Brake Buddy

[robert j. yates]

I'm looking to flat tow my Jeep Wrangler behind my 08 Grand Cherokee and after a test ride, I came to the conclusion that I need more braking power so I am considering a brake buddy for the Wrangler.

I have plenty of experience with trailers and trailer brakes but none at all with buying, setting up and using a brake buddy. Accordingly...if folks have any experiences or thoughts they want to share on brake buddies, post it up and it would be much appreciated. Thanx.

 

[Robert Bills]

I don't have first hand knowledge regarding the installation and use of a Brake Buddy, but I do have some knowledge of attempting to flat tow a SWB Jeep with a Grand Cherokee.

Several years ago a good friend of mine attempted to flat tow his YJ from San Diego to Placerville behind his V-8 Grand Cherokee. Not only was the braking totally inadequate, every gust of wind on the highway had the YJ pulling the Grand Cherokee all over the road. To add insult to injury, the engine was constantly overheating and the transmission fluid reached dangerously high temperatures whenever there was a grade of any length. He described the trip there and back as two days of constant white knuckling. I don't think his GC was ever the same after that trip, and he vowed never to do it again.

Your Wrangler is too heavy to tow with your Grand Cherokee, with or without a Brake Buddy. You will shorten the life of your transmission even if you don't kill it outright. In addition, the wheelbase of your GC is too short for any stability at highway speed. It is a potentially fatal accident waiting to happen.

 

[robert j. yates]

I've got a CRD so I'm not to worried about the engine or transmission. I do hear you on the wheelbase and the brakes. I think the wheelbase is livable but the brake issue is not, hence the brake buddy.

 

[OS-Aussie]

Rob,

If you are going this route drop me a PM as I have a complete setup that I have used once and no longer need.

Merv

 

[edcasey]

BrakeBuddy installation is easy. Initially you will have to added a breakaway switch to the front of the Wrangler. It's the same type of breakaway that's used on trailers. Run a wire from the battery to the breakaway switch and a wire from the breakaway terminating under the drivers seat. That's it for initial installation. The BrakeBuddy just sits in front of the driver's seat on the floor and has an arm with a clamp that fits over the brake pedal. Power is provided by plugging into a cigarette lighter. There are two adjustments that need to be set. One is compressor pressure that controls maximum brake pressure and the other is brake controller gain that controls how fast and hard the brakes come on.
The BrakeBuddy's operation is simple. It has a built in inertia switch (just like many dash mounted brake controls) that senses when the vehicle slows down and actives the brake arm with pneumatic pressure which pushes on the brake pedal. It has a built in air compressor and regulator that provides pressure on the brake arm. There is a remote that would go in your Grand Cherokee that has a dummy light on it to let you know when the Wrangler brakes have been activated. They have a newer model that let's you adjust the brake controller gain and compressor pressure from the tow vehicle. I've only installed a couple of these and I'm still not sure if it's worth the extra money.
The BrakeBuddy actually works fairly well but is a little pricey for such a simple mechanism.