Two-piston front calipers. Standard 1-hour DIY. Akebono ProACT or Hawk LTS pads with quality rotors. Caliper bracket 90 ft-lb, slide pins 30 ft-lb.
XJ runs a single-piston floating caliper front brake design across most years. Pad replacement on a stock setup is about 1 hour for the pair. Lift, remove wheel, remove the two slide pin bolts (13mm or 7/16 hex), swing the caliper up and out of the bracket. Compress the piston with a C-clamp or piston tool while opening the bleeder slightly (catch the displaced fluid). Swap pads. Slide caliper back, torque pins to 30 ft-lb. Rotor change adds another 30 min - the caliper bracket has two 18mm head bolts to the knuckle at 90 ft-lb; the rotor then slides off the studs (rust may require a hammer convincing). Quality pads: Akebono ProACT, Hawk LTS, or Carbotech 1521 for street use; EBC Greenstuff for heavier rigs. OEM-spec rotors from Centric (120.67039) or Powerstop are fine; avoid the cheapest no-name rotors which warp quickly. Always replace pads as axle pairs, never one side. Bed in new pads with 8-10 medium stops from 40 mph and 2-3 firm stops from 60 mph (do not come to a complete stop after a firm stop - park with hand brake instead).
| Part | Vendor | Est. price |
|---|---|---|
| Akebono ProACT pads | RockAuto | ~$45 |
| Centric rotor (pair) | RockAuto | ~$70 |
| Caliper slide pin grease | auto parts | ~$5 |
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.