In the last two issues (Sep. and Nov. 2000) of our Rock Wrangler series, we've covered the addition of a V-8 Chevy for more power, lower gearing for a better crawl ratio, suspension, and larger tires for better trailability. Now it's time to make sure this YJ can stop. Sure, stock brakes are fine with stock tires and gearing on a moderate trail, but add the torque of a V-8, the low gearing of an Atlas T-case, and 35-inch tires, and they leave a lot to be desired, especially on extreme trails.
A true rock rig will be used in places where the brakes must work or you'd better go home. The danger of sliding off a rock is very real, and bad brakes can be downright frightening. The trouble is that Jeep didn't offer bigger brakes for the Wrangler. Not to worry, Stainless Steel Brakes is there to save the day. The company has been offering bigger and better braking systems for automotive enthusiasts for years. When we began our Rock Wrangler project, we contacted them and were happy to hear that they were just finishing up a front and rear big brake kit for the Jeep Wrangler YJ (they have CJ and TJ kits too). Since Currie was building our axles at the time, we asked them to install the kits when they completed the axles.
When Currie built our custom high-pinion 9-inch axlehousings, they upgraded the frontend to include Warn internal splined locking hubs and spindles as well as a Stainless Steel Brakes' large disc brake kit. At the rear, Warn's heavy-duty 35-spline full floating rear axle kit was added as well as Stainless Steel Brakes', large rear disc kit. Later in the operation, Stainless Steel Brakes sent us a new and revised front brake kit, and the fine folks at Brea Auto swapped these in for us and made a few additional upgrades to help increase our stopping ability. The main upgrade consisted of moving the pedal pivot point for the master cylinder and booster assembly to match the pedals on a CJ-7. This 1-inch change in position greatly increased our pedal ratio and made a good brake system better. In addition, Brea Auto did the final check on our brake pressure to be sure that the system was working as well as possible. We were lucky because our brake balance was fine, but if needed to we could have installed a proportioning valve to balance the front to rear for better stopping.
The installation of Stainless Steel's Big Brake kits is very straightforward. First, you unbolt your stock brakes and then you bolt on your new brakes. Since we were having new housings built, the removal part was not even required. While our bolt on involved bigger Warn hub kits, you can install a Stainless Steel brake kit on your stock Wrangler too. The process is much the same. Follow along and see just how easy it really is to give your Jeep more stopping power. And do not forget to look for more on our Rock Wrangler in upcoming issues.
After months of work on our...
After months of work on our Rock Wrangler, we took it on its maiden trip to Moab, Utah. The whole Jeep worked well, including the bigger brakes.
1. Our process began with...
1. Our process began with a new set of Currie 9-inch axlehousings. We installed the Big Brake kits on our stock Wrangler axles too.
2. First, we began with a...
2. First, we began with a housing stripped of all its brake hardware. This was a good time to check the front U-joints and replace them if required.
3. Here you see the current...
3. Here you see the current version of the Stainless Steel Big Brake kit for Jeeps. The kit includes dust shields, caliper brackets, calipers, rotors, and more.
4. Begin by installing the...
4. Begin by installing the dust shields and the caliper brackets.
5. We needed to knock the...
5. We needed to knock the studs out of our wheel hub and install the new longer studs provided in the kit. These studs helped to locate the rotor on center.
6. Now we installed the wheel...
6. Now we installed the wheel hub.
7. With the hub in place,...
7. With the hub in place, we tightened the bearing nuts to spec with the proper tool, then we installed the locking hubs.
8. Now the rotors could be...
8. Now the rotors could be installed; they simply slipped over the studs and the hub.
9. The final step at the front...
9. The final step at the front was to install the caliper and bleed the brakes.
10. Our wheels were hitting...
10. Our wheels were hitting on the new bigger brake calipers, so we took a grinder to the casting and gave things a little clearance. Be sure to grind only as much off as you need, a little at a time.
11. At the rear, the process...
11. At the rear, the process began by bolting the caliper mounting bracket to the housing.
12. Next, the dust shield...
12. Next, the dust shield was bolted to this bracket.
13. With the brake assembly...
13. With the brake assembly partially done, we installed the 35-spline axles in the rear housing.
14. The next step was to install...
14. The next step was to install the rear full floating wheel hub assembly.
15. The new Stainless Steel...
15. The new Stainless Steel slotted rear rotors were installed much the same way as the front.
16. Similar to the front,...
16. Similar to the front, the calipers were installed and the brakes were bled.
17. We topped off our rear...
17. We topped off our rear full floating axles with drive flanges rather than locking hubs. Either way, this was the last step of the assembly for the rear hub and brake systems.
18. After installing the new...
18. After installing the new Stainless Steel Big Brake kits, front and rear, it was time to install the new matching big booster and master cylinder. This unit needs to be installed and bled internally and then connected to the brake lines to the wheels. Then we bled all four brakes again to get the air out of the system. When we had Brea Auto install our booster, they increased our peddle ratio to that of a CJ-7 for better braking.
19. The final check for our...
19. The final check for our big brake system was to use one of Stainless Steel's brake pressure gauges and check our line pressure. The experts at Stainless Steel Brakes told us that we needed a minimum of 1,200 pounds front pressure and 800 pounds rear pressure for proper braking. In addition, you should have about a 400-pound differential between the front and rear, max. Our system provided 1,800 pounds in a panic braking situation with the proper balance for good stopping.