Brake Issues
#1
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Brake Issues
My brakes work fine to arrest forward momentum... excellent, actually. The issue I'm having is rearward momentum. They refuse to keep my XJ from rolling backwards when stopped on an incline of more than a few degrees. The pedal pressure is the same as when moving forward and it seems to be holding pressure just fine, they just don't work to stop me from rolling backwards.
The pads and shoes appear to have about 75% remaining and under panic braking both the front and rear will lock (non-anti-lock). Also, my parking brake is tight and will lock the rear tires when moving forward but does virtually nothing to arrest rearward movement.
Ideas?
The pads and shoes appear to have about 75% remaining and under panic braking both the front and rear will lock (non-anti-lock). Also, my parking brake is tight and will lock the rear tires when moving forward but does virtually nothing to arrest rearward movement.
Ideas?
#2
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Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Most drum brakes have a large shoe in front and a small shoe in back. It's designed this way to provide maximum stopping power in the forward direction, so naturally, it won't be as effective in reverse. This might be different with the XJ, I'm not positive as i haven't had to tear apart my rear brakes yet, but it was common in every other drum braked vehicle I've owned.
BUT, you should be able to hold the vehicle still while in reverse. The front brakes should be able to handle this as well.
My feeling is that your rear brakes are:
A) Out of adjustment
B) Installed incorrectly (make sure the large shoes are toward the front of the vehicle)
C) Leaking. Maybe the wheel cylinders are bad, maybe the brake line is leaking.
Still, you said the emergency brake isn't holding, so I'm guessing they're just out of adjustment.
BUT, you should be able to hold the vehicle still while in reverse. The front brakes should be able to handle this as well.
My feeling is that your rear brakes are:
A) Out of adjustment
B) Installed incorrectly (make sure the large shoes are toward the front of the vehicle)
C) Leaking. Maybe the wheel cylinders are bad, maybe the brake line is leaking.
Still, you said the emergency brake isn't holding, so I'm guessing they're just out of adjustment.
#3
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Year: 1998 Sport
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Most drum brakes have a large shoe in front and a small shoe in back. It's designed this way to provide maximum stopping power in the forward direction, so naturally, it won't be as effective in reverse. This might be different with the XJ, I'm not positive as i haven't had to tear apart my rear brakes yet, but it was common in every other drum braked vehicle I've owned.
BUT, you should be able to hold the vehicle still while in reverse. The front brakes should be able to handle this as well.
My feeling is that your rear brakes are:
A) Out of adjustment
B) Installed incorrectly (make sure the large shoes are toward the front of the vehicle)
C) Leaking. Maybe the wheel cylinders are bad, maybe the brake line is leaking.
Still, you said the emergency brake isn't holding, so I'm guessing they're just out of adjustment.
BUT, you should be able to hold the vehicle still while in reverse. The front brakes should be able to handle this as well.
My feeling is that your rear brakes are:
A) Out of adjustment
B) Installed incorrectly (make sure the large shoes are toward the front of the vehicle)
C) Leaking. Maybe the wheel cylinders are bad, maybe the brake line is leaking.
Still, you said the emergency brake isn't holding, so I'm guessing they're just out of adjustment.
#4
CF Veteran
Thread Starter
Thanks both for your suggestions. I haven't pulled the drums which would obviously be the primary brake when my XJs mass is trying to move backwards but I'm still a bit puzzled at why the fronts won't even lock. It's as if the friction material only bites in one direction. Perhaps I should just toss these pads and shoes and start over with a fresh set that can be properly bedded. There's a decent glaze on the front rotors so they could use to be turned, anyway. I'm sure the drums aren't much different.
I've owned two cars with rear drums and IIRC both used the same size shoe front/rear (of the drum). If they were different it was only slightly, not enough to be readily apparent when just looking at them.
I've owned two cars with rear drums and IIRC both used the same size shoe front/rear (of the drum). If they were different it was only slightly, not enough to be readily apparent when just looking at them.
#5
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P.S. PO is an old lady who probably never went fast enough to actually generate enough heat in the brakes to warm your hands... There's a remote possibility that these are the original pads/shoes. I asked her, she doesn't recall ever having them changed. Yikes.
#6
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Year: 1993
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 HO
dont know if this helps
my last 2 jeeps .. both manual 5 speeds
parking brake would not hold .. if rear end pointed downhill .. i learned to keep it in gear while parked .. really didnt want to wrench the parking cable too tight .. lever felt fine, tight
other than that braking was fine
my last 2 jeeps .. both manual 5 speeds
parking brake would not hold .. if rear end pointed downhill .. i learned to keep it in gear while parked .. really didnt want to wrench the parking cable too tight .. lever felt fine, tight
other than that braking was fine
#7
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Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L High Output
Originally Posted by dogkatcher
dont know if this helps
my last 2 jeeps .. both manual 5 speeds
parking brake would not hold .. if rear end pointed downhill .. i learned to keep it in gear while parked .. really didnt want to wrench the parking cable too tight .. lever felt fine, tight
other than that braking was fine
my last 2 jeeps .. both manual 5 speeds
parking brake would not hold .. if rear end pointed downhill .. i learned to keep it in gear while parked .. really didnt want to wrench the parking cable too tight .. lever felt fine, tight
other than that braking was fine
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#9
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#11
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Not really. I may consider that after replacing the pads and having the rotors/drums turned. I'm also considering something like the Tom Woods TC brake. For now, I'm gonna replace all my lines with braided/Teflon and replace the pads and shoes. I'll let ya know how it goes.
#12
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Year: 1989 xj sport 2dr
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 12 hole bosch Injectors
The booster up grade increases the pressure your appling to wheels. When applying brakes now most likely you can push pedal pretty close to floor with out and brakeing difference correct?
#13
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Thread Starter
Actually, the pedal feels right, it gets progressively stiffer through about 50% of travel where the pressure requires me to stand on it. I've owned many cars in my life and compared to most I would rate the braking effectiveness on my XJ to be very good with good pedal feel and minimal travel... except when trying to keep it from going backwards. I rate that part as suck.
Last edited by F1Addict; 11-04-2012 at 04:50 PM.
#14
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Year: 2001
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L I6 HO
Well if he ain't trolling y'all, it's possible he may have another issue other than the brakes. Of you let go of ya brakes do you roll back. The engine should have enough power to prevent you from rolling back to much. Just a thought. May be right may be wrong but a thought
#15
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