[bcameron1974]

My90 yj brakes suck...They stop in all but there not that great. I looked at front pads and there in good shape..Thats all I really know...Where do I start and all that..I was goin try to bleed the brakes to see if they just need bled but there kinda rusty didnt wanna break the line. I have 33s on it also there not quite as good even tho they sucked on 31s..should i try putting new rears on..they also act diff when there wet..they stop real quick..
If im goin kinda fast and wanna slow down quick they pull some so I have to pump and there just not quite as comfy as a nwer vehicle where they stop smoothly..

[ExNeph]

Did you check the rear pads at all? Take the tires off and see if there's any buildup of brake dust or rust on the rotor. If they work a little bit better when wet, that would be my thought as to why. As for not stopping smoothly.. I'm running 31's, and they're nowhere near as stiff as the brakes in my father's Dodge Ram. I literally have to push my foot to the floor if I have to stop pretty quick. Which brings up another little question that I'm unsure of: Do YJ's have ABS?

Before you bleed the lines, check if the fluid is good. Personally, I'd just keep a good stopping distance in mind. I don't think if you're running anything bigger than a 31 that you should try and quick stop.

[BPJOOP93]

My brakes suck too. just the nature of the beast i guess. and no yjs do not have abs to my knowledge, just tjs.

[TJMunky]

my TJ doesnt have ABS. my brakes suck too. 5 set of lifetime pads from the dealership going ceramic on sunday. the metallic pads keep shattering so new rotors too.

[shockwave562]

now you know what a YJ is like. I remember I replaced my master cylinder, drums, brake pads, everything and still that thing couldn't stop for anything. fortunately I had a 2.5 so it was slow enough that I didn't hurt anyone.

I don't think the TJ was much better to be honest. I know on the JK they finally made the brake caliper bigger to get more stopping power.

[bcameron1974]

well not really betteer when wet..but if u hit the breaks and it rained before it will slam the breaks on..It will only do this for maybe 5 min then after that back to normal..

[Old4X]

It is a physics problem. The larger the diameter of your tires, the less braking power you have.

If you want top braking power, go back to 215-75-15s. Or put 3/4 ton axles and brakes under your YJ.

[bryris]

The 1995 saharas have ABS. Mine does anyhow.

[BadAddetude]

Some YJs had it, some dont. My 95 Sahara doesn't. It was a buyer option.

Perhaps if your brakes are very weak, look into replacing your MC/Booster. If you haven't already. I had a MC that was leaking into the booster, which filled it with fluid, making the pedal spongy. New MC and got all the fluid from the booster, and I noticed a bit of a difference.

Or, get an anchor and some rope...

[northjeep]

33's are no problem for me...all four corners will lock up if I need them to...on pavement, or ice.

Now this is to all of you who've posted saying something like "welcome to the yj" or "only the jk have good brakes". YOU HAVE SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOUR BRAKING SYSTEMS.

Honestly, there's no physical reason to say the stock calipers and rotors IN GOOD WORKING ORDER won't lock up the fronts...

The rears don't normally do very much in the first place...until you apply enough brake force to overcome the proportioning valve...then they really kick in.

So for all you folks who are thinking there's nothing you can do... I say WTF...give it another try.
Safety Safety Safety.

Yes larger tires will demand increased brake force for the same rotor/drum size.

I dunno maybe I'm just really particular when it comes to rebuilding my brakes...but I never have had a problem locking them all up. In fact I locked up on dry pavement so hard once that I popped a steel line. 'm kinda glad I did...kuz that was just one more weak link gone...

Anyway, I can offer more to the OP here....My guess is that (among other things) the rubber lines are giving.
There are 3 stock, 2 front and 1 rear as I recall. Replace or upgrade to braided stainless (I run stainless in the front, made the pedal stiffer).

Good luck

[jbolty]

If it has not been done already replace all the hard lines. They are might be rusty and gunked up plus it's a good chance to replace all the fluid. Made a noticable difference for me.

There is no good reason to mess around diagnosing brake problems. the parts are cheap enough to just replace everything. wheel cylinders, calipers, springs, pads, shoes, drums and lines can all be swapped for ~$200-$300

[laybackman]

My first guess would be that the rear brake shoes that are 'self adjusting' aren't self adjusting. So your front discs are doing all the work. Even if the rear shoes are good, my guess is that the rear adjusters are frozen. I have never seen anyone who does brakes professionally every take the rear adjusters apart during a brake job and clean the threads on the self adjusters then lube them with never seize.

Getting brakes to lock up only puts you into slide mode. With 33's you need more square inches of brake surface on each corner of your Jeep and I strongly suggest disc brakes front and rear.

[Luckyduck]

The brakes in my TJ were terrible till I redid them. I put in new pads and I turned the rotors myself (front only). now the jeep stops on a dime

[4.7stroker]

Just install a dual diaphram booster and they will not suck any more.

Dwayne

[Joe Dillard]

I was way overdue to upgrade my brakes. I did change a few minor things, but in the end, this is what I did (Vanco big brake kit, plus duel diaphram booster & matching master). This doesn't come cheep, but I wanted to completely solve my marginal brake system with something that provides superior results.

12" rotors:



48MM duel piston calipers & ECB yellow pads (pads not shown)



New knuckles with mounting brackets for the new calipers & master cylinder:



Booster: