real hard time stopping

[heptofite]

ever since i bumped my bronco II up to 30 inch tires it hasn't wanted to stop very well.

front pads are not that old, should i replace the brake shoes or is there something else i should do also or what?

i can't find any high end brake pads for the dana 28 so if anybody knows of any, that'd be awesome.

 

[feellnfroggy]

Anytime you change from factory size equipment you will have positives and negative, you have the option of swapping in d35 gear. But i recommend you just take time to get used to the brakes and begin slowing alittle sooner. 30's arent that big and after a while you wont even realize the difference anymore.

 

[strvger]

what size did you have on there originally? my '83 had 195/75x15 tires/wheels on it from the factory. i'm now running 215/85x16 E-rated tires/wheels. that's almost a 5" difference in diameter and probably 30# heavier, each. and yes, my braking habits have changed to account for that. i do brake earlier and easier and downshift so the engine helps with the braking. also, i had the brakes completely gone through after the tire change to be sure they were up to the task.
i'd say get your brakes double checked so they perform the best they can. if you have a manual tranny, learn to downshift to help with the braking. other than that, just learn to drive and brake with the larger tires. you'll get used to it fast enough. just my $.02.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

This is one of the reasons the government wants to limit tire size to 35".
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=843618
I don't totally disagree.
Richard

 

[heptofite]

well, i can't even lock up the wheels any more, it's like my pedal is hitting a wall before i get that far.

then again, i've had the truck for about 35-40k miles and i've never done the rear brakes on it.

 

[strvger]

i'd be checking the master cylinder and all the brake/wheel cylinders for sure. and most of your braking is done with the front brakes, not the back. i'm guessing the average is something like 60/40 or even 70/30 front brakes to rear. so check the fronts again as well. took mine into the shop for an alignment after the new tires went on and found the front passenger side rotor disc cracked all the way through. had no idea as there weren't any problems with my braking up to that time. the guys were already in there so i just had all the brakes redone. i feel real lucky. just my $.02.

 

[heptofite]

well, when i first got the truck the rear circuit on the master was blown out, and it was hard to get it stopped, when i replaced the master it was just fine, but i figure maybe i'm not getting enough action in the rear brakes is why it's stopping so hard.

 

[88_ranger]

I wonder if it might not be an issue with your brake booster? My 72 Camaro didn't have a brake booster and it was really tough to stop that thing too! Just an idea.