37's+ and brake question

SmokinV10

Caught the Bug
You lost me here..... Brag much?

In case you lost focus, I was talking about the TF Big Brake Kit. You know the one for a JK. The one that you no longer run, what due to your Dynatrac setup. Not a viper, not a Benz, not an SRT8 anything. You are comparing apples to oranges here aren't you?

My POINT was that saying that a big brake system doesn't work is plain silly. Every credible performance manufacturer and performance tuner on the planet uses the larger rotor, caliper and related master cylinder to try to improve a vehicles stopping ability. Does it turn our JK into some track worthy race rig where you can out stop vettes and Porsches? No...clearly not and I never claimed such insanity. HOWEVER starting from the factory braking system as the comparative benchmark the bar isn't set exactly to the stars and beyond. I'm clearly not a TF fanboy but that one system does significantly (again subjective) improve stopping ability. It does not magically shed 80lbs of rotating mass per wheel off our JK's nor does it have the abilities of a 15" carbon ceramic rotor with an 8 piston Alcon caliper but it's nothing to sneeze at for less than $1k. Maybe if your eyeballs aren't being yanked out of your skull with 3g's of supernatural stopping whizbang force you're not satisfied...that's fine too. You would rather spend $1k somewhere else. Cool.
 
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StrizzyChris

New member
I have 37's with stock brakes and have never had a problem stopping.

Ditto here! I live in San Fran Bay area and, just like LA/OC area, traffic can go from 75mph to 0 in an instant. I am not going to say that my Jeep can stop like a Vett with 37's....but neither could my JK when it was wearing 32 stockers. I've never had any issues, but I also dont drive like an asshole trying to make his JK like a Vett and crossing 6 lanes going 75 in crazy congested traffic that I'll need to brake defensively.
 

Alan30

New member
I've heard from my friend, that has them on a JKU with 37's, that they are worth the money. I feel you won't really notice with regular driving. I'm planning on doing the kit, but not until my factory brakes need some love. Good investment, but not until they're needed :twocents:
 

cozdude

Guy with a Red 2-Door
I've heard from my friend, that has them on a JKU with 37's, that they are worth the money. I feel you won't really notice with regular driving. I'm planning on doing the kit, but not until my factory brakes need some love. Good investment, but not until they're needed :twocents:

What else did Nbruno recommend that you waste your money on Alan? For $700 i think I will stick with my factory brakes and spend the $60 or so on new pads. :thumb:
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Ditto here! I live in San Fran Bay area and, just like LA/OC area, traffic can go from 75mph to 0 in an instant. I am not going to say that my Jeep can stop like a Vett with 37's....but neither could my JK when it was wearing 32 stockers. I've never had any issues, but I also dont drive like an asshole trying to make his JK like a Vett and crossing 6 lanes going 75 in crazy congested traffic that I'll need to brake defensively.

And that's just the thing, right? We drive JK's that weigh about 4,000 lbs. right out of the box and it should be driven like one. Even completely stock, the brakes on it feel like you're stopping a really heavy vehicle and I can assure you that if your Jeep is the only thing you have to compare your stopping power with, it really isn't so bad. The brakes only really feel sucky IF you compare it with something like a Vett which weighs a fraction of the weight of a JK. Yeah, I run really big brakes on Moby but, he's also about 2,000 lbs. heavier than stock and being pushed along with a 6.2L v8. :crazyeyes:

I've heard from my friend, that has them on a JKU with 37's, that they are worth the money. I feel you won't really notice with regular driving. I'm planning on doing the kit, but not until my factory brakes need some love. Good investment, but not until they're needed :twocents:

Most people who just spent $1,000 on something will swear by it. I mean, to say anything less would mean admitting you made a mistake and who wants to do that. But hey, why go off of what you've heard your friend tell you. Do a side by side apples to apples comparison - 2 JK's running 37's with one running the TeraFlex brake kit and one just running a good set of OE pads. Tell me how much of a difference you really see then tell me and then tell me if it's still worth the extra grand? Who knows, for you, maybe it still will be.
 

JKWrang

New member
And that's just the thing, right? We drive JK's that weigh about 4,000 lbs. right out of the box and it should be driven like one. Even completely stock, the brakes on it feel like you're stopping a really heavy vehicle and I can assure you that if your Jeep is the only thing you have to compare your stopping power with, it really isn't so bad. The brakes only really feel sucky IF you compare it with something like a Vett which weighs a fraction of the weight of a JK. Yeah, I run really big brakes on Moby but, he's also about 2,000 lbs. heavier than stock and being pushed along with a 6.2L v8. :crazyeyes:



Most people who just spent $1,000 on something will swear by it. I mean, to say anything less would mean admitting you made a mistake and who wants to do that. But hey, why go off of what you've heard your friend tell you. Do a side by side apples to apples comparison - 2 JK's running 37's with one running the TeraFlex brake kit and one just running a good set of OE pads. Tell me how much of a difference you really see then tell me and then tell me if it's still worth the extra grand? Who knows, for you, maybe it still will be.

But it looks cool! And... and... woody said its great!

