still sounds like the brakes to me, and that would be the easiest thing to fix

Lets just be clear. You say that the Hi-mount stop lamp is on but the other lights that are on are not the lower brake lights? The parking lights? Because when you refer to brake lights, you say brake lights - not "rear tail lights". So, are all the brake lights on or not?

So I will assume that the "red rear lights" that you are referring to are the brake lights. So it would appear thet your brake light switch is failed or it has to be adjusted. For the time being, remove fuse 23 from under the driver side dash fuse panel (15 amp fuse). That should shut the lights until someone can investigate the brake light switch circuit.

try seeing if the emergency brake is part way down and not all the way retracted. if not check brake switch under dash, its gotta be actuated by brake pedal in some way, not disengaging

This is an inexpensive job to have done. Maybe that would be easiest for you at this time. I would guess that the part is $10 and the labor is $35 plus or minus.

The bulb or the socket or a broken wire someplace.

The White / Tan wire should light up a test lamp when the brake pedal is applied. Verify whether there is battery voltage or not and if not I will continue to advise you how to find the cause.

Are you asking how to disconnect an electrical connector?

Hit it with a hammer straight on the pad surface toward the edge and don't be shy, give it a good whack. It is just oxidized on some.

No

as long as you do not open the hydraulic system by loosening a brake line or bleeder there is no reason to bleed the brakes.

If your car is creating a popping noise it means a component has failed or is failing, there is no "normal" popping noise. There are several systems that can make a popping noise such as a heater blend door actuator. Popping can also be generated from a suspension component such as a sway bar link that has become worn and has excessive clearance. These popping sounds can be created either when the car is moving or standing still depending on the system that is generating the noise. Sometimes just turning the ignition key to the on position can begin the popping sound and occasionally a car can pop just sitting in one place.

Other pop sounds are created when a system is engaged and then stops when the system is switched off such as an air conditioner system. While still other popping noise are created when the car is driven in curtain conditions such as a bumpy road or at a particular speed.

You can check the following for possible causes

Inspect Shocks or struts - if these componetns become loose or leak they came create popping, banging and rattling noises

Check sway bar mounts

Check drive axles

Inspect tie rods

Check control arm bushing

Check brake linings for brake fades

You can also visit www.autopartswarehouse.com for parts

brake booster is my guess and bleed brakes real well

I believe you have a vacuum boost problem. Sounds like your boost is going in and out. When it goes out, the pedal will become harder to push. If it goes out when you've got pressure on the pedal, I can see the pedal firming up and pushing back at you, because without vacuum boost, you need more foot pressure to apply the same braking forces.

The first thing I'd check is the easiest. Check your vacuum line to to the brake booster, make sure it doesn't have any leaks or cracks or didn't rub up against something. These don't normally wear out, but if you have something mounted on the firewall it might have gotted damaged or come partly loose if engine work was done in that area.

Beyond that, the vacuum booster may need to be replaced, which can be a bit involved.

It seems like what you have going on is false ABS activation which would give you exactly what you are detailing and of course the ABS light will then come one. You have to read the ABS codes, That is the next step. Do not replace any parts until you have read the ABS codes and can post the codes here. Find someone that has the scan tool to read them for you. I believe that the cause will turn out to be a bad wheel speed sensor in the front, either the driver side or pass side. And, if I had to say which one, I would say the pass side. Read the codes next.

sounds like the rear brakes are sticking i would check the wheel cylinders

Blead the rear brakes and check again, adjusting might be needed too maybe adjust down.

Check for fluid leak, this is serious and must be repaired first before accident comes to you.

You say the wheel cylinders are not frozen and this is verified? Do the lines freely bleed from the rear wheel cylinders? Do you have a good pedal or is it going to the floor or very low? With the lines bled out and the rear wheels off the ground, if you step on the brake pedal, are you still able to turn the wheels by hand?

There is something going on with the wheel cylinders or the shoes are the wrong diameter or something because there is nothing left. If the brake shoes are on and the brake shoe to drum clearance is correct (should be rubbing some but still able to be turned by hand) and the wheel cylinders work. How about replacing the cylinders anyway Scott because you have left nothing else to blame. no mystery here. the cause is one of the things you say is good. If the master cylinder were bleeding down internally while trying to pressurize the brake lines going to the rear, there would be the obvious low pedal which you say is good, that the brake pedal is NOT low when you step on it. Have you pushed inward on both of the wheel cylinder pistons in both wheel cylinders to verify that there is no chance that maybe only one piston in each wheel cylinder is able to move and the other is frozen, which by the way is common in Jeeps.

First drain 2⁄3 of the brake fluid from the front reservoir. Use the bleeder screw at the front outlet port to drain the fluid. If equipped with anti-lock brakes, relieve the system pressure. Raise and safely support the vehicle. Remove the wheels. Insert a small prybar through the caliper opening and pry the caliper (using the outboard brake pad) to bottom the pistons in the caliper bore. Pry the caliper support spring out of the caliper. Remove both caliper slide pin bushing caps and slide pins. Lift the caliper from the anchor. Using a piece of mechanics wire, support the caliper so there is not tension on the brake hose. Remove the brake pads from the caliper.

Installation: Position the brake pads onto the caliper. Position the caliper into place on the anchor. Coat the caliper slide pins with silicone grease and torque them to 21–30 ft. lbs. (29–41 Nm). Install the slide pin bushing caps. Install the caliper support spring in the top of the caliper under the anchor; then, install the other end into the lower caliper hole. Fill the master cylinder with fluid and bleed the brake system. Before driving the vehicle, pump the brakes several times to seat the pads. Install the wheels.

faulty brake light switch is the first thing to check

you will need an ABS scan tool to retrieve the codes then post them on here so we can help you

Inspect the clutch assembly, it might be the diaphragm/return spring is defective or the slave cylinder needs service. Replace parts as needed. If you use brake fluid it's just fine.

Did you make sure to replace it with the exact same bulb, some of these rear bulbs are dual fillament and even though the bulbs look the same they may not be. Next if that is not the case then you need to check the wiring circuit if the other side is working fine then most likely there is a short or break in the circuit somwhere. Start at the connector and test it for voltage while someone presses the brake, use the working side as a comparison see which wires are ground and which are power and looke for a terminal that doesn't match up, it might be open meaning there is no power or ground, or there might be ground when the other termianl shows it open meaning that wire is shorting to ground.