[124]

Just put an 82 cj 7 on the road. It just does not seem to stop right. Brakes do not feel like they "grab". Have to "stand" on them to stop at highway speed. Can't get them to lock up at any speed. Replaced the master, pads and shoes. Booster seems to work as well as prop. valve. Bleed them a few times with no change. Did not have it running when bleeding. But dont know if this matters. Little pin on the end of prop. valve moves out when brakes are applied. Ped. sinks when engine is started, so booster is doing its job. Did not cut drums or rotors. No shake or chatter, just a weak feeling. Checked calipers and they move freely. Wheel cyls in rear also free. Rear shoes are adjusted. Running 33 12.50's. Ran this set-up on all my CJ's with no probs. Did a brake search with no answers.Any Help??? Thanks Vinny

 

[OlllllllOCJ]

Hard to beat the feeling of brakes that don't work, kinda like a nightmare while you are awake.

Looks like you have covered most to the bases.

Is the peddle soft and bottoms out until you pump it a time or two? If so there is still some air in there. The front bleeds easy normally but the back can be a pain. Try bleeding with the rear jacked up about 18" higher than the front.

If the peddle is hard and just won't put umf to the breaks then maybe a blocked line (could be crushed) or maybe that new master is simply bum. Guess it could be other things but I would start there.

Good luck.

 

[lindy80cj7]

Are the pistons in the calipers froze?

 

[124]

Front cals. seem to work fine, not frozen. Pedal seems soft. Will try to jack up rear and bleed. Cant get any air out with it on the ground. Does it need to be running to bleed power brakes?? I did not think so, but never heard of lifting up the rear either. Thanks

 

[Guest]

Hmmm...I know what its like...

I have an 82 CJ7 with 33x12.5's on it. Its got 1pc axles and lockers front and rear if that makes any difference. Ive tried everything i know of and my brakes...well...suck. I have to press them very hard to get them to work and they wont ever lock up. Ive tried rotors and pads, new stainless lines, checked just about everything. I just dont know. If you find out the problem PLEASE let me know ([email protected]) and if i figure anything out ill do the same.

By the way

 

[lindy80cj7]

Check to see if the brakes are glazed. Take the pads off and sand them with some fine sandpaper and also hit the rotors. Then break them in gently.

 

[OlllllllOCJ]

In reply to:

Does it need to be running to bleed power brakes??

[/ QUOTE ]

I never start the motor and have never known anyone that did. I would think that it would be much harder to control the peddle. Maybe there's some advantage??

 

[Guest]

We just finsished bleeding mine. We tried it with the engine off and on. Same results but the fluid squirts out faster with the engine on. Still no braking power... this is frustrating...

 

[OlllllllOCJ]

I'm just guessing here, can't see the fluid squirt or feel the peddle. But my guess is that Vinny and 304CJ7 have very different problems.

While Vinny is working on his.... 304CJ7 has a hard peddle and still can't get braking action.

I'm a bit reluctant to bring up this discussion, take much of it as a rant, but some important points were made about proporting valves (and then there was just some crazy stuff).

Please Read This

So 304CJ7 is it true that you have a hard peddle as soon as you step on it? No double pumping required?

Double duty thread hehe

 

[1869]

Hey, I know the feeling. I have a very similar problem that has been ongoing for months now. I have rear disc but other than that is seems very similar to your problem. I have not had any success yet either. Everything in the braking system is new, calipars, rotors, pads, lines, New corvette MC, and now I just bypassed the proportioning valve for the rear line. It was working good the night I did the bypass, but now it is not working again. My jeep has a hard pedal that will not "pump" up. I'll let you know if I make any progress.

 

[Dirt Dog]

Vinny, if your pedal is soft there is something wrong. (power is softer than manual)
If you have done all that and it still doesn't work I would first guess bad MC. Beyond that maybe a proportioning valve. (you can get a manual adjustable one CHEAP to try from speedway motors .....like $40)

But keep in mind that CJ PWR brakes aren't anything to write home about even with 33's. So they will never feel like they will throw you through the windshield without some sort of an upgrade.

 

[OlllllllOCJ]

I have been tossing in my $0.02 all along why stop now.

Something that Dirt Dog said made me think back over the just short of 18 years that I have had my 1985 CJ-7. I never had back brakes for more than a few thousand miles while they were drum. Always had to manually adjust them or clean everything up and get the adjusters working again. I had emergency cables bind up and toast shoes….. you name it, the drum brakes were simply lame. Rear disc fixed that.