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olram30

Not That Kind of Engineer
To be honest, I'd be hard pressed to put anything teraflex offers on something as important as brakes. Maybe mud flaps, coil spacers or budget boost kits are ok. But brakes..... I don't know. Just my opinion with their track record
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
LOL!! It's no secret that I'm no fan of TeraFlex now but, this is only after having installed and running a LOT of their products. The failures I have seen, the breaks and TeraFlex's lack of real concern regarding them except to do everything they can to hide the facts has left a real bad taste in my mouth.

Having said all that, back when the TeraFlex big brake kit first came out, I did not have the opinion of them that I do have now. Also, I am someone who is fortunate enough to easily buy one if I wanted. And, if I really thought they would make a significant difference, I would have. I personally just don't like spending money on things that I really don't feel are necessary but then, that's just me. If people want to buy big brakes, trusses, orange knuckles or chrome bumpers and dingle balls for their mirror, I say more power to them. The Chinese have billions of mouths to feed and their economy needs to be driven somehow :yup:
 

BlackKnight

Member
I planned on OEM calipers with the additions of stainless lines, EBC Drilled and slotted rotors with EBC pads once all arround when I go 37's. I have a 2009 xB (note huge weight difference) and went from OEM to OEM with just the EBC upgrades and had a 30-40% better stopping distance. 60=>0 was ~100-110 ft, Now 60-70ft on the xB. I'm figuring that OEM should be fine for calipers...
 

10frank9

Web Wheeler
But my Benz and my Infinity brake MUCH better than my stock JK and my Impala.... There must be something better about the TF brake kit then right? Plus I just spent a grand on it so....... Eddie tell me I didn't waste my money?!? :crazyeyes:
 

JKWrang

New member
But my Benz and my Infinity brake MUCH better than my stock JK and my Impala.... There must be something better about the TF brake kit then right? Plus I just spent a grand on it so....... Eddie tell me I didn't waste my money?!? :crazyeyes:

Its super easy to go on these sites and look at allllll the upgradesss you can do. Drilled rotirs or slotted. .. BOTH?! HELL YEAAAA!!!!

Now im getting double my performance right??? Oh... wait... you mean thats overkill? Makes no difference? Those kinds of rotors are actually NOT good and warp? Damn. Best money I ever spent!!!!

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Trembley

New member
What else did Nbruno recommend that you waste your money on Alan? For $700 i think I will stick with my factory brakes and spend the $60 or so on new pads. :thumb:

Actually,

It wasn't Nate, now on the topic of brakes and 37's....while making a choice on brake up grades, I would weigh my personal desire to stop a bit better, a different value for everyone.....me personally, I'd like it to be better, but Im not interested in spending a grand...for some folks it might be worth it.

I would also ask for opinions from a trusted source....which the OP did... Assuming he trusts the opinions and info he can get on this site....pretty trustworthy for the most part. I would lean heavily on what people with 37's actually on their rig have to say both with the kit and without and try to make an educated decision.

I have 35's and my jeep has gotten a bit heavier with mods and tools....I was happy with the stock function...it was compareable to the truck I had before...

I do now wish my brakes functioned a touch better and Im going to start with a good quality pad....my recommendation to the OP would be to try that option after you have 37's on and decide for yourself if you want to address brake performance.

Do the pads and decide from there if you need to put more money into it to make you happy.

Cheers
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
The one thing that is missed here and I think needs to be mentioned is that for all you guys running 37's or bigger and I assume have longer brake lines installed, you may NEED to have your brake lines ABS bled especially if you have a 2012 or newer JK. A traditional manual bleed will do a pretty good job of getting your brakes working but if you really want to have the system cleared and performing at its best, the only way to do that is with a scan tool. Unfortunately, only a shop with a scan tool or your dealership can do this for you but, it can make a big difference.
 

SmokinV10

Caught the Bug
But my Benz and my Infinity brake MUCH better than my stock JK and my Impala.... There must be something better about the TF brake kit then right? Plus I just spent a grand on it so....... Eddie tell me I didn't waste my money?!? :crazyeyes:

Oh yes, Frank you got me. Im the Teraflex fan boy who just tossed all those parts two months after buying them in favor of something else but I'm still the TF groupie :rolleyes2: . Before you assume that my mindset was based on a non existent need to substantiate prior purchases, maybe you should consider that LOGIC and RELATIVE PERCEIVED VALUE may have been motivators. Maybe the litmus test is that you don't think a 20% braking improvement is worth the money. Thats fine. Different folks, different value systems, different financial conditions. The fact that the upgrade allows for 20-25% more braking ability was fantastic for ME. Shitty braking ability is a common complaint amongst the jeep owners. Takes 100 feet to stop your rig now? Might be able to do it in 80 or 75ft. IMO thats not bad. NO ONE CLAIMED IT WOULD OUT BRAKE A SPORTS CAR. Next time an idiot texting on a cell phone cuts you off, the guy with the better brakes will likely have a bit less ass pucker than the guy rolling in a 6000+lb rig on 11" rotors. The upgraded rig might be at a dead stop where the non-upgraded one is still doing a fair clip THROUGH the idiot on the cell phone. If driving/braking defensively was the answer, I would shit can my insurance policy too. None of us wake up in the morning and say "today is the day Im going to have an accident". Rather, we all wake up every day hoping not to have one, but life happens. I know for a fact that I am not a sage or Nostradamus and can't predict accidents so I give myself the tools to avoid them. Maybe you've got some magical Taro cards or mystical fortune telling beans that I don't know about.

