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abs brake issues
- Thread starter wncjeepin
- Start date
- Location
- Terra Firma
PM Bones
Shawninsicily
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Sicily
Hi, I had the same problem on my '89 XJ, the Bendix ABS kept going out. I sent some emails, and got a reply back from the recall folks. They said take it to the dealer out in town here in Catania, Italy ASAP. The dealer said he could fix it maybe in six months. Long story short, last week I replaced it with a conventional setup from a 96. If you want I can post the details of what I learned.
Shawn
Shawn
vintagespeed
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Upland, CA
Yes please. I have a '90 with a constantly running pump. I figure I can do the swap pretty easily but any info would be appreciated. 
-jb
-jb
Shawninsicily
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Sicily
I had the same problem, until the booster finally went dead completely. I did a bunch of research on the www, but some things I had to figure out for myself.
1. The '96 seems to be the best year to swap in. It's a double diaphragm booster, and it fits. No rod swap, no pedal swap. You will only need to drill a new hole in your pedal for the fulcrum/lever/end of the rod hole.
2. After grinding a flat spot on a bench grinder and reaming out the hole on the rod of the donor, the brake switch from my '89 fit and functioned just fine.
3. I relocated my MAT sensor to my Rusty's Airtube. I had an extra fitting shipped from a junkyard, put it into where my MAT was (same size and thread) and hooked the vacuum for the booster straight into that.
4. Most important! When you acquire your used donor cylinder and booster, have the place cut the brake lines and leave the flare nuts on! Apparently the right size flare nuts which go to the proportioning valve on the '96 are hard to find in the states, let alone Sicily!
5. Speaking of proportioning valves, I used the one from the donor. It fits onto the master cylinder bracket, and doesn't need to be modified.
6. You can probably flare the old lines going to your wheel cylinders. I did. If you have any doubts, order some new line and a bender tool (<$10). It's super easy to replace the hard lines, especially when you can double flare them out of the vehicle.
7. Everything fit under the hood. The wiper fluid bottle had to be relocated about 1/2" forward.
I had a lot of trepidation about doing this, as this is our family daily driver. After the dealer told us 6 months, the whole voided recall issue wasn't an issue any more. The biggest issue was that I would take something apart, and not have the right size part to put it back together, thereby stranding me until someone bailed me out via the USPS. It all worked out though, and I can lock up all four 31" tires no problem. Try that when your Bendix system fails!
Shawn
disclaimer: It works with my 31's, You may want to try something entirely different for 38's. Like rear disks. How do you stop now? In Sicily we just honk the horn.
1. The '96 seems to be the best year to swap in. It's a double diaphragm booster, and it fits. No rod swap, no pedal swap. You will only need to drill a new hole in your pedal for the fulcrum/lever/end of the rod hole.
2. After grinding a flat spot on a bench grinder and reaming out the hole on the rod of the donor, the brake switch from my '89 fit and functioned just fine.
3. I relocated my MAT sensor to my Rusty's Airtube. I had an extra fitting shipped from a junkyard, put it into where my MAT was (same size and thread) and hooked the vacuum for the booster straight into that.
4. Most important! When you acquire your used donor cylinder and booster, have the place cut the brake lines and leave the flare nuts on! Apparently the right size flare nuts which go to the proportioning valve on the '96 are hard to find in the states, let alone Sicily!
5. Speaking of proportioning valves, I used the one from the donor. It fits onto the master cylinder bracket, and doesn't need to be modified.
6. You can probably flare the old lines going to your wheel cylinders. I did. If you have any doubts, order some new line and a bender tool (<$10). It's super easy to replace the hard lines, especially when you can double flare them out of the vehicle.
7. Everything fit under the hood. The wiper fluid bottle had to be relocated about 1/2" forward.
I had a lot of trepidation about doing this, as this is our family daily driver. After the dealer told us 6 months, the whole voided recall issue wasn't an issue any more. The biggest issue was that I would take something apart, and not have the right size part to put it back together, thereby stranding me until someone bailed me out via the USPS. It all worked out though, and I can lock up all four 31" tires no problem. Try that when your Bendix system fails!
Shawn
disclaimer: It works with my 31's, You may want to try something entirely different for 38's. Like rear disks. How do you stop now? In Sicily we just honk the horn.
Last edited:
vintagespeed
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Upland, CA
Shawninsicily said:
No kidding, when the ABS pump shuts off it's not easy to stop at all.
This mod is for my wife's XJ, not mine.
I've got discs all around on the big Jeep & an E350 m/c. Stops on a dime and then some!Most of what you did seems to be modifying the '89 (?) XJ for the '96 dual diaphram booster, I plan on using just a non-ABS booster & m/c out of the same year Jeep. Hopefully this will make the job a little easier. Replacing the hardlines sounds like the most difficult part.
Thanks again for the info!
-jb
Stoney
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Citrus Heights
i did this 1 month ago! i got the brake system out of a 96 xj and everything bolted straight up! no grinding or drilling required! i have a 91 also!
if u want to call me and i'll tell u a little more about it u can!
916 223 5795
kent
if u want to call me and i'll tell u a little more about it u can!
916 223 5795
kent
