9" Brake ?

I have been reading alot of posts about 9" brakes being 'bad'. I have 9" brakes and they seem to stop my jeep fine. Of course the brakes are not as good as my 2004 truck (4 wheel disc) but they seem similar in performnance to my 1968 mustang with 4 whel drum brakes. I have a 134 4cyl and 31" mud tires and do not drive it over 50-55 mph. Is the 10 and 11 inch brakes a requirement for folks that drive faster that 50-55 mph?

 

I had wet issues with the stock brakes; it's Oregon, after all! I was spending a lot of time in the long skinny lakes (deep ruts + Oregon rain) Sometimes the trip back down the hill was a little hard on the pucker muscle. With the 11" setup, for me, even wet and half full of mud they would get me under control any time. Probably not an issue in the Lone Star state, I suppose. I still would recommend the big ones, if only for the security of knowing you can stop any time, anywhere. Oh, one issue I forgot about; stock wheels didn't fit over 11 inchers. I massaged the corners of the "slots" between the wheel centers and the rim area with a 3 pound sledge for clearance. $.02

 

Never drove a set of Jeep 9" brakes but I understand that it beats a pot of coffee for getting your adrenaline flowing

 

I have. They stop eventually. Takes a lot of pedal pressure. Ok if you're not going very fast, but I'd expect fade to be a real problem.

 

I have 10"er's on Lulu and still experience all the symptoms Mike describes. Sure - the Jeep is "driveable". I've been driving it this way for over a year. Drove it 4 hours to Tellico, ran the trails, and drove back home in the rain... They work, but not *good*.

I'm going to 11's up front and see what that does. If I'm still not satisfied I'll go to 11" on the back too...

 

where is tellico?

 

Maybe someday. Quite a drive from Texas.

 

I've got 10" brakes on my 5 and my 6. I went through the entire brake system on the 6 two years ago (new master cylinder, lines, wheel cylinders, shoes, and drums). They function very well IMO. I've had none of the problems decribed above. I've even "emergency stop" tested them just for future knowledge .

For probably a few bucks more than I spent on the rebuild I could have gone to 11s, but I don't see that for the type of driving I do it would matter. Now 9s to 11s, that a different story. I would have consider the swap if I had 9s.

 

Man, I forgot all about the "fade" issue. In one watershed area we used to hunt in, there were a a couple of nearly vertical long drops, with culvert crossings at the bottom (gives a nice right angle twist 2X). While "learning" to drive, Dad let me make the mistake of not getting into first before heading down. About two thirds of the way, there is no more brake. I never forgot that lesson again!! 11 inchers in the same situation was not so hairy at all.

 

My 10 inchers pulled under really hard braking. Just remember to keep both hands on the wheel when stopping. But, I could lock them up on pavement. I was impressed. I would definitely upgrade. I'm in that process now.

 

My 9's did everything Mike mentioned also. I just upgraded to 11" on the front only and I can't believe the difference. When I want the Jeep to stop, it stops NOW.

 

I changed from 10's to 11's on front because my 10's were shot and the price I paid for a like new 11" kit was almost as cheap as buying new hardware for the 10's. The self-adjusting is a big plus.

 

I have 9" brakes. Even in "mint" condition, they are barely acceptable. Now, a year later I have warped the drums. Now I can feel the pedal going up and down as I am stopping. Almost anything would be a improvement.

-Hill

 

Where do you purchase the 10" brakes? I can get the 9" brake parts (new) at cost so I was going to replace everything at a VERY low cost. I really do not want to purchase new drums.

 

You think? I thought fade was related to heat, and the holes just let out water... Are you expecting the holes to ventilate the drums?