Upgrading Brakes - JLUR ( Calipers / Rotors / Pads / Lines )

[Faresalsal]

I have been thinking of upgrading my brakes to something better than stock, curios to know what you guys are running and how are you liking it.

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[limeade]

I have Power Stop Z36 pads and rotors to install sometime in the near future. There's been good reviews on them in a few posts, haven't seen anything negative about them. Between the good reviews and price, I figured they were worth a shot.

 

[blnewt]

Fares, I'd go w/ the Power Stop Z36 pads, should be a nice upgrade, and only cost about $80. Unless your rotors are warped (which is rare) or worn down to the min spec thickness you should notice better braking performance w/ just a pad swap. Be sure to scrub rotors w/a 3m pad or have them machined to remove the old pad deposits.

 

[Headbarcode]

As mentioned above, the power stop z36 pads seem to be the common go-to. Along with the pads, I also have a set of cross drilled and slotted rotors. I'm planning on installing them this Friday. I'll report back with any observations.

 

[Faresalsal]

Thanks for the replies guys! it seems i will go with the power stop pads.

Not gonna get the cross drilled and slotted rotors though, i've tried them on my track mustang and they crack and collect more pad dust than normal. i know i'm not tracking the jeep but i assume the same would happen with mud and dirt. and rapid heat changes when driving in the rain, which would cause cracking.

 

[WontonJLUR]

Thanks for the replies guys! it seems i will go with the power stop pads.

Not gonna get the cross drilled and slotted rotors though, i've tried them on my track mustang and they crack and collect more pad dust than normal. i know i'm not tracking the jeep but i assume the same would happen with mud and dirt. and rapid heat changes when driving in the rain, which would cause cracking.

Nice to see someone with a track toy in addition to their Jeep!

The factory pads are tapered at the top and bottom and give you less rotor surface contact. If you take a look at your rotors you'll likely see the outer 3/4" of the rotor hasn't been touched by the factory pad. The powerstop pads have a more aggressive pad compound and the pads make contact with the entire rotor. RockAuto is hands down the place to get them, as someone else mentioned they're about 80 bucks.

The initial bite of the pads is about the same as factory which leads to nice brake feel in normal driving conditions, but the pads bite much harder once you start to get deeper into the pedal.

Nothing special needs to be done to the rotors, that's what the bedding process is for (there are instructions on the box that the powerstop pads come in). Different friction materials from changing pads don't play well together so when you bed the pads, it removes the old stuff from the titles rotors and deposits its own layer.

Your factory rotors are just fine. Slotted rotors are great on a track car for a bit better dust evacuation and heat exchange, but cross drilled rotors are purely for aesthetics. They create pre-existing stress zones and, as you noticed, allow for cracks to form more sooner than a solid rotor. This won't be an issue for 99.99% of jeepers as you typically only subject your Jeep to one hard panic stop if needed and the rest of the time is normal pedal use with time in between brake use for the rotors to cool.

Here are some pics of the track car and brake setup on her.

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