Will upgrading my front disc brakes do more harm then good?

usurp · 12-05-2007, 01:22 AM

I don't like the stopping power of my stock brakes on my Wranglers. I haven't done any upgrades, I have 31inch wheels and thats about it. My question is if I upgrade my brakes to the Big Brake kit from VANCO will it do more harm then good? By that I mean will it help decrease my braking distance or end up locking my wheels and making me skid into the car in front of me?

**TheBoogieman** · 12-05-2007, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by usurp

I don't like the stopping power of my stock brakes on my Wranglers. I haven't done any upgrades, I have 31inch wheels and thats about it. My question is if I upgrade my brakes to the Big Brake kit from VANCO will it do more harm then good? By that I mean will it help decrease my braking distance or end up locking my wheels and making me skid into the car in front of me?

31inch wheels ae HUGE! Bigger the Shaq's Caddy

I guess you meant 31inch tires.Sorry

The Vanco kit cost around $750.It would help but why do you need it with 31's?Usually 35's are when it helps.I'm good with just not tailgating(unless theres beer involved)

Steve B · 12-05-2007, 06:51 AM

I have the brakes you are talking about, I think the standard brakes were rubbish with 31" tyres so upgraded the brakes before I switched to 35" tyres.

Once they were bedded in the new brakes are worth the money, I can lock up my tyres now on dry tarmac and I don't have the Vanco booster.

As for safety you get a good feel as to how much you are braking so you just ease of a touch before they lock which is what any good driver does.

You can find a review here which helped me make my decision.

http://www.jeepforum.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=152&cat=54

Steve

usurp · 12-05-2007, 07:21 AM

ooops yeah i meant 31" tires.
thing is my primary car is a 3 series bmw coupe which has great brakes. the brakes on the wrangler are just lame. i was just worried if i upgrade them they would be prone to lock more.

**doublins** · 12-05-2007, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by usurp

ooops yeah i meant 31" tires.
thing is my primary car is a 3 series bmw coupe which has great brakes. the brakes on the wrangler are just lame. i was just worried if i upgrade them they would be prone to lock more.

How prone they are to lock has a direct relationship to how much pedal pressure you apply, and road conditions (assuming your brakes are strong enough to even lock the wheels, and your brakes are properly maintained, etc.). Just like my motorcycle, you won't lock the front wheel if you apply pressure accordingly. But, UNLIKE my motorcycle, locking the front isn't quite so dire. Just practice.

You can never have too much brake. Just use what you need when you need it. Should be common sense.

**mrblaine** · 12-05-2007, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by usurp

I don't like the stopping power of my stock brakes on my Wranglers. I haven't done any upgrades, I have 31inch wheels and thats about it. My question is if I upgrade my brakes to the Big Brake kit from VANCO will it do more harm then good? By that I mean will it help decrease my braking distance or end up locking my wheels and making me skid into the car in front of me?

I have access to all the free Vanco parts and kits I could ever want.

I installed the 15" kit on my wife's rig on 35's and she really liked the way they work. Then the 16" kit came along and I removed the 15" kit and installed the bigger one. She liked the way that kit worked as well.

She drives our stock 04 on 31" Rubi take-offs as her around town car for errands and reported back to me that the brakes on it now sucked in comparison to the ones on her rig and I needed to fix them.

So, I took the 15" kit that I removed from her rig and installed them on the 04.

She's happy now.

Our 04 is also one of those that had the rotors develop a bad case of DTV at around 14,000 miles, so I had already replaced them with a new set of premium rotors and Performance Friction Pads.

fromme · 12-05-2007, 10:37 AM

mrblaine, a quick semi off topic question for you. Have you ever used or tested a brand of pads from Napa called Adapt One? I went in to get some ceramic pads, they told me about these Adapt One pads. I figured ok, I'll give them a shot, and I really like them. They have a specific inside and outside pad and each one has a different material. I feel that they stop better and aren't affected as much by dirt, mud, and water than the PF pads I had.

**neZZr** · 12-05-2007, 11:17 AM

It will do nothing but help your stopping power, even with stock tires. Don't be affraid to upgrade. I've run the Vanco kit for over a year now and it's the best upgrade I've done so far.

**mrblaine** · 12-05-2007, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fromme

mrblaine, a quick semi off topic question for you. Have you ever used or tested a brand of pads from Napa called Adapt One? I went in to get some ceramic pads, they told me about these Adapt One pads. I figured ok, I'll give them a shot, and I really like them. They have a specific inside and outside pad and each one has a different material. I feel that they stop better and aren't affected as much by dirt, mud, and water than the PF pads I had.

Yep, we tested them. Only ours from Napa were called Adaptive One. Same thing, specific inner and outer pads, some special blend between a ceramic and a semi-metallic.

For Van's kits we didn't like them as well as the Napa SD series with the red label. But they were better than the PFs. I just don't include them in the ranks because even though they were better than the PF, the cost was too high.

**neZZr** · 12-05-2007, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrblaine

Yep, we tested them. Only ours from Napa were called Adaptive One. Same thing, specific inner and outer pads, some special blend between a ceramic and a semi-metallic.

For Van's kits we didn't like them as well as the Napa SD series with the red label. But they were better than the PFs. I just don't include them in the ranks because even though they were better than the PF, the cost was too high.

Not to hijack the thread, but in case I missed it somewhere, what pads are you recommending for use with the Vanco kit? Just for future reference when replacments are needed.

**[ITA]Tsunami** · 12-05-2007, 11:29 AM

To the OP, i don't think it will hurt anything upgrading your brakes. A brake it's not an on/off device, you can modulate the braking power. that's it.

**mrblaine** · 12-05-2007, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neZZr

Not to hijack the thread, but in case I missed it somewhere, what pads are you recommending for use with the Vanco kit? Just for future reference when replacments are needed.

2 so far show good results. Centric 105 series Posi-Quiet Ceramics and the EBC 7000 series SUV pads which happen to be green.

fromme · 12-05-2007, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrblaine

Yep, we tested them. Only ours from Napa were called Adaptive One. Same thing, specific inner and outer pads, some special blend between a ceramic and a semi-metallic.

For Van's kits we didn't like them as well as the Napa SD series with the red label. But they were better than the PFs. I just don't include them in the ranks because even though they were better than the PF, the cost was too high.

Thanks. And ya, they are correctly called Adaptive One.

**SuperWade2** · 12-05-2007, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrblaine

2 so far show good results. Centric 105 series Posi-Quiet Ceramics and the EBC 7000 series SUV pads which happen to be green.

Since we are talking about the Pads with the Vanco Kits, it looks like Van is offering either one of these sets of pads (with the EBC as an upgrade I assume) with new purchases of the kits. Is it worth whatever he is charging to "upgrade" to the EBC pads?

Sw2

**mdm** · 12-05-2007, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by usurp

...my primary car is a 3 series bmw coupe which has great brakes. the brakes on the wrangler are just lame. i was just worried if i upgrade them they would be prone to lock more.

Sounds like you are already aware that different vehicles brake differently and you make the necessary adjustments when swapping vehicles. As [ITA]Tsunami said brakes aren't "On/Off" devices, you have control over them. Once you have them installed and broken-in feel them out and learn how they react. Brakes in a properly designed, installed, and maintained system aren't prone to lock up, it is the operator improperly using the brakes that is prone to cause a lock up.