When applying my brakes the Jeep seems to skid to a stop, making a strange noise almost like the brakes are pulsating. It is unable to stop on a dime like it should.

Traction control is going to apply braking to the specific wheel that is rotating significantly faster than the others. You can turn off TC and if noise stops, you have your answer.

TC will likely limit engine RPMs as well, so not only will individual wheel braking occur, the engine will seem to bog down as well. Suggest you consult your manual.

automatic braking system. stops skidding.

The ABS function is entirely automatic and comes into action when one wheel looses traction under brakes. It releases the pressure to the brake on that wheel allowing it to turn and then reapplies pressure to the brakes This action will occur many times a minute and all you might feel is a pulsation of the brake pedal as the pressure is released and applied by the abs unit. It is fitted to give you steering ability under brakes as the wheels do not lock up but are allowed to keep turning and so prevents skids allowing you to steer around what you would otherwise hit.. Do not fall for the bull dust that you stop quicker( shorter distance) as this only applies to dry hard surface. ON loose surface ,ice,grass etc you will in effect use more distance to stop in a panic situation.

The ABS function is always on by default. You cannot just turn it off and on.

It only functions during hard or panic stops to prevent the car from skidding out of control. You'll feel a pulsation in the brake pedal under those conditions as it alternately reduces, then re-applys, the brake pressure on any wheel that's beginning to skid.

It does this by monitoring the speed of each wheel, then comparing those speeds to one another. When a wheel is detected to be slower than the others, it indicates a skid is happening, or about to happen, on that wheel. The pressure is then momentarily reduced on that wheel to allow it to regain traction.

The noise could be connected to the parking brake, or it could be a loose brake pad. When you engage the brakes the pads strike the rotors and then can not move around.

If the ABS system were the problem, the ABS warning light should come on.
So I would say the problem is with the vac booster. The booster is between the pedal and the master cylinder. It uses vac to boost the pressure applied to the master cylinder by your foot.
You may have to leave the vehicle with a mechanic to drive until the problem occurs.

Hi Sheri, happy that you managed to sort out the problem. The operation of the ABS pulsates as you have described. It sends a small electrical charge to the management system, telling the system when the brake is about to lock and momentarily releases that particular brake for that wheel. If the wheels lock when braking and the vehicle skids, control is lost. With ABS the skidding is eliminated and thereby making the vehicle safer. Regards John

If you have rear drum brakes then a brake shoe could have come apart causing the wheel to grab and skid on the pavement. If you can see external signs of dark wet areas that would be a leaking brake cylinder which can also cause the brakes to grab. The other possibiity, more common with disc brakes, is that a brake calliper is closing, but is not releasing properly when you let off the brake pedal. This would require replacement of the disc caliper on the wheel where it is grabbing.
Warped rotors can also cause the brake to "grab" when you don't want them to, but generally it will grab and release with a "pulsating' feeling if that's the problem.

The "pulsating" you refer to is Normal for a vehicle with ABS (Anti-Lock Brake Systems). It keeps the vehicle braking in a straight line and monitors each wheel with a sensor as to how fast it's turning while braking. The "pulsations" you feel is the ABS Computer turning each individual brake on and off to prevent a lock-up or skid. Perhaps if you road test the vehicle and apply your brakes lightly as in coming up on a stop sign in a residential neighborhood, you'll feel what you consider to be, "normal braking." Pulsations usually come at higher speeds and as to how much pressure you're putting on the brake pedal. You're safer than most now knowing that braking, even in snow, rain or gravel, that your vehicle will stop in a straight line instead of sliding to one side or the other.

If unhappy with ABS Braking, you can always remove the fuse to the ABS computer rendering it inoperative, so you have both choices as to what you'd like to do, right here.

I hope this helps,

~00 Buck~

"Still Living on the Right Side of Dirt..."

You say you hear the noise when you "slow down". Does this mean you hear the thumping noise when you let off the gas and let the car coast to a stop or only when you are applying the brakes to decellerate?
If you only hear the noise while applying the brakes then I would assume it has something to do with your brakes. The first thing that comes to mind would be rotors that aren't true or warped which could make a thumping sound.

Do you feel any vibrations in your foot when it is applying pressure to the brake pedal? If you do feel a sort of pulsating feeling then it could very well be your brakes making the noise.

I hope I was of some assistance,
AadoubleA