ajcallea

My brakes are really bad and I was thinking about re-doing them, what would be the best way to go about with this? A few months ago the pads were replaced but they still suck. What can I do?

Pelican

Always: Year model?

ajcallea

Sorry, it is a 1989 jeep cherokee

Pelican

I should have asked if the brakes have ever been acceptable or are you looking to upgrade and if so, major or minor upgrade? Stock '89 brakes are not going to be the greatest but possibly acceptable depending on how you use your XJ.

If I was planning on keeping the Jeep, I would go in and pretty much change out everything front and rear, which can be done fairly inexpensively.

Let us know sort of where you want to go with this and how much time and money you want to think about spending. Really no one magic answer but it helps to know what you are thinking.

ajcallea

I am keeping it, it is my daily driver and the brakes are pretty much stock, I have not put anything new except the pads obviously. I want to upgrade them so that they are safer and better. I am leaving in a couple months for basic training so I don't want a project that will take forever. I want to re-do the front and back and replace everything with the brakes and maybe even the brake lines. I am trying to find out what will be the best way to upgrade my brakes to make them better. So pretty much what will make the brakes better and won't cost too much.

ajcallea

Also there is a leak from the master cylinder through one of the lines because I have to put brake fluid in every couple of days and I want to fix that too

Kingfisher

What is it you don't like about your brakes? Other than the leak.

ajcallea

They aren't good, they have very little power. Also I have to apply a lot of force just to stop, literally slam on the brakes to stop.

askingxforxit

Fix that leak first. Then look in to a rear disc swap, there are several threads about that and even a few guy selling the kits used from zjs.

Pelican

You say your leak is through one of the lines. Where is it coming out and dripping?

Kingfisher

When you put pads on did you replace rotors? Or have them turned?

ajcallea

no to the rotors and I replaced the pads less than 6 months ago. I am not sure where the leak is coming fro I think it is a line but I do not see a leak. It might also be the booster where the leak is coming from.

sycoglitch

Need Cruiser here for this renix dinosaur business. Fact is, renix had issues with their brake systems. The bendix system. People say change this change that, hell you may need a new master cylinder. Plus make sure once you fix that leak to bleed the system good.

briankk

I had this exact problem on a Mercur XR4Ti I bought once. Seems the PO had replaced the stock pads with a pad "guaranteed to last (a very long time, forever, to infinity, and beyond), 'cause those pads were VERY hard. Back in the day, I'd go to my FLAPS and tell the counter dude I wanted a set of the softest pads in the joint, and that would fix it. These were usually Repco pads from Oz, and were asbestos. Now that the government designs brake pads, I no longer know what is the softest compound you can buy.

I'd suggest you go to a Jeep dealer and get a set of stock Jeep pads and try 'em before doing anything radical or expensive..

Kingfisher

Booster? Vacuum leak to booster?