woodrat

My booster and MC have been funky for a long time, but it has finally gotten to where I'm not willing to put up with it anymore, and I need to replace it.

I've seen where people have complaints about the NAPA ones, but O-Reillys shows it as being "not in stock" and not even something I can get shipped to me.

Are there any other good options for this, or should I just roll the dice with NAPA? At least online, it looks like I can actually get the parts from them, anyway.

Also, I need new star adjusters for the rear brakes, mine have been all worn out and not holding an adjustment for a long time, and that contributes to a low pedal. I'd like to deal with that, too, but I can't seem to find anything specific to these trucks, and I don't want to play the "keep ordering parts and trying them out" game with that. I hate doing brakes as it is, I really don't want to have to take them apart and put them back together more often than necessary.... Any part numbers/sources for that?

Thanks!

1972RedNeck

I have been through the ringer on the brakes on my '93 - I'm done with and going hydro-boost.

maybe368

What do you mean by funky? I ask because you mention the adjusters aren't working. If the rear brakes are not adjusted properly, almost nothing else in the brake system works right. You can get brake hardware kits on Rockauto that include new adjusters. I would start with getting the rears right, then go from there. Or you can just go to hydroboost ...Mark

Boatnik

My brakes don't last long either. The shoes and pads don't wear out but the system gets a mind of it's own. I am seriously thinking rear disc brakes on my dually. i overheated the drum brakes and warped the drums enough to require replacing them.

maybe368

I went the disk route and have never regretted it. I still have the whole system intact, including the RWAL brake system. If you do it, I recommend getting the '76 or '77 Cadillac El Dorado calipers in order to have a parking brake. I used the egr kit that came with everything,not cheap, but there are a few threads where people have pieced them together. In the interest of originality, I hung onto the entire rear drum system, in case some future owner (after I die, of course) wants to put them back on. The kit involves no welding, completely bolt on...Mark

woodrat

Well, spongy, takes a pump or two, but mostly has come up to "tight enough" with two pumps, for years. I discovered that when I went back under there and readjusted the rears, it would be tighter and closer to the top for a little while, and then would drift away again. Now, though, I'm getting a whooshing sound down by the pedals on braking sometimes, and a couple of weeks back, I had to drive the truck up some pretty steep off road stuff to get to my dead deer, and when I went to turn around and back down a steep spot, I could feel the cylinder fading under pressure. Now I've got brakes that pull to the left under hard braking (which is not desirable!), and I just need brakes that work normal all the time.

Years ago, when I realized the adjusters were worn out, I tried to get new ones at a couple of different places and just got blank stares. Truck was mostly parked for years, would only use it for putting the boat in every now and then, or putting around on the logging roads during hunting season, and for as little as I was using it, I just tolerated the funky brakes. But now I'm fixing it up as kind of a DD again, and camping out of it, and driving 500 miles over to my other piece of land and then back again several times a year, and I want to be able to tow trailers again, so I rebuilt the kingpins and other front end problems, and have been doing a ton of other small stuff to make it tolerable again.

Today I found drum brake hardware kits on NAPA, but they were "universal" and the website couldn't seem to tell me if anything they had would fit my truck. My local NAPA guys are not quite the best and brightest, and so I would rather source tricky bits like that elsewhere if I could.

What's the deal with "hydroboost"?

Basically, I want this truck to "be all it could be", and functioning brakes are a big part of that... lol

maybe368

Everything that you describe could be caused by out of adjustment drums, or something else. Check rockauto, they have the specific kits for the drum brakes. The hydroboost is a brake booster system that uses hydraulic pressure off of the power steering pump, instead of engine or vacuum pump vacuum. There are quite a few threads on this, including in the sticky. Coincidently, the old El Dorados had the hydroboost system.I had a '76 and was always intrigued by the cannister part of it that said "Danger, do not remove" because of a powerful spring inside. All that said, there are others here with much more knowledge than me...Mark

bigragu

Anymore I go to O'rileys web site, punch in my model truck, year, diesel, W250, and source all my parts and part numbers, then call my local O'rileys and feed them the part numbers. Every once in awhile they'll ask which vehicle are the parts for, but that is a rarity.

