97+ Brakes Upgrade

I've done some searching, and I'm looking for a definitive answer.

Do 97+ XJs benefit from the ZJ brake booster and proportioning valve upgrade?

I thought they already had the dual diaphragm booster.

What can I do to help me stop?

I have new shoes in the back, and my pads are pretty good. I just flushed my fluid. I know I can do a ZJ rear disk swap, but I've read many arguments for and against rear disks.

The front brakes do the majority of braking. Improve the rears 25% and you get maybe 25% of 20% total (5% improved). Yea sure, its better, but its not gonna be very noticable (hey some guys say they notice an improvement from a new (louder) muffler-uh-ha)

The front brakes are where the huge improvements will be made and the stock ones are junk, just junk. Oh you could spend lots of time getting another model of junk, or just do it right.

http://www.vancopbs.com/product_p/dkj1000.htm

You spend more than that on tires.

I'm probubly going to get custom caliper mounts machined locally for wilwood dynalite 4 piston calipers that will mount on readily available 12" 5x4.5" rotors. I'd like to get a bunch of the mounts made and sell these as a kit.

This probubly won't happen for a couple months, but it's definetly on my to do list. I first need to get my XJ turbo kits completed.

Wow, so there doesn't seem to be any upgrade sub $300 I can do?

In early 2001 I converted the Corp 8.25 drum brakes to disc brakes...
1985 Cadillac Seville calipers which connect up to the Jeeps factory emergency brake cables once you remove the tightly wound coil spring wrapped around the brake cable ends. Used Lincoln Versailles 11" rotors and caliper mounting brackets purchased from TSM . Installed stainless braided brake lines to replace the rubber line to the distribuition block (attached to axle tube) and from distribution block to calipers....
Reused the factory master cylinder, vacuum booster and proportioning valve; although I did remove the O ring seal on pressure regulation valve to provide equal flow and pressure to the front and rear brakes...

A year or so prior to the brake conversion I installed a TeraLo 4:1 and with the factory rear drum brakes; in 4 LO the brakes would not stop me.... After the disc brake conversion; I could lightly rest my foot on the brake pedal and could stall the engine in 4LO. YES.... I drive a stick shift....
The increase in brake performance was that dramatic...
Do I think the $650 I spent on the disc brake conversion was worth the expense...
Being able to stop in 4LO and aggressively stop on the highway when I need to is certainly worth the expense....

Assuming you have all the tools, parts and brake fluid; you can do the conversion in 1/2 a day with help of a friend....

splitz said:

Do 97+ XJs benefit from the ZJ brake booster and proportioning valve upgrade?


I thought they already had the dual diaphragm booster.

What can I do to help me stop?

Click to expand...

Ok No your 97 will not benefit from the ZJ booster its basically the same as your 97. The prop valve from a disc/disc will help when you upgrade the rear.

The best thing that you can do is upgrade you booster/master combo to the WJ stuff. Then do the rear disc upgrade. If that doesn't throw you out the windshield then do the Vanco front upgrade...

WJ stuff? Hmm, guess I need to start searching on that. Is that a booster/master cylinder type replacement?

Vanco front upgrade...search for my thread on disc brakes. Or you can go WJ, however I wasn't up for junkyard solutions when I did my upgrade and Vanco had great support to go with their product. The best part of the whole kit were the new knuckles remanufactured by Vanco, no BS bolt on brackets to break...

Vanco, however nice, does not provide for a hi-steer option.

law.74 said:

Vanco, however nice, does not provide for a hi-steer option.

Click to expand...

We don't stop it from happening either. All High Steer upgrades work with our kits. We usually stock the Teraflex knuckles too (usually...).

Vancopbs said:

We don't stop it from happening either. All High Steer upgrades work with our kits. We usually stock the Teraflex knuckles too (usually...).

Click to expand...

I only see the one lower arm per knuckle. please explain how one can have both high steer and your knuckles/brakes. Are you referring to another bolt on upper arm?


On a side note...
...what calipers do you use (for pad replacement purposes)?
...what caliper mounting bolts are used?
...regardless what I end up bolting to the front axel vanco hydroboost is on the wishlist... pm sent

edit: I just looked at the vancopbs.com website and did not see hydroboost pricing options for later model XJs. Do you offer support for these? thanks

law.74 said:

I only see the one lower arm per knuckle. please explain how one can have both high steer and your knuckles/brakes. Are you referring to another bolt on upper arm?

