This process is completely reversible since no welding or cutting of stock parts is required to install this kit. Save all your old parts until you're satisfied with the brake kit.  Once you have returned your knuckles for the core charge refund, you will have to find another set of stock knuckles if you wish to return to your previous setup.

The Brake kit includes. 

1. Two Modified knuckles. The spacers (gold plates) on the knuckle have been torqued, so please don't tighten or loosen them.  If for any reason, you must disturb these bolts, the torque values are 40 foot lbs with red locktite.

2. Two rotors 

3. Two calipers with bolts. 

4. For each caliper:  Two Chromalloy 7/8ths, OD   ID, spacers that install between the caliper and the new caliper bracket.

5. Two sets of brake pads.

6. Miscellaneous parts in the box of pads: four 1 inch cotter pins; two 1   cotter pins; two bags of

shims. 

SERVICE NOTE:  The pads, rotors and calipers used in the brake kit are for the front axle of a 1998

Ford Explorer 4x4.

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

This job will take approximately 2+ hours.  

(1)  Jack up the front end of the Jeep and remove the tires. Use a decent pair of jack stands under the vehicle. Use the proper equipment and tools – be safe.

(2)  Remove the two caliper bolts attaching the caliper - this should be a 13 mm socket.

(3)  Remove the caliper from the rotor.  This may require that you jiggle the rotor and move it back and forth to break it loose.

(4)  Place the removed caliper, with the line attached, on your frame or somewhere safe. You can use a small stool or tie it to the frame with a bungee cord or other strap.  The point is to avoid letting the caliper hang by the hydraulic brake line that you will be reusing.

(5)  Remove the rotor.  It should slide off easily. If not tap it with a hammer to knock loose any rust.

(6)  Using a 13 mm twelve point socket, remove the 3 hub bolts.

(7)  Pull out the unit bearing, axle shaft and dust shield and set it aside.

IMPORTANT: Rubicon has a white piece of plastic on the axle shaft that was used as a guide when the vehicle was manufactured.  Find, remove and discard that white plastic guide.

Refer to your factory service manual to find the recommended procedure for removing the knuckles.

This is how we did it:

8) Disconnect the tie rod by removing the cotter pin and loosening the castle nut so that only 3 or 4 threads are engaged.  Using a large hammer (about 2 or 3 pounds), firmly strike the end of the knuckle at point A (in the photo,). The resultant blow will hopefully cause the tie rod end to jar loose in the knuckle.  Those living in the rust belt should have a good quality puller available.  Remove the nut and tie rod end from the knuckle.

(9)  Remove the knuckle by removing the cotter pins and loosening the castle nuts on the upper and lower ball joint studs.  Leave about 3 or 4 threads engaged. Using a large hammer (about 2 or 3 pounds), firmly strike the end of the knuckle at point b (in the photo, the rectangular section). If you’re lucky, the resultant blow will cause the knuckle to jar loose on the ball joints. Otherwise, a good quality puller will probably be required. Remove the nuts and knuckle.

(10)  Install the knuckle supplied in the kit. You will find new cotter pins in the brake pad box.  Refer to your manual to verify torque specs. Tie rod end should be 55 foot lbs. The top ball joint should be 75 foot pounds; and, the lower should be 80 foot pounds. Be sure to recheck all torque settings after 50 miles of driving.

(11)  Reinstall the axle shaft, unit bearing and dust plate. Refer to the factory service manual for torque value - it should be 75 lbs.

(12)  You'll need to remove the lip on the dust shield you see in the photograph above. It's about a quarter of an inch in width.

(13)  The unit bearing is about .060 too large, so it must be be ground down until the new rotors can slide on.  Those with the Warn small hub kit don't need to do this.  We placed the vehicle on a lift and actually put it in gear and held the grinder to it.  The task was accomplished in only 2-3 minutes. You're removing material from the OD of the unit bearing, not the hub centric circle in the middle of the bearing.

(14)  Prepare the new rotor for installation by washing it with soap and water.  Do NOT use brake cleaner or anything else.  Those cleaners have oil in them. Use plain old dish soap and water and let them dry. You want to see a fine layer of rust all over the rotor that lets you know there's no oil remaining on it.  The break-in procedure for the new brakes will eliminate the rust.

(15) Install the new rotors

(16) Disconnect the old brake line and remove the old crush washers. Use the new crush washers supplied (in the brake pad box). Snug the line down on the new caliper, not tight as you may move the line after you install the caliper in the bracket.

