[robncar]

Originally Posted by Gumbo

Yes, Jerry. I'm perfectly aware that Blaine doesn't sell/profit from EBC pads. That comment was made "tongue-in-cheek", hence the smilie emoticon at the end.

BTW, I asked a simple "yes/no" brake pad question and received a comment questioning my language abilities that took far longer to type than a simple answer to my original question.

Is this acceptable behavior from a moderator, Jerry?

You know, not to pile on here, but it may be time to just let this go?

When I first saw your brake question, I thought OK how many combinations could there be? I had a buddy that did the disc conversion on his '98, yours is likely similar. I would not have thought that one would adapt front parts to the rear. Did you do a visual prior to posting? Part of the great thing about JeepForum is teaching someone to fish, not giving them a fish. Before you know it, you'll be in a position to help others and pass along what you've learned.

[mrblaine]

Originally Posted by Gumbo

Umm, yeah...I certainly did. What I didn't expect is that you would fail to grasp that I am a Jeep newbie, after I mentioned that fact twice in separate posts.

I don't care if you have never even seen a Jeep before, you being a newbie has nothing to do with no one being able to tell you what you need if you don't know what you have.

In fact, I've received excellent advice from knowledgeable forum members like Jerry Bransford and Stu Olson concerning a variety of tech topics. I asked because I didn't know what I had and both of those guys responded in a positive manner, telling me what to do, all without questioning my language background and without trying out a variety of comedy club one-liners designed to make me wish I had never asked a question.

I know both Jerry and Stu well. Go ahead and ask them what brake pads you need for the rear. Here's another clue for you, they won't know either.

In conclusion, Blaine, I stopped caring what you might think of my brakes...oh, about midway through your second show.

But, at least I tipped my waitress on the way out...

And I'm sure she appreciates it.

You have 4 common and 1 slightly less common choices for your rear discs.

Jeep TJ rear disc conversion
Jeep ZJ rear disc conversion
Teraflex rear disc conversion
SSBC rear disc conversion
Ford Explorer rear disc conversion

The two jeep offerings don't use interchangeable pads and if you had the Ford Explorer Calipers on the TJ brackets, you could use Ford pads, but otherwise the TJ takes it's own pad because of the size of the hole in the caliper piston even though the length works with the Ford Bracket.

If you have the brakes from a 95 ZJ, they don't interchange with the rest of the ZJ year models. We learned that the hard way when we did Stu's conversion and I had to file down the ends of the pads. The rest of the years are the same.

The Teraflex kit may use either the Ford or 1 of the two jeep pad sets and the kit from SSBC doesn't use anything recognizeable. You'd have to call them for your application.

Are you figuring this out yet?

[Gumbo]

Originally Posted by mrblaine

Are you figuring this out yet?

OK, since I bought these axles used and don't know what disc conversion I have on the rear, I'll make some calls tomorrow and try to track down the previous owner. Failing that, I can always snap a few pics to help ID it.

Visually, the rear set-up pretty much looks the same as the front, no markings that I can see.

I'll try to post a pic or two tomorrow, thanks.

[FifteenCents]

Originally Posted by gpw1942ford

I've been searching the web for recommendations on brake pads.

Nothing on the WWW or jeepforum either.

Let me rephrase that..

I've found nothing but vanco this and __blaine that...

[mrblaine]

Originally Posted by gpw1942ford

Let me rephrase that..

I've found nothing but vanco this and __blaine that...

Kinda screwed the pooch on your formatting eh?

No worries, you still don't read so well. The reason I say this is that Vanco isn't using the EBC brake pads because I'm some genius that knows all the brake pads and how well they work.

I read enough reviews from folks that used them in stock applications on the TJ that they piqued my curiosity.
That was enough for them to be introduced into Van's testing programs.

[SpeedyMitch]

Do I need to have the stock rotors turned (after 21k miles) to install new pads? They appear to be in good condition. If not, should I clean them with brake cleaner prior to installing the new pads?

[willhbauto]

Just bought the EBC Yellowstuff pads from AutoPartsWarehouse.com, when I called to check availability I insisted on ordering online and he gave me a discount to place the order with him on the phone, they were advertised for $120.74 and he brought it down to $105, I tried to work him for more but he wouldn't give, but I placed the order with him, that's by far the best deal I've been able to find on them. Figured I'd pass it on to anybody else looking to buy them or any others!

[Jerry Bransford]

I'm chomping at the bit to get a set of those yellow EBC pads but I have to stop putting more $$$ into the Jeep for a while. It's been an expensive last couple months for my Jeep according to my wife.

