How to Fix the Brakes on a 1999 Jeep Wrangler

The Jeep Wrangler is a sports-utility vehicle that can directly trace its roots to the go-anywhere, do-anything Jeeps of World War II. A Jeep that is well-maintained can last for decades. One of the most important maintenance areas is the braking system. Your Jeep's brake pads wear down as the miles add up, which makes them less effective at slowing your Jeep down. If the pads wear down enough, they can fail, which can lead to an accident. Replacing your Jeep's brakes is a project you can complete with the proper tools and knowledge.

Instructions

Rear Drum Brakes

1

Park the Jeep on flat ground and put the emergency brake on. Put the Jeep in second gear (manual transmission) or "Park" (automatic transmission).

2

Loosen, but do not remove, the lug nuts on the rear tires.

3

Jack up the rear of the Jeep. Place a jack stand underneath each side of the outer frame, and slowly lower the Jeep onto the jack stands.

4

Remove the lug nuts from the rear tires and take the tires off of the Jeep.

5

Slide the brake drum off the wheel hub. If it won't slide off, remove the rubber plug from the back of the wheel hub, then slide a flathead screwdriver into the hole and rotate the sprocket inside the wheel hub with an upward motion, to retract the brake shoes.

6

Clean the wheel hub with compressed air. Wear safety goggles and gloves, and avoid coming into direct contact with the brake dust, as it may contain asbestos.

7

Disconnect the springs from the pin at the top of the brake with the brake spring removal tool, removing the outer spring first.

8

Lift up the auto-adjuster tab with a screwdriver and pair of pliers, and disconnect the auto-adjuster cable. The auto-adjuster tab is the small metal tab located at the bottom of the wheel.

9

Disconnect and remove the two springs located at the bottom of the wheel hub. These are the spring-loaded brake shoe retainers.

10

Remove the auto-adjuster by pulling it forward and out.

11

Take the brake shoes off the wheel. The primary brake shoe will be completely disconnected. Disconnect the spring that is attached to the secondary brake shoe.

12

Apply non-drying silicone brake lubricant to the spots on the wheel hub where the brake shoes are attached.

13

Install the new brake shoes, then re-assemble the brake by reversing the steps you took to disassemble it.

14

Repeat this process on the other rear wheel. Put the tires back on the rear wheels, and lower the Jeep to the ground.

Front Disc Brakes

15

Park the Jeep on flat ground and put the emergency brake on. Put the Jeep in second gear (manual transmission) or "Park" (automatic transmission).

16

Loosen, but do not remove, the lug nuts on the front tires.

17

Jack up the front of the Jeep. Place a jack stand underneath each side of the outer frame, and slowly lower the Jeep onto the jack stands.

18

Remove the lug nuts from the front tires and take the tires off of the Jeep.

19

Press up on the front caliper and slowly lift the caliper off the rotor. Connect the caliper to the wheel hub with a piece of wire to support it. This prevents the brake line from being damaged by bearing the full weight of the caliper.

20

Slide the brake pads (outer pad first) from the caliper.

21

Insert the new brake pads into the caliper (inner pad first.)

22

Lower the caliper back into its proper position. If the piston needs to be retracted, place a small piece of wood over it and slowly compress it with a C-clamp.

23

Repeat this process for the other front wheel.

24

Place the tires back onto the Jeep and slowly lower it to the ground.

25

Bleed the brakes.