I am looking at upgrading my rear brakes and was wondering what year of the chevy 1 ton wheel cylinders do i need to get?

 

Any year in the early '90s will work but it's better to just give them the number.
Napa #4637337 will cross over at any autoparts.
They are offered in three grades, the cheapest work just fine.

 

Why switch to a chevy 1 ton wheel cylinder? Are they better?

 

The larger diameter provides more rear braking force. An increase of approximately 25-50% can be expected depending on year, 2500 or 3500.
Most people who do this $25 mod say the truck brakes the way it should afterwards- no nosediving since the rears do their share of the work.
Front pads will last much longer.

 

They offer more than one size, dont remember the diameter, maybe 1 1\8 but dont buy the biggest ones. The rears will lock on wet pavement and slide in gravel, definitely too much brake on the rear.

 

im buying these babies monday myself as i have a leaky rear passenger side cylinder...that part number will work at autozone? or advance autoparts too?

 

The part number I gave only comes in one diameter.

 

Wow Bill,

Once again, you're a wealth of information! I hadn't noticed this mod before, but just found this thread while perusing.

Now I'm going to have to go look up the bore on my stock 3500 wheel cylinders versus the Chevy parts!

ANYTHING to improve braking would be great as I've even been thinking of deleting the rear antilock in favor of a universal adjustable proportioning valve such as used on race cars. It seems the antilock kicks in a little too easily, and when it does, it takes longer to stop than if I just locked the wheels. I think I'd prefer to modulate the pressure on the stop pedal myself.

Have any neat tricks for the front? If they weren't so expensive, I'put on the Stainless Steel Brakes kit with 4-piston calipers and drilled rotors.

 

The GM 1 ton rear wheel cyinders are the best $20 you'll ever spend on the 2nd gen. No lock up problems here at all and I live in snow country.

 

Are the chevy wheel cylinders bigger than the Dodge 3500 wheel cylinders? My rear brakes work but I think they should be better to take the load off of the undersized fronts.

 

For $20 why argue? Just get the GM's. They work.

 

Drumroll please...

YES. A quick look at the Napa online site shows the Chevy cylinders (TS) 4637337 to be 1 3/16" bore, the stock 3500 cylinders are 1 1/6" bore. Quite a bit more surface area when you take the "pi" thing into account.

BTW, the site is showing the price at $11.49 each, $1.00 cheaper than the stockers.

 

You don't need any tricks on the front once the rears do their share of the work.

The degree of improvement with the larger cylinders on a pre '97 2500 is even more dramatic, the stock cylinders on these are 24mm, less than one inch.

 

Bill, dumb question here...my passenger side rear brake cylinder is leaking...im gonna buy the chev upgrades...should i change out the shoes?...they did get oil on them...or will brake cleaner be good enough to get the oil off?

 

they can cross-reference the number and get you the cylinders in the brand they carry