Maybe more to the point! Some years ago I tried some "lifetime warranty" pads and shoes thinking at least I would get free replacements each time I had to go through and fix the silly thing. Bet I didn't put over a thousand miles on them, they didn't seem right from the start but I thought that I should let them break in. Braking didn't get better and the squeak and squeal made my teeth hurt. Those shoes and pads had a "lifetime warranty" because the metal parts wear more than they ever would, rock hard compound.

I went to Auto Zone (something I didn't do back then) and asked what they had. The High School kid behind the counter looked it up and began to glow and rave about "Performance Friction" "Carbon Metallic" front pads. He went on and on about how great they were on his old Chevy….. OK…. This is getting long but the kid was correct….. I put them on everything and they are great. As for back shoes on a CJ buy the cheap Albany shoes from Auto Zone they wear OK, don't make noise and I have even gotten free replacements after a wheel cylinder leak (don't ask me why they would do that).

In reply to:

But keep in mind that CJ PWR brakes aren't anything to write home about ..... So they will never feel like they will throw you through the windshield

[/ QUOTE ]

Mine will... but I do have those rear disc.

Dirt Dog you have a way about you.

 

[Dirt Dog]

Yes I do. And I have noticed that we have all but butted heads. I bet we would be good friends if we met.

But........while on the subject.....
I hate those front pads. They wear out the $$$ rotors and not the pad thats supposed to be the part to go. And I have seen bad glazing and warpage caused from the "over hard" pads.
Just my $.02.

Dude you gotta come to attica this spring to the run. Beers will be on me.

(we may not agree on some things, but I like straight forward people

)

 

[OlllllllOCJ]

In reply to:

Dude you gotta come to attica this spring to the run. Beers will be on me.

[/ QUOTE ]

While beer isn't allowed inside the park at Badlands.... It is required at some point after being there.

I will watch the postings and I have others that seem to want me out there too. ahhh shucks

Don't get all mushy an stuff !

 

[Dirt Dog]

OK. It's a date. But no long warm showers.

 

[uglyjeepoffroad]

I think some others have made this point too, but it bears repeating.
Buy the cheapest, softest, quickest to wear out, NON-LIFETIME guaranteed pads and shoes that you can find.
I think it was RRich that said to check them with your fingernail. If you can't scrach them, they won't stop your Jeep.
They sell the "Lifetime Guaranteed" stuff so you will spend more money. When you come back in for your "free" set of $12 pads, you will also need a $40 rotor.
I have non power drums all the way around on my Commando and I can lock up all 4 35x12.50's if I need to.

 

[Guest]

The pads might be an idea. I guess ill replace them soon either way. As for a hard pedal, I dont have to pump them at all and it doesnt seem to make a difference if i do. But the pedal is hard to push. You really have to stand on it and i doubt if i could push it to the floor even using both feet. My old CJ5 had manual brakes (drums all the way around) and they were MUCH better than what ive got now. Im puzzled as to what to do. I know its tough to determine a problem through words, but do any of yall have some suggestions?

 

[OlllllllOCJ]

Vinny/304CJ7 do not forget to follow up on this post. We all want to know (well many of us…. Or OK, I want to know what you did to get some braking).

It's always better to have a nice clean rotor/drum surface to mate with new pads or shoes.

Most parts stores have stopped turning drums/rotors and want to sell you new ones cheap. Most of them are "Made in China" but I haven't had any problems with them. Funny thing about the two sets of Jeep rotors that I picked up from AutoZone in the past year... Both times I got one that was "Made in Canada" and one that was "Made in USA"... and marked in Metric and Inch measurements respectively. I found that to be funny. If you buy a set for a Chevy they will be "Made in China" and have inch measurements.

Drums are more pricey than rotors but if you look around you can find a new set at a reasonable price.

Over turned drums are useless because the shoes won't wear in and seat on the oversized diameter. Over turned rotors will warp and/or have limited braking while the pads are still good. Anyone that will turn a drum/rotor should be able to measure them and tell you if they are in spec.

Good Luck and Please post your results

 

[OlllllllOCJ]

In reply to:

Good Luck and Please post your results

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh yeah......

Good Luck and Please post your results

Come on..... don't be

 

[Guest]

In my 1981 cj-7 I had similar problems for years, even after replacing everything. My Jeep shop lengthened the rod that transmits force from the pedal to the master cylinder.
Easily a 100% difference. I used to lose brakes completely when they were muddy. Now I always have good to excellent brakes. I strongly urge you to try this!

Good luck!