The jeepfan.com 2004 TJ Unlimited has almost 200,000 miles..this Jeep has seen a lot of driving and has probably had it’s share of brake services. Since we’ve acquired it in 2017 it felt right to give it a nice refresh of everything. New pads and new rotors will make the brakes seem like new. Surprisingly this is a rather easy job not even requiring many tools. Since our TJ is an Unlimited it has front and rear disc brakes, Rubicon TJ’s will also have rear discs, your Jeep may have rear drums which isn’t covered here.
new items, pads and rotors 
wear and corrosion 
compare old pads to new
We picked up the new parts at our local Napa and got to work. The Jeep should be supported on jack stands and the wheels removed. There are two bolts that hold the brake caliper to the axle housing, loosen them to allow the caliper to come loose, the bolts don’t need to be completely removed, but it may be easier. Use a pry bar or large screwdriver to pry the caliper off the rotor. If the rotor has a lot of wear it might require some for for the pads to clear the ridge.
loosen the caliper bolts 
remove old pads 
brake caliper
Remove the old pads from the caliper and clean up the area before installing the new pads. Installing the new pads usually requires the caliper piston to be compressed back to allow clearance over the new rotor. There are special tools to do this but a large clamp can do the job.
compressing the piston 
new pad installed
Put the caliper to the side making sure it’s not just hanging by the brake line then remove the old rotor. They may require a little persuasion but will pop right off. Inspect the area and install the new rotor. Note: The TJ’s parking brakes were in terrible shape so they were rebuilt too, see TJ Parking Brake Rebuild.
removing the old rotor 
parking brake 
new rotor installed
With the rotor on reinstall the caliper.
The front is essentially the same procedure with the exception of the parking brake.
old brakes 
removing the caliper 
old rotor removed 
compressing the piston 
new rotor installed
Before driving the Jeep depress the brake pedal several times to allow the caliper pistons to adjust the pads to the proper position. Then taking the Jeep for a short test drive to ensure the brakes are working properly will complete the job.
jeepfan.com 2004 Wrangler TJ Unlimited
