aklabs

Looking for opinions here?


Ok. My next upgrade will be the brakes. Now, how should I do this? Upgrade the pads and brake lines from EGR and get bigger wheel cylinders from Napa (this is the cheapest option but not necessarily the best) or completely convert my back brakes to disk and get the pads and brake lines from EGR (more expensive)?

Now I will be hauling a camper and towing a trailer with either two four wheelers or a small Jeep through Alaska mountains. I am looking for the best stopping power for my money and I want to stop my beast without eating some small rice burner that seems to pull out in front of me daily.

Any suggestions?

dawna

Hemi Cat

Get a bigger front bumper??? Disc brakes are a very good brake and on the smaller axles may brake better than the drums when you ride the brakes for long downhill grades. The larger brakes on the heavier axles will outperform the discs or be equal. I would stay with the drums. Check to see what the largest drum brake is available for your truck. Then you may have problems with rear wheel skid when unloaded.

Dieseldude4x4

We put the larger GM wheel cylinders on my sons 94 and the rear wheels locked up for the first time since he had the truck. Also put on a new NAPA master cylinder.

RickCJ

Simple! Just turn on your exhaust brake! I hardly use my brakes now that I have an exhaust brake.

infidel

Spend the $25 on larger cylinders, if they aren't enough improvement spend some more money. No big loss.
I guarantee you will be very impressed with the $25 improvement, I know many people who have given up on the idea of EGRs or discs after changing for larger cylinders.

BoostdCTD

I completely agree with Bill, you're talking about $25 versus $1000 and a big differnce in time of labor. You may just as well try the larger cylinders as the cost is minuscle compared to the EGR system, the change should be quite drastic.

aklabs

I'll give that a shot. Spending $100 dollars is sure better then spending $1000 or more. I've got a camping trip planned for this weekend but next week I'll see if my small Napa store has the larger wheel cylinders. I've got the part number UBP37337. I sure hope they don't have to order the parts in cause that will take a couple of weeks plus it will be $50 or so per cylinder. I know that is not what you folks pay down south but up here in Kodiak they have you over a barrel and you pay.

dawna

durasmack

If they want that much for them, PM me. I may be able to help you out. I agree with everyone else. It is a good upgrade.

studebaker

I did the chevy brake cylinder conversion on mine and without a doubt, the brakes were drasticly improved. I don't think disc brakes are needed. I don't see how they would be any better.

INJECTOR JACK

I would do infidels wheel cylinder conversion 1st as stated before and try it out it worked for me!

That infidel is a smart guy I tried his method of primeing the engine with a wooden dowel it worked great and easy on the back.

infidel

If they want too much order from here http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/cata...8&a=FR5-F79768

This is Wagner #F79768, a perfect match for the Napa cylinder that is even cheaper, $8.18

aklabs

Thanks for the info guys. I'll let you know when I get them. I'll need a brake bleeder but my military auto shop should have one I can borrow. Can't wait to get better stopping power.

thanks again

dawna

torquefan

Rear discs aren't near as good as the hype would have you believe. They hate all the mud and gravel that gets into them. The slides seize up, and before you know it, you have one pad worn to metal, while the others are still close to good. I noticed your truck is a 98, so you have a load proportioning valve on the rear. There is a Dodge bulletin that deals with bypassing that valve with a hose, to allow better braking from the rear. This makes a big difference, and you may want to give it some thought. You can do this instead of the big wheel cyls, or in conjunction with them.

BoostdCTD

The half ton Chebys actually were disc in 1999 but this year they converted back to drum due to the problems that torquefan stated above, some serious offroaders were getting less than 7k miles on a rear set of brakes!

B-rock

I just did the rear wheel cylinder upgrade. WOW a huge improvement. First time i went out i locked up the rear brakes. Now the rear ABS is working like it should.

I wasn't quite sure what people ment when they said there truck is now braking like it should. Now i understand what they mean by that. I feel a lot safer and am very happy with the braking performance of my truck.

Ohh and by the way it's a good thing i decided to do it. When i pulled off the drivers side drum I saw brand new brakes COVERED in grease. I think one of the previous owners just put the shoe's on with grease on them or the drum's???? I can find NO SIGHN of anyplace where it was leaking. So I now have new brakes and wheel cylinders. AND 4 wheel stop now.