Notices
Modified JK Tech Tech related bulletin board forum regarding subjects such as suspension, tires & wheels, steering, bumpers, skid plates, drive train, cages, on-board air and other useful modifications that will help improve the performance and protection of your Jeep JK Wrangler (Rubicon, Sahara, Unlimited and X) on the trail.

PLEASE DO NOT START SHOW & TELL TYPE THREADS IN THIS FORUM
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Opinions on brakes & rotors

Old 08-14-2017, 12:35 PM
  #1  
JK Super Freak
Thread Starter
 
stevedolce's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: germantown, maryland
Posts: 1,300
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Default Opinions on brakes & rotors

i'm driving a pretty heavy 2011 JKU on 35" tires. i've been using Hawk brake pads for about 30K miles and looking to replace them. i'm riding 16" wheels so t he teraflex brake kits are out of the question.

how do people feel about EBC? how are their pads and rotors? any other options to look for?

thanks
steve
Old 08-14-2017, 06:15 PM
  #2  
JK Enthusiast
 
cedarraider's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Traverse city MI
Posts: 432
Likes: 0
Received 9 Likes on 7 Posts
Default

Powerstop pads and rotors $330ish delivered and they work great as long as you stay out of the mud. The rotors are slotted and drilled. I run a 4 door with winch, bumpers, sliders and skids with 35s and it stops better than stock.
Old 08-14-2017, 09:12 PM
  #3  
JK Enthusiast
 
lkjk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: None
Posts: 382
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

unless you get a bigger rotor with more leverage, as in caliper further away from the center, you're not going to see much of a difference.

of course people who already spent a fortune on drilled/slotted rotors are going to say they're great, but unless you're doing frequent hard braking (driving it like a race car, you aren't) spending money on drilled/slotted rotors and special pads is a waste.

Get the dynatrac kit, or bigger MC, or TF kit. don't waste your money on just pads and rotors.
Old 08-15-2017, 03:53 AM
  #4  
Super Moderator
 
Rednroll's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 4,468
Received 206 Likes on 180 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by lkjk
unless you get a bigger rotor with more leverage, as in caliper further away from the center, you're not going to see much of a difference.

of course people who already spent a fortune on drilled/slotted rotors are going to say they're great, but unless you're doing frequent hard braking (driving it like a race car, you aren't) spending money on drilled/slotted rotors and special pads is a waste.

Get the dynatrac kit, or bigger MC, or TF kit. don't waste your money on just pads and rotors.
I agree with this. You're going to have to move to 17in wheels and a bigger rotor, all the other stuff you throw at those 16in wheels will be wasted money with very little in returned braking performance.

After you get 17s, then go look at the Mopar BBK.
Old 08-15-2017, 04:08 AM
  #5  
Super Moderator
FJOTM Winner
 
karls10jk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Knoxville
Posts: 5,642
Received 483 Likes on 440 Posts
Default

The drilled and slotted rotors are nice in that they run cooler but the downside of that is when you first go to hit your brakes that they're not warmed up and ready.

I went from stock up front to Raybestos S groove rotors with Hawk pads and it stops pretty hard up- after you put heat into the pads and rotors. In the rear I have standard replacement rotors with Wagner OEX pads (good pad) which worked well with the stock items up front but it doesn't "seem" to bite as hard as the now upgraded front combo I'm running.


I initially bought the full PowerStop kit for the JK but after inspecting the rotors and finding them to have low quality castings, I sent them back. Your mileage may vary but that was my experience. I sent pictures over to them and they said all of the rotors would be the same quality casting with the micro cracks I noticed. They said the cracks in the casting wouldn't be an issue but if they were then they'd replace the brakes. Heat causes metal to expand and I didn't want to find out that the cracks were an issue as the rotors blew apart under braking one day. Again though- your mileage and experience may vary.
Old 08-15-2017, 05:44 AM
  #6  
Sponsoring Manufacturer
 
Dynatrac's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Posts: 1,136
Received 4 Likes on 3 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by stevedolce
i'm driving a pretty heavy 2011 JKU on 35" tires. i've been using Hawk brake pads for about 30K miles and looking to replace them. i'm riding 16" wheels so t he teraflex brake kits are out of the question.

how do people feel about EBC? how are their pads and rotors? any other options to look for?

thanks
steve
Just changing pads and keeping the same diameter rotors will make very little difference in stopping your Jeep.

Our ProGrip kit features larger diameter, heavy duty rotors along with specially formulated pads and special brackets to move the calipers outward to fit the larger diameter rotors. Moving the calipers outward combined with the larger rotors gives the brakes more leverage in stopping the Jeep. And since the stock calipers are retained, you don't have to worry about bleeding the brakes or resetting the ABS system. Which also means you can do the whole job yourself in a matter of hours.

Check out the ProGrip page on our website https://www.dynatrac.com/brake-syste...e-jeep-jk.html

There are links to before/after tests on the ProGrip, an installation story so you can see everything that's involved, and also wheel fitment instructions so you can verify your wheels will work with the ProGrip brake system. (You need at least a 17-inch diameter wheel, which we're guessing you have since you're on 35s)
Old 08-15-2017, 06:22 AM
  #7  
JK Super Freak
Thread Starter
 
stevedolce's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: germantown, maryland
Posts: 1,300
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Default

I'm on 16" wheels--shoulds like stock rotors and some ebc brake pads..
Old 08-15-2017, 08:15 AM
  #8  
Super Moderator
 
Ryan0260's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Hendersonville, Tennessee
Posts: 11,035
Likes: 0
Received 80 Likes on 72 Posts
Default

If you really want to increase the stopping power, it would be worth stepping up to a 17" wheel and going with a system with larger rotors. Just changing pads with the stock rotor size will only offer minimal improvements.

I am running the Dynatrac ProGrip brake system, and it is easily one of the best upgrades I have done. Trust me, it is worth cost.
Old 08-15-2017, 10:49 AM
  #9  
Super Moderator
 
Rednroll's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 4,468
Received 206 Likes on 180 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by stevedolce
I'm on 16" wheels--shoulds like stock rotors and some ebc brake pads..
Yes, this is a major reason many of us go with 17" wheels, so it doesn't limit our brake upgrade options.

For EBC pads only upgrade, you'll want to look at the EBC Yellow stuff pads. Green stuff will be minor improvement over stock pads.

You may want to consider the Dynatrac Progrip pads. Supposedly, they're some "specially formulated pads" as described previously by Dynatrac but there's a lot of evidence out there pointing that they're really rebranded EBC pads, where the assumption is that they're likely the EBC Yellow stuff pads. Maybe Dynatrac could confirm, but they probably want to keep that belief that their pads have some secret sauce recipe in them like many of the other brake pad manufacturers.

Last edited by Rednroll; 08-15-2017 at 10:52 AM.
Old 08-15-2017, 12:36 PM
  #10  
JK Super Freak
Thread Starter
 
stevedolce's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: germantown, maryland
Posts: 1,300
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Default

is it with getting the EBC slotted rotors too


i found this on line:

EBC Stage 5 Superstreet Brake Kit

i've got 16" wheels so again, i'm limited in rotors.

thanks all!

Quick Reply: Opinions on brakes & rotors



All times are GMT -8. The time now is 11:47 PM.