Rick Anderson
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Lusby, MD
Not really a question, more a warning for those out there.
I'm fixing up a '95 XJ w/ 2.5L/AX-5 and 2WD 201k miles, that I bought a couple of weeks ago.
I finally got around to pulling the rear drums off last night (I've been working on the rust holes in the floor pan).OMG, I can't believe my brakes worked as well as they did.
The self-adjusters were 100% SIEZED I could NOT break them free. Springs were bent and one of my wheel cylinders were leaking. I'm collecting the parts now to do a full rebuild (except the drums themselves, since they are pretty good shape, not seeing a lot of use or wear over the years).
Judging from this prevous owner (he said the brake light had been on for the last 50k miles, like it was no big deal and the brake reservouir was completly dry), and other people I've observed, many people don't understand how rear drums brakes work and they often ignore them. Just a tip, properly functioning and adjusted rear drums brakes are critical to maintaining brake pressure up front at the Front Disc Brakes. Ignore the rear drums and they will sieze up like mine and not work properly and your brake performance will suffer. Nothing you do to the front discs to improve brake performance will do much at all, until you deal with the rear drums. If its been a while or if you've never done it, I'd pull off the drums and check the rear brakes out on your XJ.
I'm fixing up a '95 XJ w/ 2.5L/AX-5 and 2WD 201k miles, that I bought a couple of weeks ago.
I finally got around to pulling the rear drums off last night (I've been working on the rust holes in the floor pan).OMG, I can't believe my brakes worked as well as they did.
The self-adjusters were 100% SIEZED I could NOT break them free. Springs were bent and one of my wheel cylinders were leaking. I'm collecting the parts now to do a full rebuild (except the drums themselves, since they are pretty good shape, not seeing a lot of use or wear over the years).
Judging from this prevous owner (he said the brake light had been on for the last 50k miles, like it was no big deal and the brake reservouir was completly dry), and other people I've observed, many people don't understand how rear drums brakes work and they often ignore them. Just a tip, properly functioning and adjusted rear drums brakes are critical to maintaining brake pressure up front at the Front Disc Brakes. Ignore the rear drums and they will sieze up like mine and not work properly and your brake performance will suffer. Nothing you do to the front discs to improve brake performance will do much at all, until you deal with the rear drums. If its been a while or if you've never done it, I'd pull off the drums and check the rear brakes out on your XJ.