Is it normal for the brake pedal to be hard to push? Is it a sign of the need for pads (I suspect front pads are worn)? There is a little bit of a squeal when braking.

 

hard pedal usually means booster i thought.

 

or a vacuum leak to the booster

 

Did the pedal get hard all of a sudden? If so you may need a new booster.

 

It was like that when I got it. Just thought it needed new pads and wanted to make sure by asking. Just read up on boosters and that sounds like what is causing it.

Although would the squeal be related to the booster too? And forgive me for my spelling of brakes .

 

the squeel is generally related to the pads cause they have those lil clips on them that hit the rotor and make them squeel but the hard pedal is prolly your booster but check the vacume lines before you buy a whole new booster

 

anti-lock brakes I have noticed are a lot harder than non ABS. I found that out recently when I bought my last one, which was my first with ABS and made me worried but then realized it was just the ABS the whole time after I replaced everything... lol.

 

but if you don't have anti-lock brakes then its probably the booster as the other guys already said

 

I do have ABS, but it prob is the booster cause it is a lot tighter than it should be to press.

 

i have a vacume leak i think but i dont know if i should replace the booster and the master cylinder or just the master cylinder....

 

start with the booster....

 

if it is the booster and you are going to replace it, check for brake booster upgrades, i mean if you have to buy, buy a better one.
i dont know which booster is an upgrade for yours, i know a 1996 booster is better than my 1987, thats fo sho..

 

Brake aqueal is not ALWAYS caused by the wear-squealers built into the pads.
Sometimes brakes squeal due to rust on the inner pad where it contacys the caliper piston.
This is where you would apply anti-squeal compound. It inhibits the rust and keeps the squealing silent.

Hard pedal is almost always a sign of a vacuum leak either in the booster itself or lack of vacuum from the motor.

Start your motor and pull the vacuum line out of the booster. You will be able to tell right away if you have vacuum getting to the booster.

 

In my experience Cherokee brakes pretty much suck especially with bigger tires. I was running 33's on my old one and needed a football field to come to a complete stop.

I guess this doesnt help with the hard pedal, but it was a good time to complain

 

i have a 94 xj limited 4x4. i was wondering what master cylinder do i need, the 4 Wheel -ABS, or the NON-ABS? and is it the same with the brake booster too?