[PhulesAu]

Well after all of that........ I might try some as well. I've got fairly new rotors as well. I saw the run-out spec. But still question the point at which you/I need to resurface the rotors.

[mrblaine]

Originally Posted by PhulesAu

Well after all of that........ I might try some as well. I've got fairly new rotors as well. I saw the run-out spec. But still question the point at which you/I need to resurface the rotors.

Here's my take on it and this is one time you can take my opinion with a grain of salt or the whole shaker full for that matter.

Quality rotors will develop a nicely burnished swept area for the life of the rotor. The swept area will develop small high and low ridges with minimal height variation between the highest and lowest points or just a bit of waviness towards the end of their useful lifespan.

That's normal wear and not much of a concern. In fact, you can put on new pads and after a bit of driving, the pads will bed in nicely on a rotor in that condition.

I have a set of rotors in the yard right now that were probably new on the vehicle when it was purchased. They likely have 80-90 thousand miles on them and if I needed to, I would have no issues running them again just like they are.

My point in all of that is not so high quality rotors don't wear like that. They develop DTV and act like they are warped.

Turning them to remove the high spots seldom lasts for more than 5-10,000 miles.

My answer is, if they need turning because of some wear issue or characteristic other than grooving from debris caught in the pads, go ahead and replace them with quality rotors.

Quality rotors are needed for good stopping. If you're reading this thread, you're probably not happy with your current stopping. Don't handicap that with poor quality rotors that can't be fixed by resurfacing.

[FifteenCents]

Originally Posted by Gumbo

OK, since I bought these axles used and don't know what disc conversion I have on the rear, I'll make some calls tomorrow and try to track down the previous owner. Failing that, I can always snap a few pics to help ID it.

Visually, the rear set-up pretty much looks the same as the front, no markings that I can see.

I'll try to post a pic or two tomorrow, thanks.

An option is to take one of the rear pads off and take it (in another vehicle) to a parts store and compare brake pads until you find one the same.

[mrblaine]

Originally Posted by gpw1942ford

An option is to take one of the rear pads off and take it (in another vehicle) to a parts store and compare brake pads until you find one the same.

That's not as easy as you make it sound. Even holding the TJ rear pad and the ZJ rear pad side by side on top of each other, unless you know that one is only shorter between the ears by a total of .040, you won't know what to look for.

Worse is I can lay a TJ rear disc backing plate next to one from a Ford and one from a ZJ and unless you can identify the bolt patterns without measuring them and know that the ears on the TJ are slightly further apart, you won't be able to tell which is which.

Here's a small example for you-See if you can tell which is which-

[aaonms]

My 2¢:
Sortta apples v. oranges, but I had EBC greens on a GTI about 5 years ago and thought that they were only OK.
I dumped the OEM pads on my TJ soon after lifting it.
Went with Performance Friction pads and noted a big improvement in stopping distances. The pads work well cold as well as hot so the first stop of the day or the quick stop during a trail ride is uneventful.
Some of the high torque pads on my cars don’t work well cold, but the Performance Friction pads do.
As for a BBK on a Jeep – planning on repeated high-speed stops?

[mrblaine]

Originally Posted by aaonms

My 2¢:
Sortta apples v. oranges, but I had EBC greens on a GTI about 5 years ago and thought that they were only OK.

Very much apples to oranges. Less than a year has elapsed between the yellow pads being race only and now reformulated with additional compounds to work well cold for street use.

The Green pads have gone through the same evolution, so I'd venture you were using the original Green Stuff street car pads and not the SUV rated 7000 series.

I dumped the OEM pads on my TJ soon after lifting it.
Went with Performance Friction pads and noted a big improvement in stopping distances. The pads work well cold as well as hot so the first stop of the day or the quick stop during a trail ride is uneventful.

Your definition of cold must not be very cold. Van had to quit using the PF pads because his customers in places like Colorado and similar could not make them work in the winters.

Some of the high torque pads on my cars don’t work well cold, but the Performance Friction pads do.
As for a BBK on a Jeep – planning on repeated high-speed stops?

What is BBK? If that's Big Brake Kit, you need to spend some more time around lifted rigs with larger tires. I could have already guessed that though, by the fact you think PF pads work well.

[fromme]

Originally Posted by mrblaine

What is BBK? If that's Big Brake Kit, you need to spend some more time around lifted rigs with larger tires.

And wheeling in low range with a 4:1 geared t-case and 5.13 gears. Watch one trying to hold on to what they've got while pointed up or down (or with some water, mud or dirt on the rotors). It tries, and lots of times succeeds, in pushing right through the brakes, no matter what pad you've got on it.