If facing replacement of a wheel cylinder and brake shoes for a (non Grand) Cherokee, does anyone have any advice on a reasonable estimate (including labor)?

I've been given a quote ($500) that seems completely out of line with my (limited) understanding of parts + labor for this process.

500 is way too much. My local brakes plus wanted 300 to rebuild the rear drums, and even that was overpriced to me.
I did them at home for about $100 total (including 2 cans of brake cleaner for each side.)

They are really simple to do - only requiring basic tools. And I would flush the system with new fluid Before you put in the new wheel cylinders as well.

Yeah, I figured that price was pretty funky.

I'm not an expert but I'd be willing to have a go at this... But I don't have anywhere to get the car elevated / underneath it...

I guess I'll have to pay the pros, but it seems I have some shopping around to do...

I did mine for about 90 all around. I didn't need drums or cylinders. I think the last time I needed a caliper, though

I'm pretty sure a new cylinder is needed. The braking action is symptomatic of that problem.

Also, the guys who gave the quote said fluid was leaking.

My understanding is that new shoes are needed if the existing ones have brake fluid leaked onto them (though again I am not an expert).

I'm inclined to GUESS they were honest about the problem but ridiculous about the pricing (and possibly about work on or pricing of related auxiliary parts / materials).

You can pick up a wheel cylinder rebuild kit for around $10 or a complete reman wheel cylinder for around $20 per side. You don't need to be under your Jeep to do this. All you need is a jack and a couple stands (under the axle). I did mine a few months ago (shoes and cylinder rebuild, flush), total cost was about $70.

I really should have taken auto shop in high school.

Now that money's too tight to mention, it would serve me much better than honors English.

I installed an 8.25 axle and replaced everything but the wheel cylinders. A week later one leaking. I had brake masters replace them both. It was around 200 buck. It was a rip off but after working a week and 1/2 straight installing other stuff I was burnt out.

However, I appreciate that you are capable of formatting a proper question.

As others have said, this isn't a difficult project primarily because you have two, identical sides that should be done one-at-a-time so that you always have a completed side to compare. Remove the brake hardware (springs, retainers, shoes), remove the brake line from the back of the wheel cylinder, remove the two retaining bolts that hold the cylinder in place. You'll probably have to swap the bleeder nipple onto the new cylinder, then reverse the entire thing using the other side as a reference. You can do this.

For me, the most difficult part is disconnecting and reconnecting the e-brake cable but if you release tension at the adjusting plate (under the center tunnel, near the e-brake handle) it's much easier. You'll probably want to adjust your e-brake when you're done, anyway.

Thanks, this message gets me starting to feel like it might be possible. I am still several youtube tutorials and articles away from dusting off the ratchets...

Like Pacino says to Sean Penn in Carlito's Way, "...a whole new set of rules you can't learn about in school... and you can't have a late start..."

Like Sean Penn said in Fast Times at Ridgemont High... "Relax, all right? My old man is a television repairman, he's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it."

It's a pre-1996 Cherokee (not Grand). Is there anything I should know offhand that could be easily missed by a beginner?

Eg - certain brand / type / size of cylinder to get...

Eg - any model-specific reason to get / not get silicon-based brake fluid...

Like Denzel Washington says in Philadelphia... "Explain it to me like I'm a six-year-old..."

I have always had good luck with Napa products, and Autozone Duralast Gold products, so I can really only recommend them (I am using all duralast parts in the rear when I did my brakes).

Parts you will need:
* Jack Stands (Harbor freight has them for $40 for the really heavy duty ones that will last forever).
* Tool kit -- If you are pressed for cash, my advice is to go get a Ratchet from Home Depot or Lowes (Cobalt or Husky), and get the rest of the kit at Harbor Freight (Wrenches, sockets, etc). You will almost certainly want an offset wrench set for when you are bleeding the brakes, but its not necessary.

*Wheel Cylinders
*Brake Shoes
*And be sure to get the full hardware kit for both sides (they are identical, just get two of them). The self-adjusters and all the hardware will probably be rusted
*New Brake Drums if yours look super tired.


*2 big bottles of brake fluid (Valvoline Synthetic Dot 3/4 fluid)
*Minimum of 2 cans of brake cleaner
*Lots of that silicone brake grease to grease all moving parts (sold in those little packets by the register).

Firstly, flush all the old fluid out of the system. Dont bother with bleeding the rears just yet, just get all the old fluid out of the lines, starting with the right rear brake, then left rear, then front right, then front left.

Get the jeep in the air, and start following these instructions:
http://www.4x4xplor.com/drum-brakes.html

ONLY WORK ON ONE SIDE AT A TIME. The right and left assemblies are almost identical and it is imperative that you have something to reference against if you get stuck.

Take pictures of everything both before and after you finish so you can reference to them if needed. And save the receipts so you can return anything that you didnt use.

Just about anyone's "Premium" pads/shoes are good, just avoid the cheap ones they will wear fast, make a ton of dust, and probably be noisy.


I've got Wearever (advance auto parts brand) gold pads on the front of my XJ and Wagner Thermoquiet shoes on the rear and they both work great, though the Wagners were noisy until they got broken in.


For the rear drums you'll want brake-spring pliers/tools I used the 3-piece brake spring tool kit from harbor freight. They aren't the greatest quality but did the job and only cost $15.


For the front all you really need is a ratchet set(to unbolt the caliper), a hammer (to get the pads off and on, and possibly get the caliper off if the disc has a lip), a large flat-head screwdriver (for pad removal/installation), and a large C-Clamp (to compress the piston)


You can also get the brake grease in tubes or a jar with a brush, this is much more cost effective than buying a bunch of those little packets.