Your Jeep Wrangler JK does it all no questions asked.
Whether you’re pounding pavement downtown, slinging mud on a tough mountain trail, or spinning 37–inch tires on a snow capped mountain, you’re relying on the most important part of your rig–the brakes.
Jeep Wrangler JKs wear through brake pads every 30,000 miles, but there are many ways your brakes could last longer, or wear quicker.
Finding the best brake pads for your Jeep Wrangler JK is simple because I’ve scoured the internet for your best options!
In this guide we’ll cover:
- Common types of brake pads you’ll encounter
- Brake pad features to look for
- How to calculate brake efficiency loss
And much more!
Below is a quick list of my favorite brake pads for a Jeep Wrangler JK. Keep scrolling to learn more of my top tips to choose and use the best brake pads for your Jeep Wrangler:
| Image | Product | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
My Top Pick  | My Top Pick | Beefed Up Brakes Premium Trail Rated Brake Pads
|
| View on Amazon |
Best High-End  | Best High-End | EBC 6000 Series ‘Greenstuff’ Truck/SUV Brake Pad
|
| View on Amazon |
Best Budget Pick  | Best Budget Pick | Wagner ZD1273 Ceramic Disc Brake Pad Set
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| View on Amazon |
 | Bosch QuietCast Premium Brake Pads
|
| View on Amazon | |
 | Power Stop Z36 Truck and Tow Brake Pads
|
| View on Amazon |
What's in this Guide?
Our Overall Top #1 Pick: Beefed Up Brakes Premium Trail Rated Brake Pads
Beefed Up Brakes knows that a Jeep Wrangler has to perform no matter what task you throw at it: tedious traffic commuting, towing a trailer, or off-roading the world’s toughest terrains.
Made from high quality ceramic, Beefed Up Brakes stop noticeably faster, and last longer than your Jeep Wrangler JK’s standard brake pads. Usually brake pads will do one or the other–it’s rare and impressive to do both!
When I first discovered Beefed Up Brakes, I was a little skeptical. They’re a new company competing against the oldest auto manufacturers in the world, and I wasn’t sure if they would keep up.
After doing more research about their line of products for Jeep Wranglers, I was surprised by what I found: them being a smaller company is my favorite part about their product.
What I mean is that other companies make brake pads for Jeep Wrangler JKs, but it’s the same 20 year old brake design they used for Civics and Priuses, just tweaked to fit a Jeep Wrangler.
Beefed Up Brakes designs brake pads specifically for Jeep Wrangler JKs, made from higher friction ceramic than most pads, steel shims that reduce heat to optimal temperatures, and a formula focused on balance and versatility that reduces noise and dust. That sounds like a better fit to me.
Top 5 Best Brake Pads for Jeep Wrangler JK
In a hurry? Check out our top 5 picks below! Keep reading to learn more about these brake pads for Jeep Wrangler JKs.
- Beefed Up Brakes Premium Trail Rated (Our Top Pick)
- EBC 6000 Series ‘Greenstuff’ Truck/SUV (Best High-End)
- Wagner ZD1273 Ceramic Disc Brake Pad Set (Best Budget)
- Bosch QuietCast Premium
- Power Stop Z36 Truck and Tow
Why do I need high quality brakes pads for my Jeep Wrangler JK?
Modifying a Jeep Wrangler comes as naturally to its owner as breathing, but we often focus so much attention on tires, suspension, and push bars that we forget to match those upgrades with high quality brakes.
In fact, upgrading tires can affect a Jeep Wrangler’s braking efficiency by a significant margin–find out if you’ve lost brake efficiency by using the 10-10-10-1 formula.
What’s the 10-10-10-1 formula? It’s this:
A tire that’s 10% bigger than your Jeep’s original tire will decrease brake efficiency by 10%, and for every 10lbs weight you add to the wheels by upgrading, you’ll lose another 1% brake efficiency.
To put this into perspective, Jeep Wrangler JKs come from the factory with 33-inch tires which weigh 51lbs. Owners commonly upgrade this to 35-inch tires, which are 6% larger and add 15lbs of weight. That means our simple tire upgrade alone has reduced the overall brake efficiency of our Jeep Wrangler JK by 7.5%–that’s a whole car length when stopping from freeway speeds!
High quality brake pads are the easiest, cheapest way to make sure your Jeep Wrangler has enough stopping power to keep you from going off the trail miles away from the nearest tow truck.