On a side note...
...what calipers do you use (for pad replacement purposes)?
...what caliper mounting bolts are used?
...regardless what I end up bolting to the front axel vanco hydroboost is on the wishlist... pm sent

edit: I just looked at the vancopbs.com website and did not see hydroboost pricing options for later model XJs. Do you offer support for these? thanks

Click to expand...

I don't sell the high steer kit, others do. The bolt on ones made for the D30/44 knuckles bolt right on to ours. All we do is modify the caliper area of the knuckles, so we don't interfer with anyones kit. If someone was to buy Teraflex knuckles we can modify that one like we do regualr knuckles, we do try and keep those in stock.

2 Kits.

11 3/8ths rotor and the 46mm Dual Piston Calipers come off a 1995-2000 Ford Explorer 4x4.

12 inch rotor and 48mm dual piston calipers come off a 2003-2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac 4x4.

Those 4 mounting bolts you see are 55 mm grade 8 bolts we buy to size according to the kit. Everything else is Ford Explorer. Caliper, rotors, pads, bolts, sliders, pins etc.

Vancopbs said:

I don't sell the high steer kit, others do. The bolt on ones made for the D30/44 knuckles bolt right on to ours. All we do is modify the caliper area of the knuckles, so we don't interfer with anyones kit. If someone was to buy Teraflex knuckles we can modify that one like we do regualr knuckles, we do try and keep those in stock.

2 Kits.

11 3/8ths rotor and the 46mm Dual Piston Calipers come off a 1995-2000 Ford Explorer 4x4.

12 inch rotor and 48mm dual piston calipers come off a 2003-2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac 4x4.

Those 4 mounting bolts you see are 55 mm grade 8 bolts we buy to size according to the kit. Everything else is Ford Explorer. Caliper, rotors, pads, bolts, sliders, pins etc.

Click to expand...

Thanks!

Your website doesn't have later model XJs listed under some of the hydroboost parts. Do you support these models? thanks again

law.74 said:

Thanks!

Your website doesn't have later model XJs listed under some of the hydroboost parts. Do you support these models? thanks again

Click to expand...

Yep, but not to just click and buy. We have you remove the brake booster rod from the brake pedal and give us a code on that rod.

Is it possible to just get the knuckles and caliper brackets from you?
I have access to rotors, pads, and calipers already.

jforse said:

Is it possible to just get the knuckles and caliper brackets from you?
I have access to rotors, pads, and calipers already.

Click to expand...

At this time it's complete kits only unless it's an International order. I don't know when or if this will change.

We are worried about people getting used and or inferior parts and not being happy with the kit. It's not just the knuckle and brackets, it's using superior parts in the kit also that get us those wonderful results.

Vancopbs said:

At this time it's complete kits only unless it's an International order. I don't know when or if this will change.

We are worried about people getting used and or inferior parts and not being happy with the kit. It's not just the knuckle and brackets, it's using superior parts in the kit also that get us those wonderful results.

Click to expand...

I can testify that VancoBPS uses very high quality parts, and stands by his products. He even takes the time to scan the popular forums for his companies name and address anyone's concerns.

I'd love to have him as a Naxja sponsor or at least give one of his kits away in the Moab raffle in October *hint*

when you have a good base of satisfied customers you don't have to go around shamelessly plugging your product because shlups like me do it for you...and on that note...
x2 on the above!
with a random kit in the mail I'm not sure my install would have gone as well as it did after two desparate phone calls...it was a long week and the rusted bolts and various other problems my Jeep had before the install were making me a little stupid...the kit did great after my Jeep started behaving thanks to some great CS...all hail Vanco.

Vancopbs said:

At this time it's complete kits only unless it's an International order. I don't know when or if this will change.

We are worried about people getting used and or inferior parts and not being happy with the kit. It's not just the knuckle and brackets, it's using superior parts in the kit also that get us those wonderful results.

Click to expand...

Thats too bad. Would have liked to save some machining time. Looks like I need to make my own. As far as substandard parts go. I have a set of Brembo slotted rotors and factory ford calipers along with EBC Greenstuff pads, so they are not inferior quality parts. Looks like a great kit!

I have the VancoPBS big discs and calipers on my XJ and it's the best upgrade I have made to my Jeep.