1999-2004 Jeep GC Front Brakes and Rotors by 94rt10ohio
#1
02-24-2007, 04:25 PM
1999-2004 Jeep GC Front Brakes and Rotors by 94rt10ohio
-Jack up the passenger or drivers side and remove the wheel. Lugs on the wheel should require a 3/4" 6 point socket. Also, as a safety precaution, put a jack stand under the car in case the jack were to fail.
-Once the tire is removed your first step is to remove the caliper. There is a spring steel clip on the front of the caliper, using a screwdriver slide the clip off the bracket which the caliper is attached to.
-Now you will need to remove the two bolts holding the caliper to the bracket. They are located on the rear of the caplier and will require a 1/4" allen socket.
-Once you have the two bolts removed you can then remove the caliper. Typically the brakes will be compressed enough the caliper will not just "pull off". Iused a screwdriver to pry it off.
-Remove theouter pad, it will most likely still be on the caliper bracket and not in the caliper. DO NOT remove the inside pad from the caliper yet.....
-You now need to remove the caliper bracket. There are two bolts on the back side. Using a 18M 6 point socket remove these two bolts. This is the first hard part, they will not break loose easily. I had to use my long torque wrench to get leverage in order to break them loose.
-At this point you can remove the rotor. This is by far the hardest part if your Jeep has any kind of mileage. It will be rusted on there! You will need to use a lot of penetrating oil (I used PB penetrating oil) and heat also helps! Spray the penetrating oil around all the lug studs, around the center hub, and also behind the rotor. When you look behind the rotor you will be able to spray the oil along the inner edge, you will have to get your head back in there to see what I am talking about, sorry, my hands were to dirty to take pics! Let the oil sit for 10 minutes or more, you may even want to apply more during that time. The other thing I also did was rotate the rotor to keep the oil in there rather than letting it run to the bottom of the rotor and onto the floor. I then applied heat all around the lug studs, note I said around, not on. After that it is just pure determination, man over machine! You can use a hammer to hit the rotor. Strike it on the front in between the lug studs. This will help to break up the rust. After all this I still could not "pull" the rotor off. I then grabbed one of my long pipe wrenches (any long wrench will do) and wedge it between the back of the rotor and the hole where the caliper bracket was attached. This allowed me to pull the wrench outwards, putting force on the edge of the rotor. This is what eventually broke the rotor loose from the hub. They do make pullers to do this, but I did not have one that would spread open for a 12" rotor. Mine only work on smaller things, like crank and power steering pullies.
-On the new rotor apply a thin coat of grease to the inside of the rotor where it will make contact with the hub. This is not required but will help the next person who has to remove them. Slide the new rotor on.
-Now install the brake caliper bracket, once again using a 18M 6point socket.
-Next you will now need to push the pistons into the caliper. This is why we left the old pad in the caliper earlier. Using a C-Clamp you will want to push the pistons back into the caliper. Position one end of the clamp on the old pad and the other end on the caliper, close the clamp until you can not close it anymore, this will push the pistons back into the caliper. Once this is done you can then remove the insidepad from the caliper.
-Next, load your new inside pad into your caliper. If your pads came with some anti-squeal apply it to the backside of the pad (part that makes contact with the caliper).
-Next, load the outside pad, it is easier if you put this right on the caliper bracket and not in the caliper itself. Once again using the anti-squeal if you have it.
-Next, slide the caliper back onto the bracket and then tighten the bolts using a 1/4" allen socket.
-You will now need to use a screwdriver to put the spring steel clip back on. Pry the clip to slide it back onto the caliper bracket.
-Put the wheel back on and lower the Jeep.
-Repeat on the other side.
-Once you have this done, start the Jeep, DO NOT put it in gear. Push the brake pedal several times. The first few times your pedal will go lower than normal, but after several pushes it will be back to normal. You may also notice, while doing this your ABS light may light. If it does, once your pedal feels normal, turn the Jeep back off,then restart it. Your ABS light should then turn off.
