My first WJ brake Job !

[SIU]

[BigE3]

on the Brake Job

[Big_Fisch]

I just did my first a few weeks ago...resulted in some damage.



It was 11:30 when I got finished and, being 95+ that day/night, I had sweat about 4 gallons, so I was a little loopy. I had done it in the garage, with the wife's Altima in the driveway and I was out of it when I decided to move the Jeep over and then put her car in. Never thought to pump the brakes.
Yup...tossed her in reverse and she gunned it out of the garage. Fortunately, I had enough presence of mind to try to swerve out and yank the e-brake because a straight-on hit with my receiver hitch in and it would have been grill, bumper, hood, both headlights and probably the radiator, too.
There wasn't enough room to miss it completely, so my bumper sat on her hood. Missed the taillight barely...thank God for the lift. Fortunately, insurance paid for the grill, headlight and hood to be replaced. So, we actually made out a little on the deal...and insurance didn't go up, believe it or not.
The Jeep's rear bumper end up with a dent that was easily popped out. A steel bumper would have yielded better for the Jeep, but not so much on the Altima.

[rugermack]

Ouch!!!!!! Did the wife beat you ?

[Big_Fisch]

Naaah...I'm handling the replacement pretty easily. Besides, the number of absence-of-mind "incidents" she has had, she doesn't really have room to speak.

[rugermack]

Atleast the jeep wasn't hurt.

[05Roadglide]

Looks great,what setup did you go with?This is a pic of the fronts i did labor day weekend,EBC green and rotors, the time was waiting for the paint to dry, i'll get around to the back when i save up some more cash to buy shocks and rear sway.

[baja1ab]

How are the EBCs so far? Any noticable braking performance?

[SIU]

Originally Posted by Big_Fisch

I just did my first a few weeks ago...resulted in some damage.



It was 11:30 when I got finished and, being 95+ that day/night, I had sweat about 4 gallons, so I was a little loopy. I had done it in the garage, with the wife's Altima in the driveway and I was out of it when I decided to move the Jeep over and then put her car in. Never thought to pump the brakes.
Yup...tossed her in reverse and she gunned it out of the garage. Fortunately, I had enough presence of mind to try to swerve out and yank the e-brake because a straight-on hit with my receiver hitch in and it would have been grill, bumper, hood, both headlights and probably the radiator, too.
There wasn't enough room to miss it completely, so my bumper sat on her hood. Missed the taillight barely...thank God for the lift. Fortunately, insurance paid for the grill, headlight and hood to be replaced. So, we actually made out a little on the deal...and insurance didn't go up, believe it or not.
The Jeep's rear bumper end up with a dent that was easily popped out. A steel bumper would have yielded better for the Jeep, but not so much on the Altima.

Wow that is a bummer. Glad Im not the only one. I tried to pull away from the break job and the jeep would not move forward, for a brief second I thought I had really messed something up. Then I remembered the wheel chock. I blamed it on being tired.

[SIU]

Originally Posted by 05Roadglide

Looks great,what setup did you go with?This is a pic of the fronts i did labor day weekend,EBC green and rotors, the time was waiting for the paint to dry, i'll get around to the back when i save up some more cash to buy shocks and rear sway.

Looks good, I noticed you have a 2002 Wj. That looks very clean, way cleaner than my 04. It has been an up hill climb for me since I got this ride from the northern part of Illinois. I wont do the north car again. I have done allot of recovery and still allot to go.

Kolak hooked me up with the stillen rotors and metal matrix pads. I did my break in last night, wasnt real easy to know where the green fade starts. I think I did get there. Havent really noticed any difference from my stock yet, but I am sure they are not completly bedded. But so far they are smooth as silk and silent.

[05Roadglide]

Cool, those Stillens look great, im still in the break in process too taking it easy and wearing off the zinc coating, i drive my truck mostly so it'll take a lil longer.
It was a tossup for me to go with your same setup with the bilsteins, i guess the write-up in JP magazine with EBC and Edelbrock sold me, but either way their both sweet.

Since i havent done the rears yet, where they harder than the fronts, did you have to loosen the parking brake to get the rotor off?? My front rotors fell right off, they where aftermarket of some sort, i have a feeling i'll be banging on the rear rotors though.

Your 04 looks great, keep up the good work.

[BlackShuck]

Originally Posted by SIU

Kolak hooked me up with the stillen rotors and metal matrix pads. I did my break in last night, wasnt real easy to know where the green fade starts. I think I did get there. Havent really noticed any difference from my stock yet, but I am sure they are not completly bedded. But so far they are smooth as silk and silent.

I wasn't sure about the fade thing either, the paper said there might be a smell. I don't think I experienced that really. But just followed the directions the best I could.

[SIU]

Originally Posted by 05Roadglide

Cool, those Stillens look great, im still in the break in process too taking it easy and wearing off the zinc coating, i drive my truck mostly so it'll take a lil longer.
It was a tossup for me to go with your same setup with the bilsteins, i guess the write-up in JP magazine with EBC and Edelbrock sold me, but either way their both sweet.

Since i havent done the rears yet, where they harder than the fronts, did you have to loosen the parking brake to get the rotor off?? My front rotors fell right off, they where aftermarket of some sort, i have a feeling i'll be banging on the rear rotors though.

Your 04 looks great, keep up the good work.

Thanks, The rear was a lot easier and quicker, soon as you jerk the wheel spray some pb blaster around the stud and center hat holes. By the time you get to the removal it will be good to go, A couple of sharp whacks with the brass hammer its in your hand. My e brake bands were not so tight that the rotor would not slide off. But it is not a problem if they need backed off, just pull the rubber plug off the back side of the brake plate. Its easy to find they stuck it right behind the shock mount, had to bend a junker screw driver to access it. Take a lite and look in the hole u will see what needs to be done. After you get the rotor off and do your clean up sand the shoes with some 100 grit, jus enough to take the glaze off. Also note the adjuster cam, it has a spring running verticle through its slots to keep it held in place so when you turn it feel for that. Its helps if you have air to blow this area out.

[SIU]

Originally Posted by BlackShuck

I wasn't sure about the fade thing either, the paper said there might be a smell. I don't think I experienced that really. But just followed the directions the best I could.

I did get the smell, I also got a gold ring just above the hat on the rears.

[05Roadglide]

Originally Posted by SIU

Thanks, The rear was a lot easier and quicker, soon as you jerk the wheel spray some pb blaster around the stud and center hat holes. By the time you get to the removal it will be good to go, A couple of sharp whacks with the brass hammer its in your hand. My e brake bands were not so tight that the rotor would not slide off. But it is not a problem if they need backed off, just pull the rubber plug off the back side of the brake plate. Its easy to find they stuck it right behind the shock mount, had to bend a junker screw driver to access it. Take a lite and look in the hole u will see what needs to be done. After you get the rotor off and do your clean up sand the shoes with some 100 grit, jus enough to take the glaze off. Also note the adjuster cam, it has a spring running verticle through its slots to keep it held in place so when you turn it feel for that. Its helps if you have air to blow this area out.

Appreciate the info SIU, i will crawl this thread to be able to find it,....cheers.