huge *clunk* during braking...HELP.

[Exrunner]

Ok, this *just* started today. I have no idea why. As I press the brake pedal slightly, it slows down fine. If i press it down kinda hard, it clunks like crazy up front and underneath me it seems, and the right rear wheel locks up. It also stops really quickly...it feels like as I press the brake pedal, it does nothing, then all of a sudden the brakes grab really hard and fast. There arent any leaks, there dont seem to be any problems underneath, but WTF? The only thing different is that I dont have my front bumper on...I see no correlation between that and the brakes, but it started the day after I took it off. HELP.

Oh, and it doesnt happen at all in Reverse...it works perfectly fine in Reverse, it only happens in Drive.

[goodtimes]

Drum brakes (on the back)? Disk?

Either way, step #1 would be to pull the tire/wheel off, and have a look....is everything where it should be, and in the correct shape (not bent/broken)?

[sandalscout]

IF the rear is locking up, pull that wheel and drum, the rear drums are a PAIN to adjust, I got mine all back together, and on of the springs popped off and did something similar, was fine in reverse, all kinds of messed up in forward, do to the primary shoe changing when changing direction.

Good luck!

[Martyn]

I had a similar noise when one of my calipers was loose. The noise was heard only when going forward not in reverse. Tightening the bolts that secure the caliper remedied the problem.

That said I did not have any of the other issues you have reported.

[Exrunner]

Its a cherokee with drums out back. I think the wheel cylinder is sticking and popping the pad out into the drum really hard. I did take it all apart and looked and it looked fine, but one time, I left the drum off, turned on the jeep, hit the brakes, and the wheel cylinder was leaking out of the side towards the front, and it also didnt retract, which makes me think its binding...sound correct? I was just going to change both side pads and wheel cylinders and hope that fixed it...

[JeepN95YJ]

If you hit the brakes without the drums on, you overextended the wheel cylinders. This has nothing to do with the shoes retracting. Essentially, the drum needs to be in place to make everything work. You probably didn't do any damage as long as you put everything back together properly.

I'm not saying your wheel cylinders don't need replaced, only that the fact they didn't retract doesn't make them bad. They are not designed to work without the drum.

[Exrunner]

ok...but shouldnt the return springs return the shoes to where they should be, regardless of if the drum is there or not? Just askin...

Anyway...its a strange strange world. So after fooling around with it a bit, I adjusted the shoes out until the barely touched the inside of the drums...they were way in previously. I dont know if that did it or what, I put it all back together to head to autozone for a new wheel cylinder and it clunked much quieter a couple of times and then....nothing. Like it never even happened in the first place. Stopping hard, stopping slowly, reverse, forward...works fine. No leaks...WTF? Whatever...I guess I have a spare pass. side wheel cylinder...

[Grim Reaper]

Who did the last brake job? Did they mix up the adjusters and get them on the wrong side? Were they frozen requiring a lot of effort to get them to adjust?

[Exrunner]

no they werent frozen...easily adjusted by hand. And Im not sure who did it...Ive only had the XJ for a couple weeks.

[JeepN95YJ]

ok...but shouldnt the return springs return the shoes to where they should be, regardless of if the drum is there or not? Just askin...

No, because when the wheel cylinder over-extends it causes the shaft to fall out of the cylinder. When it does this, the springs cause the shaft to lean over or bind without the support of the cylinder. They also leak when this happens because it binds the seal.

It sounds like whoever did the repair afterwards ran the adjuster all the way in to re-seat the shoes.