How to Pick the Best Brakes Pads for a Jeep Wrangler JK?
There are a few factors to consider when picking brake pads for a Jeep Wrangler JK. The most important factor ultimately is how you drive the Jeep –if it’s your daily driver or a weekend warrior.
What you need the vehicle to do will help determine which aspects of a brake pad are most important to you.
First some basics about brake pads. Jeep Wranglers use disk brakes, which means that a metal disk, called a rotor, spins when the wheels move. Then when you push your brake pedal, that spinning rotor is pinched tight by our brake pads, thus slowing the disks and bringing the Jeep to a safe stop.
There are a number of factors that determine exactly how well a brake pad can stop your Jeep, such as the brake pad’s friction coefficient, slotted brake pads, shims, and brake materials.
Friction Coefficient
The friction coefficient is basically a measurement of how grippy the brake pad is when pinching the rotor–the higher friction, the grippier your brakes.
Careful though–Jeep Wranglers can have problems if your brakes are too grippy. They are known for having squealing brakes, vibrations, and lots of brake dust.
Slotted Brake Pads
A common feature you’ll see on Jeep Wrangler brakes pads will be slots. Slots cut down on a lot of the squealing brake problems by having a vertical running gap through the brake pad.
This reduces the heat created and stops your brakes from vibrating, which is what causes squealing.
By reducing the surface, however, slots will lower your brake’s friction. They’re not a bad feature to have, especially if you drive your Jeep a lot on the street. It all takes balance.
Shims
Stopping a big, heavy Jeep Wrangler creates a lot of heat in the brakes. Another feature you’ll see to combat heat will be stainless steel shims.
Shims are nothing more than a thin metal piece that sits behind your brake pad, so what can they do that’s so special?
It’s simple: they absorb. Specifically heat. Stainless steel is an excellent heat conductor, and by pulling heat away from the brakes you get less noise, less wear, and more brake efficiency! Shims are a small tool that does a lot.
Rubber shims are also commonly used for Jeep Wrangler JK brake pads–the concept is the same for these, except they absorb vibration instead of heat. By absorbing any vibrations caused by brakes, you hear reduced brake noise.
Brake pad materials, and which is best for a Jeep Wrangler JK?
There are three common brake pad materials you’ll see for a Jeep Wrangler JK:
- Organic
- Semi-metallic
- Ceramic
Each material is better at some things and worse at others–no brake pad will be extra grippy, last a million miles, AND cost a nickel. So which one is best will depend on how you drive your Jeep.
That said, I think ceramic pads are best for a Jeep Wrangler overall, and here’s why:
While organic brake pads are the most common, they usually come on cars from the factory because they’re very cheap to make. But they don’t brake hard at all, especially on a big vehicle with heavy tires.
Semi-metallic brakes perform very well, in fact they have exceptionally high friction. But high friction, we know, also means that they’re quite noisy and wear out brake components very quickly.
Ceramic pads have a lot to offer: darn good performance, they last a long time, and they are usually very quiet brakes. Their only big drawback is they’re a bit more expensive, but why pinch pennies when it comes to safety?
Ceramic brake pads are my suggested material because they offer a nice middle ground. They’re good at a little bit of everything, and that’s what makes a Jeep Wrangler JK special too.
You can drive your Jeep Wrangler through the city, pull a trailer, or go rock crawling in the mountains. For a car that does it all, you need a brake pad that won’t sacrifice too much of anything.
Interested in taking your Jeep Wrangler brake pad education to the next level? Save money by replacing the pads yourself, just follow this guide!
Our Reviews of the Best Subwoofers for Trucks
1. Beefed Up Brakes Premium Trail Rated Brake Pads
Beefed Up Brakes is a newer company with a narrow catalog of parts, but they are clearly focusing their efforts to make high quality parts that fit customer’s needs.
With high friction ceramic, Beefed Up Brakes have enough bite to perform in tough conditions, even with oversized tires.
They’re even so confident the products will last that they offer a 12 month warranty, and that’s a nice surprise.
| PROS (+) | CONS (-) |
| + High friction + Longevity + Very quiet thanks to ceramic construction + 12 month defect warranty | – On the expensive side – Smaller company could mean limited customer support |
2. EBC 6000 Series ‘Greenstuff’ Truck/SUV Brake Pad
EBC has a long pedigree in performance brake parts, and their ‘Greenstuff’ Jeep Wrangler JK pads are no exception.
