see him? How much do you think it would cost to replace the calipers?
Thanks again,
CapaJeep

There are no brake fluid lines anywhere near the oil pan of the engine. I suspect that the leak you are seeing there is not brake fluid, but a touch/taste test would confirm that.

The calipers (remanufactured) are around $50 or less each, and the labor to switch out and bleed them is probably about 2-3 hours (@$75/hr). My estimate is about $300-$400, if you pay someone to do it. Other factors (like condition of other brake parts) may influence this further.

weebs74 · 11-17-2005, 06:19 PM

if you are actively losing brake fluid, I would not drive the car...sounds like badness. You most likely have a stuck caliper, though you should not have to add much fluid for that issue. You might have a blown line on one side of the jeep allowing the other caliper to get all the braking ability.

trouble shoot:

have someone in the car stomp on the pedal several times while you observe for fluid. If the fluid increases, you have a leak. this fluid can leak from an area distant from the spot it ends up pooling since...don't know if that's your issue.

jack the front axle off the ground and try to spin the wheels with your hands. The side with the stuck caliper should be much harder to spin.

This should get you started.

xjrubicon · 11-17-2005, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZ Jeff

The calipers (remanufactured) are around $50 or less each, and the labor to switch out and bleed them is probably about 2-3 hours (@$75/hr). My estimate is about $300-$400, if you pay someone to do it. Other factors (like condition of other brake parts) may influence this further.

I got my reman calipers from napa 18 bucks each with core!
Do yourself a favor and replace BOTH calipers and all the pads too. Only replacing the bad parts would still leave you with an unbalanced system.

CapaJeep · 11-17-2005, 07:33 PM

AZ Jeff, Weebs74, and Xjrubicon:
Thanks for your replies. The fluid that is leaking to the ground is definitely brake fluid. I can’t really get under the vehicle to see, so it’s hard to tell where the origin of it is. The brake fluid level went from full to just under add. I’m going to add some tonight. Being away from home/out of town, I don’t have any tools, so I guess I’m going to take it to a garage here (NTB) tomorrow and see what they say. I was there for a tire a few months ago and they seemed to be an honest crew. Any other suggestions?
Thanks again,
CapaJeep