dpuckett

Steve-oh- I dont think you will have too much rear braking. I have bypassed the RWAL on 2 trucks, (90 & 91) and had good to great results afterwords.

DP

wannadiesel

If the RWAL computer is unplugged the warning lights will go out.

Steve-oh

I unscrewed the glove-box hinge and pulled the plug on the RWAL brain. No more ABS light on start-up(lamp test), or Brake Warning lamp on start up(lamp test). I jumpered the Proportioning valve warning/ brake failure switch-it still works properly, (The Brake Warning light illuminates on shorting the feed circuit to ground).
No change in the spongey pedal feel, No change in Braking bias. Next I will run a new line from the front splitter block straight to the rear hose frame-mount(by-passing the RWAL dump valve), and install a new rear axle hose, then bleed like crazy. When I'm done I will report my results here so other people can glean something from it.

hippie

Just remove the real wheel brake valve and have an adapter made to join the two lines. one line has a fitting that is bigger than the other. There's no adapter on the market that I know of, so you'll have to have one made. Then bleed the system. That's a lot less work.

Steve-oh

I don't have a choice with replacing the line, it is so rusty when I touch it, it will disintegrate. I'm going to do the rear rubber hose also, it looks dry-rotted.
It would be quick to put in a fitting, but I have to do the whole thing.

hippie

In that case I would too, just leave that real wheel valve out. Dodge wants more for it than it's worth. Good Luck with your brakes.

Ace

You guys playing with the RWAL should heed Wanna's advice about doing everything possible to fix it first. I had a scare yesterday pulling the trailer and now I'm back on the troubleshooting path again myself. The truck brakes pretty well by itself without the RWAL, just being aware what it's doing when the rears lock up.

Sometime recently I blew the brake light fuse, maybe it was when I pugged the trailer in, dunno yet. Anyway, that rendered the trailer brakes useless and I figured since it was just half ton of lumber on a 10 mile trip and I was already on my way, no big deal. 10 minutes later I had to stand on it approaching a stop light and almost jacknifed the thing. Fortunately there was nobody in front of me and I got it stopped. But I think the RWAL would have either prevented that altogether or at least made it happen more controllably. Of course, trailer brakes would have been nice, too.

Just a little story for those preparing to dabble with the RWAL system.

BC847

- After bleeding the M/C.

- The RWAL device is bled First

- The right/rear cylinder bled 2nd.

- The left/rear cylinder bled 3rd.

- The right/front caliper bled 4th.

- The left front caliper bled 5th.

Steve-oh

OK folks, the jury is in. I bypassed the RWAL dump valve, put in a new line all the way back, and a new hose. Bled Brakes. Viola-It worked!. The brakes work fine, like a new truck(I have had spongey brakes for so long!). No more spongey pedal. Equal front and rear Braking bias. Now I guess I am going to have to splurge and buy some new tires since the Hoopty-Truck is saved. Thanks for your help all! (In the future I will avoid any kind of ABS on any vehicles I buy)

robox

Hey folks, I don't want to waste anyone's time here, and I've read this whole thread, but I'm confused about something...

I'm attempting to bypass the RWAL, so I bought the two Eaton fittings....



The only way these two fittings can go together, as seen on the right, yields an assembly with one male end and one female end. I've been under the truck to inspect the RWAL and brake lines, and it seems to me that I need an assembly that is female at both ends, to accept the brake line fittings.

Am I missing something here, or did I get the wrong fittings?

Thanks,
Christian

hippie

I had to have a adapter made, I took the RWAL valve to a machine shop and they made me one from stainless stock. It cost me $80.00 but well worth it.They need the old valve with fittings to use as a pattern for the adapter... I looked all over Oklahoma City and there were no brass fittings to be found...

andyr354

Why not just cut the end off and re-flare the line farther ahead ? ? ? Easy and way cheaper than buying/making all these adapters.

robox

Good suggestions, to be sure, but.... I don't have the right flaring tool, and assembling over-the-counter fittings seems easier than getting a machine shop in the loop.

Anyone who's done this job with the Eaton fittings able to chime in on whether I'm on the right track or not?

Thanks,
Christian

BearKiller

The wife's 91.5 is the newest vehicle we have ever had, or maybe I should say the most modern, as I did buy a brand-new 1978 Chevy truck.

Like many others have already stated, I have never experienced a problem with rear wheel lock-up in all my driving years, on loose gravel hills, heavy down-pours, ice and snow, huge trailers with bad or no brakes.

I have driven countless thousands of miles in big trucks, tractor-trailer, dump-trucks, milk trucks, log trucks, etc., that had no provision whatsoever for front axle breaks, no brake hubs, shoes, nothing, on the front axle, just idlers.

As soon as time allows, the only RWAL equipped vehicle we have will be converted to good old timey brakes that will work like they should, when they should.

j_martin

I Just deleted mine. I Needed predictability, and pedal. Got both.

I went to NAPA and browsed their brass section. picked out:

Brass Inverted Flare 90° Male Elbow 3/16 Tube X 1/8" Npt.
Brass Inverted Flare 90° Male Elbow 5/16 Tube X 1/8" Npt.
Brass 1/8" Npt coupling

Screw them together. Take out the RWAL valve. Screw the brake lines into the home made delete adapter. Bleed the rear brakes. (I'd do the driver's side first judging from the line layout.)

Tape up the connector or block it off with a dummy, either from the valve, or from the tail light wiring of almost any dodge pickup of that era.

Disconnect the controller behind the glove box, and yer done.