(17) Remove the caliper bracket from the caliper. Check that the two Chromalloy spacers are in their 7/8ths holes.  They rest against the caliper bracket.  Torque the 12 MM caliper bracket bolts (7/8^th socket) to 65 lbs and use red locktite.  

(18). Install the brake pads into the caliper bracket using the shims supplied (pictures and explanation of the shims needs to be added here)

(19) Install the calipers to the brackets. Make sure the boot slides around the lips on the bracket. These are dust boots, so you want the boot around that lip. These bolts are not tight, around 25 foot lbs. Tighten the brake line enough for the washers to seal off this is about 25 foot lbs.

(18)  Bleed the brakes. You should only need to bleed your front brakes. If you have a favorite way to bleed them, go ahead.  I just let them gravity bleed (open bleeders let it sit for a few minutes) then tighten the bleeder screws.  Apply the pedal open the passenger side bleeder and let the fluid come out, tighten the bleeder and release the pedal.  Repeat until no more bubble or spurts then do the drivers side. 

(19)  Reinstall your wheels and tires.  Torque the lug nuts to the proper spec for your wheels.

(20)  It is very important that you properly break-in the brake pads.  If you fail to do so, you won’t get the benefit of installing this brake kit.  Proper break-in and bedding are critical to extract maximum performance from your new brakes.

BREAK-IN PROCEDURE

Proper break-in and bedding are critical to extract maximum performance from your new brakes.

Please follow the procedure exactly with no variation. Improper or no break-in will cause severe performance decrease. 

After the calipers have been bled properly, tires installed, and lug nuts torqued properly, you are now

ready to break in the pads and start the bedding process. Check the tire inflation pressure at this time to ensure you have equal and street worthy pressure in all 4 tires. Unequal pressures will cause pulling and improper bias either front to rear or side to side. 

Find a suitable location where frequent stops will not cause interference with other vehicles. Bring your

Jeep up to 30 mph. As soon as it's safe to do so, perform a moderate stop. Hold the pedal with no modulation until the vehicle   almost    completely stops, but not quite (This should be steady pressure, do

not ease up on the pedal as your slowing down). Fully release the pedal and start the process again. This is important. You are transferring a layer of friction material from the pad to the rotor and stopping with the pads in contact with a hot rotor will produce high spots consisting of imprints of the pad material on the rotor surface. These imprints will later haunt you as pulsations in the brake pedal or steering wheel giving the impression of a warped rotor.   Do not do this.                                                                                 

If for some reason you need to make an unplanned stop during the break-in process, let the vehicle creep to keep the rotor moving and avoid imprinting. 

Repeat the 30 mph to almost stopped operation at least 10 times with a brief cooling period between brake applications. The cooling period can be about as long as it takes to moderately accelerate from 3 mph back up to 30. Don't be in a hurry to accelerate.

After 10 such applications of the brakes you will now need to cool the rotors by driving around with little to no application of the brakes. Chose a location where this is possible. The rotors need to be cooled down to ambient air temperature. This takes about 15 to 20 minutes of slow driving with little to no braking. Once they are cool you will need to finish the break-in. Do not park vehicle during the cool down process. The brake pads cover a substantial area of the rotor and will cause uneven cooling. 

The final portion of the break in process will be 4-6 heavy brake applications from 35 mph. You are not trying to achieve lock-up of the tires, but nearly so. Do not modulate the pedal. Keep the input pressure to the brake pedal constant until you nearly stop. Continue the stop until you get to 3 mph at which point you will fully release the brake pedal and accelerate back up to 35 mph. Again, please chose your location carefully so as to not interfere with other vehicles. Do this 4-6 times. 

Briefly cool down the rotors as outlined above and you are done with the initial break in and bedding process. It will take around 4-600 miles before the pads are fully cured and about 5-800 miles before the rotors are bedded in. The only   caution    during this period will be against keeping the pads in contact

with overheated rotors after a long panic stop or descending a long grade. During this time your braking performance will continue to increase until the pads are fully cured and the rotors are fully bedded. 

If for some reason during the lifespan of the pads you find your braking performance less than satisfactory, repeat the break in process. Mild braking habits may glaze the pads requiring them to be broken in again. Other than that, your new front brakes will require no further attention or special considerations outside of normal maintenance and inspection at regular intervals similar to OEM recommendations