So never since I got my XJ in July,I havent been the happiest with the Braking performance. When crawling down steep inclines,I have my foot firmly on the brake,and its to the floor...The vehicle is still creeping forward. the brakes are holding...Barely and its scary.

Fluid is down about 1/2 way in the master cylinder

Took the front tires off today and was surprised to see lots of meat left on the pads and the rotors were wearing well,no gouges,or scoring.

There are no wear indicators(squeakers) on the pads at all either.

I took the brakes apart and didnt see any lube on the Caliper Sliders or anywhere else,so I lubed the sliders and put it all back together,after I cleaned the dried mud out of the pistons.

On the drivers side I noticed something peculiar. Where the axle goes into the axle housing,there is a circular piece,that Im guessing is supposed to be flush with the axle housing. Well its not flush with the axle at all.

With this being out a little bit,what does it indicate? I got water in my diff last time I got stuck in a puddle,and im bettin thats where it came from.

So with there being plenty of meat on the pads,and based on the symptoms im having,would it be likely that I have glazed rotors?

But then I think of my low pedal,couldnt that indicate the brakes needing to be bled?

Should I try bleeding the brakes first to see if I can get a better pedal,or should I take the rotors and have them turned?

 

Unless you are having pedal pulsation, turning rotors will only shorten there life. I would flush the enitre system, get all the old brake fluid out. If it is drum brakes in the rear, make sure they are adj properly. Replace the pads with some GOOD ONES!! They do make a diffrence, our shop uses adaptive ones from napa, with great results, but they are pricy.

 

No pedal pulsation at all


I always thought the rears are self adjusting when you apply the brakes in reverse,regardless Im gonna inspect them.

Anyone have a part number for anti rattle clips? I cant find them online from any of the local parts stores.

Im a little confused about the bolts and guides for the Calipers


Oreillys lists these(I have the ones for $3.99 on my XJ):

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/se...990&vi=1180011


Whats the difference between the 2,other than the obvious appearance

 

I assume you have an automatic? Try putting it in 1st gear.

Do you have ABS? The ABS systems on older XJ's are lousy!! They also have a Recall!! Possable Free replacement at Dealer.

On your Axle, it there oil coming out at the "circular piece?"
Water in the axle.. Check the vent tube. I extended all my vent tubes up high to stop water entry. (ft & r diffs, trans, tcase)

As for bleeding.... While parked, engine running, press your brake peddle twice in a row after not pressing it for a couple seconds. does it go down the same distance each time? If so you have no air in the system. If it goes down less the second press, you have some air in the system.

Machining the rotors and deglazing the pads may help performance. As will fresh brake fluid.

Remember that the brakes were made for P215/75R15 tires. the 32" tire add alot of leverage against the brakes. And an automatic in low range especially with lower gears will push your brakes.

 

As far as I can tell I dont have ABS. My XJ is a pretty low optioned vehicle. No Console,no carpet(vinyl flooring only),no power windows or door locks,No rear Wiper,no Cruise control.It does have factory A/C.

Yes it is an Automatic. The area around that circular piece is bone dry. Ill see if I can post a pic of the drivers side vs the passenger side tomorrow.

With the fluid being lower than normal,I could have sworn I was gonna have worn out pads...Boy was I surprised

Yea I get the whole notion behind the tire size. Larger tires equals larger rolling mass which equals more braking power required.

According to my Tire Decal on my XJ,It was originally equipped with 205/75/15 tires,so maybe a brake upgrade is in order?

 

The rear drums are self adjusting, as long as everything works well. Last time I had my drums apart the self adjuster bits fell off, they had been broken for a while. They are this weekends project. Badly adjusted drum brakes will cause a bad soft pedal.

 

I had a 74 ford galaxy with REALLY soft brakes. Turned out the master cylinder was bad.

I would try bleeding, then I would look at the master cyl.

 

There are several things you should look at and do before throwing parts at it.

1. Check the sliders on the calipers that they aren't frozen. This can affect braking performance. Fix as you find issues there.
2. Flush the braking system well. Old contaminated fluid will adversely affect braking and cause a soft pedal.
3. Check the front soft brake lines for expansion. Replace as needed.
4. Adjust the rear drum brakes. If they aren't adjusted, they can affect braking as you are relying too much on the fronts.
5. Deglaze the front pads with sandpaper. Clean and replace.

I'd do these things regardless of the end result. If they don't fix the problem, then it's likely the master cylinder.