2000 WJ Do upgraded pads and rotors make sense
 

Hi All,

I have a 2000 WJ 4.7 limited with pulsing brakes. Daily driver in NW Montana in a ski town. Stock wheels and tire size. I replaced the rear brakes and rotors with basic recommended parts from O'Reilly auto parts. The pulsing has definitely reduced but is not gone. It does not noticeably shake my steering wheel, just the whole damn vehicle. Most of the towing that I do is for firewood and other basic utility.

My question is, does it make sense to upgrade the brakes and rotors? or is it a waste of moneys? Will mismatching my front and rear material make a difference? Ill include a link for example of what I thinking.

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Stop-K2...grand+cherokee

Okay, here's my experience with WJ brakes. Your 2000 may possibly still have the Teves calipers on the front. Later models have switched to Akebono calipers because of problems with the originals. I fought with the Teves for 3 years trying to get them to work properly without hung pistons, warped rotors, tons of brake dust on the wheels, and caliper pins sticking. I bit the bullet and installed a complete 4 wheel Akebono system with ceramic pads made by Power Stop with drilled and vented rotors. The system is much better EXCEPT for squeaking when not applied. The rear calipers are the same as the Teves but the fronts are smaller in size and a different design. The next time it needs pads, I'm going back to semi-metallic. REPEAT, the rear calipers and rotors are the same.

I deliver newspapers and the constant stop and go, in addition to heavy loads, eats thru brakes pretty quickly. On the advise of others who do this, I tried ceramic pads. Yes they last longer, but the squeaking is driving me nuts! They don't squeak when you're using them, just when rolling down the street.

SO, my advise is to go with drilled and slotted rotors, but use semi-metalic pads. AND, switch to Akebono calipers if you don't already have them. The mounting brackets are different, so you'll need them also. Be sure to check your rotor runout. It should be within .002". The factory specifies .001", but that's only to a way to make you pay for extra brake work.

One other thing. 15" wheels won't fit over the Teves calipers, but guys have said they will over the Akebono. IDK, but these are guys who want the ability to go with cheaper inch-size tires instead of metrics. Just keep in mind they changed the bolt pattern in 99. (5x5 instead of 5x4.5)

I've had a lot of trouble with cheap rotors on our 99 wj. After a few weeks or a month they start pulsating. I even machined them myself and after a month they are warped again. Bought better centric rotors and reused the same pads and they are still smooth several months later.

I should have mentioned that I do believe that I do have Akebono. my only knowledge is from a previous post you made about the retaining clip vs spring. My calipers have the one spring going from one side to another.

I think I will follow your advice and go with the semi Metalic pads, I'll be sure on the calipers and go with the drilled and slotted rotors. I appreciate the input from both of you. It helps my decision a lot.

Cheers and safe driving,
Fred