Front pads and rotors take 90 minutes; rears another 60. Caliper bracket bolts are 110 ft-lb, slide pins are 26 ft-lb, lugs are 130 ft-lb. Don't reuse worn slide pin boots — torn boots cause uneven pad wear within 5,000 miles.
JL Wrangler brakes are larger than JK across the lineup — the front rotor went from 12.9" on JK Sport to 13.0" Sport/13.4" Rubicon on JL. The system is otherwise conventional floating caliper with single-piston front and rear. Pad and rotor service is straightforward once you understand the bracket vs slide pin distinction.
Pad choice. OE Mopar pads are quiet but dust-heavy. Akebono ACT-series ceramic pads stay clean and bite well below 1,000°F — the right choice for daily-drivers and mild trail use. Hawk LTS gives more cold bite for tow rigs. Avoid no-name pads from auction sites; they'll glaze and squeal within 6 months.
Rotor decision. Rotors are sacrificial. If yours have <0.030" of useful thickness left (verify with a micrometer against the minimum stamped on the rotor hat), replace them. Centric Premium and Bosch QuietCast are both quiet and last 50K+ miles. Slotted/drilled rotors look aggressive but offer no benefit for the JL's weight class and crack faster.
Slide pins matter more than pads. A torn slide pin boot lets sand and water into the pin bore. The caliper then sticks on one side, the inboard pad wears faster than outboard, and you replace pads at half life. Inspect both pins every brake service. Re-grease with high-temp synthetic brake grease — never wheel bearing grease (it melts).
Steps
Loosen lug nuts before lifting. Lift one wheel, support on stand. Remove wheel.
Inspect the caliper for leaks at the dust boot and at the hose fitting. A wet caliper goes in the rebuild pile, not the reinstall pile.
Open the master cylinder cap to let air escape as the pistons retract. (Don't let the reservoir overflow.)
Pull the two 13mm slide pin bolts on the caliper. Lift caliper off the bracket. Hang it from the spring with a wire — never let it hang from the brake hose.
Slide the old pads out of the bracket. Note the wear pattern — uneven wear = stuck slide pin.
Pull the slide pins out of the bracket. Wipe clean. Check the boots — replace if torn. Re-grease with high-temp brake grease and reseat.
(If replacing rotors) Pull the two 15mm bracket bolts and lift bracket off. Remove the rotor (may need a few hammer taps if rust-stuck). Wipe new rotor clean with brake cleaner — they ship with rust preventative oil. Reinstall bracket, 110 ft-lb on bolts.
Insert new pads into the bracket. Apply a thin smear of brake grease on the pad backing where it contacts the caliper piston and the slide ears.
Compress the caliper piston with a C-clamp using an old pad as the contact surface. Push slowly so the master doesn't overflow.
Reinstall caliper over new pads. Torque the 13mm slide pin bolts to 26 ft-lb.
Reinstall wheel. Torque lugs to 130 ft-lb in a star pattern.
Critical: Pump the brake pedal 5–10 times before driving to seat the pads against the rotor. The first pedal will go to the floor if you skip this. Verify firm pedal before moving the vehicle.
Re-torque lugs after 50–100 miles.
Why it works
Standard floating caliper design
Common Akebono / Centric parts at any parts store
90 minutes per axle once you've done it
No special tools beyond a C-clamp
Trade-offs
Often overlooked the pedal-pump step (and rear-end someone)
Slide pin neglect = premature pad wear
Larger Rubicon rotors not interchangeable with Sport
Lug torque is high (130 ft-lb) — needs a real torque wrench, not a breaker bar guess
Written and maintained by an AZ wheeler and driveway wrencher. Always cross-reference your factory service manual — modifications affect vehicle safety and warranty. Work at your own risk.