This is an insanely idiotic debate and Im done with it. Im not going to decide whether the kit is worth $800 for anyone else other than me. There are some folks who can drop amount on a nice dinner in Napa. There are others, who save for that amount and it could mean other upgrades.... maybe its not worth it, maybe it is. Maybe you don't believe the 20% improvement...or maybe 20% isn't "night and day" to you... Thats a DIFFERENT debate. I was merely stating that PERSONALLY THOUGHT it was a nice value for the money. Its not a useless drilled rotor set, its not just pads and pretty cadmium coated rotors. There is an improved clamping force, improved braking area, and an increased moment arm. Y'all judge for yourselves.
 
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10frank9

Web Wheeler
Oh yes, Frank you got me. Im the Teraflex fan boy who just tossed all those parts in favor of something else but I'm still the TF groupie :rolleyes2: Before you assume that my mindset was based on a non existent need to substantiate prior purchases, maybe you should consider that LOGIC and RELATIVE PERCEIVED VALUE may have been motivators. Maybe the litmus test is that you don't think a 20% braking improvement is worth the money. Thats fine. Different folks, different value systems, different financial conditions. The fact that the upgrade allows for 20-25% more braking ability was fantastic for ME. Shitty braking ability is a common complaint amongst the jeep owners. Takes 100 feet to stop your rig now? Might be able to do it in 80 or 75ft. IMO thats not bad. NO ONE CLAIMED IT WOULD OUT BRAKE A SPORTS CAR. Next time an idiot texting on a cell phone cuts you off, the guy with the better brakes will likely have a bit less ass pucker than the guy rolling in a 6000+lb rig on 11" rotors. The upgraded rig might be at a dead stop where the non-upgraded one is still doing a fair clip THROUGH the idiot on the cell phone. If driving/braking defensively was the answer, I would shit can my insurance policy too. None of us wake up in the morning and say "today is the day Im going to have an accident". Rather, we all wake up every day hoping not to have one, but life happens. I know for a fact that I am not a sage or Nostradamus and can't predict accidents so I give myself the tools to avoid them. Maybe you've got some magical Taro cards that I don't know about.

This is an insanely idiotic debate and Im done with it. Im not going to decide whether the kit is worth $800. There are some folks who can drop amount on a nice dinner in Napa. There are others, who save for that amount and it could mean other upgrades.... maybe its not worth it. I was merely stating that PERSONALLY THOUGHT it was a nice value for the money. You judge for yourself.

Nice edit..... Three things:

1: Wow, ain't nobody got time for that.
2: I have an opinion, you clearly have yours and in okay with that.
3: Some of us CAN'T drop $800 on dinner in Napa, or drop $60,000 on a JK build. With respect to the OP, and anyone else thinking about a TF big brake kit, those decisions are usually made based on the percentage of increased improvement VS. Cost.

Have a great day Smoking!
 

jeeeep

Hooked
You can call the dealer and ask what the process is if you need to have an abs sensor replaced, if they say they bleed the abs then you'll have to get them properly bled.
Another option that forces the abs to cycle out the old fluid is after you bleed them, find a stretch of road where you can get up to about 55mph and slam the brakes. Do this a few times then bleed the brakes again after, you'll notice a firmer brake pedal.

I also called about the tf big brake after I installed my lift and 35's and found they use the same master cylinder I already have in my 2010, makes me wonder what changes were made for 2010 anyway, I opted for slot/drilled and pads since I had warn mine down to the rotor...yea trailer towing and poor stop planning. The combination upgrade made stopping much better compared to stock setup, especially in wet weather. Can't say if they shortened the stopping distance but it took away that "when are the brakes going to grab" feeling.
 

JAGS

Hooked
Nice edit..... Three things:

1: Wow, ain't nobody got time for that.
2: I have an opinion, you clearly have yours and in okay with that.
3: Some of us CAN'T drop $800 on dinner in Napa, or drop $60,000 on a JK build. With respect to the OP, and anyone else thinking about a TF big brake kit, those decisions are usually made based on the percentage of increased improvement VS. Cost.

Have a great day Smoking!

Isn't Napa and auto parts store. :thinking: Why the hell would you have dinner there. :cheesy:

For me this is all a moot argument, as I'm not putting anything TF on my rig that would involve safety. This would go for brakes, axles, carriers, etc. In fact, I rarely even run my TF mudflaps (ok, mostly because they look like shit and not because of safety). Since I got my lift and bigger tires, I just drive a little slower in traffic and allow for greater distance to stop. Got the wife a nice purse with the money saved and all is good.
 
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