Hello,

I have a '96 XJ with ABS and stock everything.
Dana 35 Rear Axles with stock 9" rear drums.
The Rear brakes have goofy proportioning to them. (lines are bled properly / good wheel cylinders etc.)
It seems that the proportioning is set so that the rear brakes work very little, and the fronts get a bit too much brake pressure in my application. Are most of the xj's like this or is mine defective?

If I panic stop I get waaay too much front lockup and hardly anything happening on the rear axle. Even running the truck on jackstands, wheels off the ground in 2WD you can see that the brake pedal needs a good stomping on to get the drums to stop the rear axle from turning.
Maybe the valve is bad.. (should I try to rebuild / clean it)?
or I can add a hotrod adjustable proportioning valve inline to attempt to boost the rear brake pressures?

I was wondering if this is a common issue with XJ's or is it just a fluke with my vehicle.

Thanks for any help / thoughts on this,

Greg

 

a few things;

first thing is take apart, check and lubricate the self adjuster parts

then manually adjust them up till they drag, then just back them off a little

If you are ultimately dissatisfied, a ZJ 4 wheel disc prop valve form the same era vehicle gives more juice to the rear, that is what guys use that convert XJ to 4 wheel discs

every one seems to like their disc conversions, plenty in the archives and elsewhere on how to do it

 

Adjust the rear brakes as suggested^^ first.

When adjusting, go til the wheel won't move. THEN back off until a shoosh-shoosh is heard.

As for prop valves when going to discs in the rear, you only need to harvest and use the "guts" of the ZJ prop valve. A ton less work.

 

oooh, Snap-on, pro mechanic

I have a one Snap-on tool, a 7/8" socket that is so rusty, I wonder how long they have been making them

I obtained a huge number of quality heavy duty tools at a local auction when a major Industrial company closed their local depot

One of the best surprises was a box of " special hardened drills" had several hundred high quality drill bits, I still have some left after over 20 years

These are the type you use once when you want to drill out a broken work hardened grade 8 bolt

That box which only cost me a few $, would retail for over $1000

Got my 3/4" drive gear there for $60, but the 1" drive gear, I walked away when the bidding was still hard at $500