Hey guys. New to the forum and have a question. So I'm looking to save a little money and replace the front brakes on my 99 cherokee sport. I'm not planning on doing a system flush at this moment and was wondering if there is anything I should be aware of by replacing the pads and rotors myself. I've never done this before so any tips or pointers would be great. Thanks

If you haven't done it yet I would check for loose or worn out parts,Ball joints,tie rod ends,wheel bearings and such.Wouldn't hurt to grease up the front end and maybe pull the axles out and check the u-joints while your at it and make sure they still move freely and aren't stiff,its only 3 bolts to pull the axle so...

Yes you need to check the calipers, grease pins and usually have the rotors turned at machine shop when replacing the pads.

This is going to sound stupid, but it's a real thing. It is possible to install the calipers upside down, in which case they will fit right on there but won't work. Make sure they're right side up.

Good point. The way to tell if they're on correctly is to see if the bleeder screw is at the top of the caliper and not at the bottom. Also, make sure the surface where the pad tabs contact the steering knuckle are nice and flat. The old pads on mine had worn a notch there when the previous owners had it and made my new pads stick against the rotor. Smoke show! I smoothed it out with a dremel and it's been fine ever since. How's the fluid level in the reservoir?

Reservoir is full and fluid looks alright. I'm planning on doing a fluid flush when I convert the rear drums to disc. Probably a month or two down the road. I was thinking of installing these slotted discs on the front http://www.summitracing.com/parts/pwr-k2152-36. Any thoughts on these? Any of you running them in your jeeps? Thanks guys for the insight. I'm looking forward to upgrading the brake system and appreciate your thoughts.

The part's store can turn your rotors, or tell you if you need new. There is no need to remove the calipers, but you need to be careful not to tweak the rubber flex line to them as you depress the piston, (that came out as your old stuff wore down). You need to get it all the way back home. Don't leave the calipers hanging on the line, wire them up to hold the weight. When you depress the pistons the level in the reservoir will rise. You might want to remove some fluid first. Brake fluid rinses with water. Leave the cover on there loose. Btw, you might need some goofy torks socket. My new calipers (thankfully) came with 10mm hex. You might check that before you even start. They are small, on the inside, recessed in rubber. Keep everything clean!

I have had mixed results with slotted discs, in my opinion not worth the extra money.


YMMV

I recommend plain rotors and not slotted or drilled. If you're looking for increased stopping performance, upgraded pads are your best bet. I use Hawk LTS, though there are other options out there.

Any reason on why not to go with slotted or drilled?

Less mass to absorb heat and I have seen drilled rotors crack around the holes.

I think Freedgr has some info on an "improved" booster that applies more pressure. It gets a little involved, modifying one from a Grand IIRC to work in an XJ.

Thanks a lot for the input. I'll let you guys know how it goes next week.