EBC 6000 series is aa race-inspired ceramic design, with whisper-quiet performance from the slotted surface, and their patented “Brake-In Coating” always beds into the rotor properly to maximize efficiency.
This option costs more than others after purchasing front and rear pads separately, but the features and balanced performance are absolutely worth the extra cost.
| PROS (+) | CONS (-) |
| + Excellent stopping power thanks to EBC’s decades of experience + “Break-In” Coating always beds in to rotor properly + Slotted surface makes no noise, even under heavy braking | – Front and rears sold separately – Wear out very quickly due to high friction formula |
3. Wagner ZD1273 Ceramic Disc Brake Pad Set
Wagner’s QuickStop brake pads are my choice for shoppers on a budget.
Wagner’s medium-friction ceramic material offers decent stopping power for a fraction of the cost.
QuickStops are made with a slotted face and absorbing shims to reduce vibrations. The end result is extremely quiet braking, and a very smooth pedal feel.
Overall a very good brake choice for a daily driver with a budget who doesn’t plan on upgrading tires any time soon.
| PROS (+) | CONS (-) |
| + Excellent price-to-performance value + Vibration/noise absorbing shims and slotted surface + Easy Installation | – Moderate stopping power–enough for Jeeps with stock tires and suspension, but isn’t the best option for modified rigs. – Creates far more dust than competitors |
4. Bosch QuietCast Premium Brake Pads
Bosch is another well known brand in the automotive industry, and they don’t disappoint fans with the QuietCast brake pads.
A metallic pad touting a long list of features, including: A copper free formula that supports environmental conservation, aerospace grade alloy, layered design for quiet operation, plus they’re engineered and manufactured in the US.
The ceramic material has decent stopping power, a rubber shim keeps noise levels down, and a chemical layer extends your Jeep’s brake life –and they do all that at a good price.
I would say this is a good middle-of-the-road choice brake pad for a Jeep Wrangler JK. My only concern is the level of stopping power may not be enough for all Jeep drivers.
| PROS (+) | CONS (-) |
| + Chemical protection layer means good longevity + Relatively low cost for performance + Made from aerospace grade alloys, with domestic assembly | – Not designed to withstand heavy-duty applications + Moderate stopping power |
5. Power Stop Z36 Truck and Tow Brake Pads
This Power Stop offering is another excellent choice designed for heavy-duty applications that a Jeep may find itself in.
The high friction carbon-fiber/ceramic blend can stop even the biggest, heaviest Jeeps.
The stainless steel shims do a good job pulling heat away from the brakes, allowing you to brake harder for longer.
This option is the best choice for owners who use their Jeep Wranglers in a more ‘extreme’ fashion.
If you mostly use your Jeep to tow trailers, go off-roading, and you rarely find yourself driving in average road conditions, this brake pad will offer the highest level of performance that you need.
Performance does come with compromises to comfort, longevity, and drivability, so it’s not best suited for the average owner who daily drives their Jeep Wrangler.
| PROS (+) | CONS (-) |
| + Very high friction design can stop even big rigs on a dime + Stainless steel shims reduce heat so you can brake hard longer + Stainless steel hardware makes for easy installation | – High friction formula wears quickly – More noise than other options – Brakes can feel shake-y on Jeeps without trailers or big tires. |
Our Top Pick: Beefed Up Brakes Premium Trailed Rated Brake Pads
Beefed Up Brakes may be new in the game, but I think they’re well worth trying out.
Their narrow catalog of products means they’ve designed their Jeep Wrangler JK brake pads for that vehicle’s specific needs, with a high friction formula to support rigs with bigger tires and more weight.
Their parts are well thought out with a realistic understanding of customer’s needs: rugged, versatile brake components that can handle any terrain, from your local mall parking lot, to technical mountain trails, to snow-capped mountains.
Beefed Up Brakes are an excellent do-it-all brake pad that match the versatility of your Jeep Wrangler JK. And if you’re still unsure you can trust them to make quality products, they’ve backed their brakes with a 12 month defect warranty.
Final Thoughts On The Best Brake Pads for Jeep Wrangler JK
Shopping for brake pads can feel overwhelming—they all look the same!
Just remember that your Jeep Wrangler does it all, and it will be best matched with a well rounded brake pad that performs well no matter how or where you’re driving that day.
Lastly just remember, no brake pads will stop a vehicle in all situations, we as drivers must know the limits and drive within them.
