Originally Posted by XJIrish4x4

I was also concerned that the calipers do move when you apply brake pressure. The fitting looked super tight and a heard brake made me think it may rub but you would have already probably experience this since you been driving it. Pictures really hard to tell the clearance you had between the caliper and wheel.

Originally Posted by Bugout4x4

It's pretty tight, 1/4" of mud of rocks aside, as things wear I'm afraid it might become a problem at some point. And the main factor that is easy to forget about is that wheels flex too, much more than one would think.

It was just a thought for him to consider if he hasn't already. But judging by his great designing here I think he is probably already looking at this possible issue.

Originally Posted by HeBeGB501

The concern about the wheel clearance is valid. On this setup the caliper bracket is closer to the wheel than the caliper itself, so flexing during brake applications shouldn't be a concern.

I did wonder about the possibility of small rocks getting between the wheel and caliper but I try to avoid mud.

Originally Posted by HeBeGB501

Time for an upgrade to the brakes.

Over the past month or so, I have started to feel that the brakes could be improved on the buggy. The buggy stopped decently and I never felt like I didn't have enough brakes but there was definitely room for improvement.

The first thing to upgrade was the proportioning valve. I had been running a modded factory proportioning valve with my front/rear discs and WJ booster/master combo. A couple of times, under moderate braking, the rear tires started to lock up. I never lost control but since I drive this on the street, I knew that I had to do something before I got into a panic stop situation. I installed a Wilwood adjustable proportioning valve. The adjustable proportioning valve made a difference but then I started wanting even better stopping ability.

I was reading around different forums to see what I could do to improve the factory front brakes and I came upon the “15” Big Brake Kit” post by CobraMarty. CM was able to put together a list of components that allow you to put bigger brakes on a factory axle without having to buy or make a custom bracket. The best part was that the parts list happens to require the older knuckles and I just happen to be using one of the older Dana 30's with the right knuckles.
https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f67/15...30-d44-227121/

The post mentions that you will need steel wheels since the new brake assembly requires 14” of space and most aluminum wheels will either be too small or will require a spacer. I measured my wheels (15” Racelines) and the inner diameter measured just over 14”. I figured that with more than 14” the brakes would either fit or I could get by with some slight grinding on the calipers.

Here is the first test fit and you can see that it was tight. There was no interference with the wheel but it was VERY close.



After some grinding, I was able to get a gap between the wheel and caliper that I was happy with.



Here are the rest of the photos that compare the factory brakes vs the new 12” rotors and dual piston calipers.

Old factory setup




New Ford 12” rotors and Grand Cherokee/Durango calipers





Here are all of the components that I used. The rotors, calipers, pads, and new banjo bolts came out to around $380. On top of that you will need a 14mm drill bit, M14-1.5 caliper mounting bolts, and M14 washers.






Here are the caliper mounting bolts that I used. I got these from Oreilly's. They are replacement bolts for a 2014ish Grand Cherokee. These bolts come out to 40mm long instead of the 45mm bolts that the parts list in the link above calls for.



I also only used 1 washer at each bolt location between the caliper and the knuckle. Here are a couple of pics to show how far the shorter bolt threads into the caliper.




I have to say that there was a huge improvement with the new rotors. The stops are quicker and when I come to a stop, you can feel a big difference in holding power. I didn't measure stopping distance but I did do a little test on locking up the tires. I have a ball valve plumbed in to hold pressure on the rear brakes, like a parking brake. Another advantage of this is that you can also use it to shut off the rear brakes, like a line lock. To test the braking power, I went to a parking lot, shut off the rear brakes and slammed on the brakes at around 25-30 mph. The results were that the factory brakes would bring me to a stop but did not lock up the tires. The upgraded brakes did lock up the front tires. Now you don't want your tires to lock up because you will then lose control but it is nice to know that the power is there.

Originally Posted by CobraMarty

Thanks for the mention.

Here is the thread for the 15" Big Brake Kit-
https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f67/15...30-d44-227121/

Where they really shine is going downhill and being able to stop and creep and stop and slowly descend off a ledge/step/rock.

If you step up to 16" steel or 17" aluminum wheels you can run 13.22" rotors
Here is the thread for the 17" Big Brake Kit-
https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f67/17...0-44-a-222937/

Marty

Originally Posted by PCO6

Great build. You're going to be spending a lot of time, and probably enjoy, talking to gawkers!