Brake bleeding: vacuum/pressure or old school?

[tantotrailers]

I'm going to need to bleed my brakes here soon since I replaced my front lines and I was wondering if the vacuum kits are better for the XJ or if the old school method is better. I am looming at the 4 Uncles kit on Amazon https://a.co/d/3WXBiOT

What are your thoughts? I don't feel like coordinating with someone to do it the old way if thus will do the job. I like that this may be cleaner and maybe easier?

 

[Rob Mayercik]

I've not used one of those myself, but it seems like it should work fine as long as you have a source of compressed air to run it.

 

[cruiser54]

They work great.

 

[Saudade]

I've used my mytvac hand pump to bleed mine. It worked well enough.

Since I have no aux reservoir (like the kit above). I had to pause when bleeding the rears to check the brake reservoir and top off. Doing the fronts was easier.

 

[Tim_MN]

I prefer speed-bleeders.

 

[bruceb]

I used this one...
https://www.amazon.com/Motive-Produ...e&sprefix=pressure,automotive,128&sr=1-8&th=1


It doesn't require an air compressor. I use it to flush the entire system. Works great....

 

[75SV1]

I use one I bought at the parts store. I think Mintcraft. It looks stupid. Just a small plastic bottle with some hoses. About $10. It also has a round magnet. I open the bleeder, pump the brakes. Bottle fills up. I do have other stuff.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1922567962...rSzH2pKGoWkaTcqUeqYtVECg==|tkp:Bk9SR4jIsNKqYw

 

[lawsoncl]

I use one I bought at the parts store. I think Mintcraft.

Got one of those from HarborFreight for $2 one time. Unfortunately I tried using it tonight, only to discover my problem is the brake line along the frame rail is rusted out and pissing brake fluid.

Not a good time, since I'm dropping my wife's truck off at the body shop tomorrow (really wishing they would have just totaled it). So I'm down 2 out of 3 vehicles unless I decide to keep driving with just the front brakes.

 

[75SV1]

Yeah, that's something I replace on XJs when I buy them. I have used the SS ones from EBay. They work good. I have used the compression fittings before. Not the best solution. So, only a temp fix.

 

[Bent]

I use a pressure bleeder. It works very well. The trick with using it on my MJ with the load sensing valve is to disconnect the linkage to the valve. Then wire the valve arm in a position that it would be at a maximum load.
Just remember, do not exceed the recommended pressure when using the bleeder. IIRC, 20 PSI. You run the risk of blowing the back seal out of the master cylinder. I did that on the MJ when it still had the old school fluid reservoir. The chains that come with a kit for attaching a pressure plate to an old cast master cylinder are worthless. Use a couple C clamps. But since the 95 conversion the plate is not an issue.

 

[lawsoncl]

I just bought and used this one. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHJ7N8JS. It worked well enough. I didn't bother with the refill bottle and just topped off as I moved between wheels. The large bottle was much nicer than the tiny bottle I'd been using with a hand pump. My only complaint was that the white silicon hose doesn't let you see the air bubbles as well as clear tubing, but you can definitely see when it goes fro dark to clear fluid. Using a vac bleed, you really need to pull the bleeders out and put some thick anti-seize on the thread so it does suck air.

This was after redoing the lines to the back of the MJ, fighting leaky unions, re-flaring multiple times while laying on my back underneath. Turned out the unions I got were garbage as the threads on the nipples would bottom out and strip before they sealed. So I'm back to driveable again. At least until I put in the 98 booster/master and re-run a single line to the rear.