If you do that, Woodrat, your part numbers will be in there. Rockauto is the same, but I tend to over buy what I need, then return what I don't use. That why I buy local and not online for maintenance type of parts.

Yes, there are the rear disc conversions which I've heard nothing but good on, and then there's hydroboost, which most folks swear by. I have yet to read up on anyone that has done both a rear disc conversion and hydroboost at the same time.

Like the disc conversion kit Mark mentioned, you can get a hydroboost system in kit form like I did from Tallon Hydraulics. He (Butch at Tallon)does not have a kit advertised specifically for a first gen dodge diesel online, so you won't find one. In fact, you won't find any diesel specific kit online at Tallon, period. But if you call him, he has a kit set aside for "The Dodge diesel folk" (his name for us) with everything needed to make it a true bolt on system. Very quality kit, with high end parts.

And also, like Mark mentioned with discs conversion parts cobbled together, hydroboost parts can be had from junkyard finds or partial junkyard and partial new parts. Your choice. Either way, I've seen great results from folks that went that route.

Lastly, again like Mark mentioned, if you hit that search button in the top right of any topics page, you can type in hydroboost or type in rear disc brakes, and there will be lots of reading, with some part numbers called out along with links.

The top hydroboost conversions, in my opinion, were done by MKnittle, ThrashingCows, JFonder, and The Ouchieman.

Disc conversions were done by AngryJohnny, BC847, and a couple of others I can't remember. Good luck, man

thrashingcows

The "wooshing" under the dash is a bad seal on the back of the brake booster. Your loosing vacuum from the booster wen you press on the brake pedal.

But as mentioned getting the rear brakes set up with all new hardware and then adjusted properly is key. Also making sure your E-brake system is working properly with no hang up is necessary as well.

james1

Last year John Martin identified a place in Minnesota that rebuilds master cylinders with stainless steel sleeves. He also found a place in Texas that rebuilds vacuum boosters. See this thread:

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...search-323085/

I continue to recommend avoiding Cardone reman parts...

samiam4

Hardware, drums, shoes, wheel cylinders. I think amazon is the best pricing and you pick the brand.

I think my spring and adjuster kit was 20 bux.

I don't think there is a quality rebuilt booster.. Hydro or vacuum.

bigragu

Tallon Hydraulics carries Bosch boosters for their hydroboost. For folks looking for a master cylinder, they ought to check out Tallons inventory. I could've sworn they carry a 60/40 MC like our trucks use. If you end up getting the Chevy or GM style, just remember that on those the rear brake line port is at the rear of the MC, and the front brakes are fed by the front port. Even though it is a 50/50 MC, it must be plumbed in that way. Our factory 60/40 has the rear brakes tied into the front port of our MC's

thrashingcows

For rear brake shoes make sure to get the riveted ones...I just don't trust the bonded shoes in our applications. I go for the wagner units....quality stuff!

woodrat

Thanks, all. I ordered the hardware kits for the rear drums from Rockauto, and I'll start there. My parking brake has been all messed up for years since a tow truck driver jammed on it so hard it broke everything under the dash. I have another mechanism, just never got around to cleaning it up and putting it in. Guess I'll get motivated now... ;-)

I found a used, supposedly good booster and MC from a private party, but I'm skeptical that it will be any better than what I have now. I guess if I can get it for core price, it might be worth it to have one to send off to be rebuilt without taking the truck completely out of commission while I wait. Right now, it's my only DD.

Maybe I will look into the hydroboost thing, too. Sounds interesting, anyway. I wish the rest of this truck was as durable as this engine!

samiam4

That last statement was right!! There was a retired dodge engineer rebuilding boosters. He machined a ring for the perimeter. Seals are cheap, but not for sale due to liability. Been unimpressed with cardone rebuilds.
ive been thinking of finding a new hydro unit.
Get your parking brake and rear drums sorted.