-Take it for a test drive, preferably not in traffic, just in case
Removing the rotors is a pain in the behind! If you get frustrated easily it may be a good idea to pay someone to do this.
JeepSection
-Once the tire is removed your first step is to remove the caliper. There is a spring steel clip on the front of the caliper, using a screwdriver slide the clip off the bracket which the caliper is attached to.
-Now you will need to remove the two bolts holding the caliper to the bracket. They are located on the rear of the caplier and will require a 1/4" allen socket.
-Once you have the two bolts removed you can then remove the caliper. Typically the brakes will be compressed enough the caliper will not just "pull off". Iused a screwdriver to pry it off.
-Remove theouter pad, it will most likely still be on the caliper bracket and not in the caliper. DO NOT remove the inside pad from the caliper yet.....
-You now need to remove the caliper bracket. There are two bolts on the back side. Using a 18M 6 point socket remove these two bolts. This is the first hard part, they will not break loose easily. I had to use my long torque wrench to get leverage in order to break them loose.
-At this point you can remove the rotor. This is by far the hardest part if your Jeep has any kind of mileage. It will be rusted on there! You will need to use a lot of penetrating oil (I used PB penetrating oil) and heat also helps! Spray the penetrating oil around all the lug studs, around the center hub, and also behind the rotor. When you look behind the rotor you will be able to spray the oil along the inner edge, you will have to get your head back in there to see what I am talking about, sorry, my hands were to dirty to take pics! Let the oil sit for 10 minutes or more, you may even want to apply more during that time. The other thing I also did was rotate the rotor to keep the oil in there rather than letting it run to the bottom of the rotor and onto the floor. I then applied heat all around the lug studs, note I said around, not on. After that it is just pure determination, man over machine! You can use a hammer to hit the rotor. Strike it on the front in between the lug studs. This will help to break up the rust. After all this I still could not "pull" the rotor off. I then grabbed one of my long pipe wrenches (any long wrench will do) and wedge it between the back of the rotor and the hole where the caliper bracket was attached. This allowed me to pull the wrench outwards, putting force on the edge of the rotor. This is what eventually broke the rotor loose from the hub. They do make pullers to do this, but I did not have one that would spread open for a 12" rotor. Mine only work on smaller things, like crank and power steering pullies.
-On the new rotor apply a thin coat of grease to the inside of the rotor where it will make contact with the hub. This is not required but will help the next person who has to remove them. Slide the new rotor on.
-Now install the brake caliper bracket, once again using a 18M 6point socket.
-Next you will now need to push the pistons into the caliper. This is why we left the old pad in the caliper earlier. Using a C-Clamp you will want to push the pistons back into the caliper. Position one end of the clamp on the old pad and the other end on the caliper, close the clamp until you can not close it anymore, this will push the pistons back into the caliper. Once this is done you can then remove the insidepad from the caliper.
-Next, load your new inside pad into your caliper. If your pads came with some anti-squeal apply it to the backside of the pad (part that makes contact with the caliper).
-Next, load the outside pad, it is easier if you put this right on the caliper bracket and not in the caliper itself. Once again using the anti-squeal if you have it.
-Next, slide the caliper back onto the bracket and then tighten the bolts using a 1/4" allen socket.
-You will now need to use a screwdriver to put the spring steel clip back on. Pry the clip to slide it back onto the caliper bracket.
-Put the wheel back on and lower the Jeep.
-Repeat on the other side.
-Once you have this done, start the Jeep, DO NOT put it in gear. Push the brake pedal several times. The first few times your pedal will go lower than normal, but after several pushes it will be back to normal. You may also notice, while doing this your ABS light may light. If it does, once your pedal feels normal, turn the Jeep back off,then restart it. Your ABS light should then turn off.
-Take it for a test drive, preferably not in traffic, just in case
Removing the rotors is a pain in the behind! If you get frustrated easily it may be a good idea to pay someone to do this.
JeepSection
