Spongy brakes, despite troubleshooting. :)
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 214
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 I6
Spongy brakes, despite troubleshooting. :)
My Cherokee was built in the last three weeks by transplanting all the running gear from a 98 into the body of a 93 - fortunately not by me! - and there were a couple of challenges along the way. The one major unsolved problem is the brakes. Despite having been bled, they're very spongy, and don't engage at all until the pedal is almost to the floor; it'll stop, but not in a hurry, and not with any kind of confidence.
The builder replaced the booster and master cylinder with junkyard parts after some problem with the 98 parts. I'm not sure if he bench-bled it [I'm checking with him] but he's nobody's fool and I can't imagine he'd have forgotten to do that. I checked the calipers, and they're right-side-up. [Yay for Search!] The system holds pressure, and there don't appear to be any leaks.
Any suggestions?
The builder replaced the booster and master cylinder with junkyard parts after some problem with the 98 parts. I'm not sure if he bench-bled it [I'm checking with him] but he's nobody's fool and I can't imagine he'd have forgotten to do that. I checked the calipers, and they're right-side-up. [Yay for Search!] The system holds pressure, and there don't appear to be any leaks.
Any suggestions?
#3
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: South Bend, IN
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
#4
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 214
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 I6
Yeah, my next stop - unless somebody's got a better suggestion - will be a factory-new master cylinder. It's probably not the booster, right? It's more likely to be the master cylinder, or calipers?
#5
CF Veteran
With the two boosters I've had go bad on me,not on Jeeps,one was the bladder inside which gave me a vacuum leak (affected engine idle) and a hard brake peddle. The other was a fluid leak between the booster and master cylinder.
#6
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 214
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 I6
One note: the guy who built it pointed out that the older-style booster might have a shorter rod: could this cause the brakes to not engage until the brakes are almost to the floor?
#7
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 214
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 I6
What kind of symptoms did you have when the booster was bad? Someone mentioned that it'd make the pedal more firm, as I wouldn't be getting as much assist, but brakes aren't really my thing.
Trending Topics
#8
CF Veteran
Symptoms were that I had to push the brake pedal HARD to stop and the engine idle increased some due to the vacuum leak.
Your guy is right about the rod. You need the correct length. Some vehicles were adjustable some.
Your guy is right about the rod. You need the correct length. Some vehicles were adjustable some.
#9
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 214
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 I6
I wonder if I can just put a post-98 booster in, so the rod is the right length. Probably won't fit in the body correctly, though, right?
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Bearstream
Stock Grand Cherokee Tech. All ZJ/WJ/WK Non-modified/stock questions go here!
6
11-04-2022 10:19 AM
Westonbc
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
3
09-22-2015 08:23 PM
mange1234
Cherokee Chat
2
09-19-2015 07:15 PM
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)