Ive got a 1996 bronco it doesn't seem like its really that good at quick stopping. Is there any recommendations to help with better braking? Ive read a little about slotted rotors. Does that help?

 

For a 5,000 lb vehicle, I think a properly working brake system on a Bronco works alright, especially with stock size tires.
It's not a sports car.
Increase following distance of the car in front of you.

Your brakes will work much better if:

• the rear drums are adjusted correctly and operating properly

• All air is bled out of all brake lines

• brake fluid should be clear or light amber - not black with grit in it

• All rubber brake hoses should be inspected and/or replaced if they are the originals

 

If you're wanting to up your braking power (and know your current ones are in top shape), there are a few things you can do, but it's all custom work.

A) Install rear disc brakes.

B) Install 80 - 84?(maybe 85/86) steering knuckles in the front, an F350 brake booster and brake cylinders in the rear, and then calipers from a late 70s Thunderbird up front. People say those'll lock up 35" tires.

 

will the big brake rotors/calipers from the 2009 f150 fit ?? the fricken calipers/pads are almost half the size of the rotor !

 

As far as I know, it's a completely different design and about as similar as night and day to the Bronco.

 

oh well...so from what I have found from the search on brakes is rotors from a late 70's model thunderbird work? maybe I am confused..I want to put bigger rotors and calipers on but I dont want to change a bunch of stuff, I want to know if there is a better caliper rotor combination that will bolt right up ...is there?

 

Complete info on upgrading the '78-'79 Broncs, perhaps you can use some of it on the newer models.https://www.ford-trucks.com/article/...d_Broncos.html
p.s. My wife's '96 5.8 Eddie Bauer Bronco with 31 x 10.50 tires on it stops really well. It took awhile to get all the air out of the system, but it has awesome brakes. Maybe you just need to install better quality front pads and/or get rid of some air in the lines?

 

Very very true. I'm often surprised by how people will go through the extra work to upgrade their entire braking system before they'll spend the money on the higher quality pads and rotors.

 

that might be a problem, it always seems like they have air in the system, however when I bleed them I dont get any visible air coming out. I start with the right rear then left rear then the right front then the left front, which is the way i always learned to do it. I do get the lifetime pads, which were like 30 bucks, maybe I should get the 2 year warranty ones that are 60? or slotted rotors? I am going to have to replace the rotor again on the right side because for some reason that side always glazes over on the first stop from freeway speed, and not long after the rotor warps and the pad on the outside gets worn out really fast. I can feel that the right side has hardly any grip either, the wheel pulls to the left when I stop, and I can smell the brakes burning and it actually gets so hot on the right side that it smokes. f--k I need to get this figured out this will be the 3rd time I have had to replace them on that side in 2 years, and I am not hard on brakes I take plenty of room to stop, any help with this is appreciated. I have 32" tires on 15" aluminum mag rims. everything is stock with the exception of engine upgrades.

 

I can lock up my 38" tall X 15" wide tires with stock brakes. Now on long steep hills they will fade. (especially towing) But I have no problems for normal driving.

 

Ok to start, slotted/drilled rotors don’t add any stopping power they are slotted/drilled for cooling to prevent warping under hard/fast breaking and they cause the pads to wear quicker. Second, your right rotor probably isn’t warping. What happens with new pads is that part of the pad fuses to the rotor when it comes to a stop causing the rotor to feel uneven. One thing you can do to prevent this is to "break in" the pads. After you have installed the new pads go somewhere that you can go from high speeds to near stop several times without stopping. Then from at least 40mph hit the breaks hard until you come to about 10mph DO NOT STOP. Do this 3-4 times them drive around for a few mins for the breaks to cool before you stop. This should prevent the rotor from glazing. Next, if your right caliper isn’t working very well it is probably rusted/weak. Rebuild the piston or replace the caliper

 

yeah I know they dont add stopping power my truck stops fine. the pass. front glazes and eventually warps. with new rotors. caliper is not hanging up, and I replaced them (the calipers) about a year ago, maybe two. I have put 3 rotors on in the last two years on the right front. the left is fine. when I put new pads/rotor on the right frontglazes over the first hard stop, after breaking it in. I dont break the brakes in the exact way you explained, but I go down the street about 40 or so an slow down to a near stop then do it a few times, after a few times I let the brakes cool off before I park it. its when I drive down the freeway and get off slowing down from 65-70 just one time and I smell brakes and see smoke coming from the right side. the bearings are seated correctly, the only thing I havnt really looked closely at in the assembly is the spindle, someone said it might be jacked up in some way. its really pissing me off because I have never been stumped like this before I am always able to fix problems. Im glad to have a forum like this with you guys to ask though.

 

While sloted or drilled rotors will not increase your stoping power the first time, they will maintain your stoping power during sperited driving. They may also help with dreaded long down hill.

 

I have nver had the pleasure of driving anything with slotted rotors, however I do know that they keep the tempature down by venting. I wonder if they actually decrease stopping power. I wonder if you compared regular rotors and slotted rotors side by side in a controlled experiment what the temps would be for each on a 60-0 stop, and what the braking distance for each would be too. QUESTION: What besides a warped rotor would cause the rotor to be out of round...what I mean is when I look at the space between the rotor and the pad while I spin the rotor, it rubs the pad and then it gets loose, like there is a tight spot in one area of the rotor...but when I take it off and put it on a flat surface, it looks like it is flush and completely flat, what else besides the rotor could be bent??? and is this whats causing my right side to get too hot to effectively work right?