I need to put a pair of calipers on my w350 tomorrow but the parts store list either phenolic "plastic" or metal piston material. Ive never even heard of plastic on a brake caliper so what should i buy?

 

Unless this is some new product the aftermarket is trying...I have never heard of a plastic type caliper piston for our trucks. I would want to go with the steel/metal piston personally.

 

Both calipers that I've ever had seize had metal pistons. My truck sits in the winter so i purposely pick phenolic calipers.

Theres pros and cons to both, which is detailed in a couple places on the www.

 

How often do you flush your brake fluid? If the truck sits a lot, then I would flush the complete system every year, only takes me about 30 min, by myself. I started flushing my brake fluid every 2 years max, about 10+ years ago...I have not had a single wheel cylinder, or brake caliper fail on me in all that time.

 

first was a aftermarket caliper on a 83 w150- brake fluid never changed, just bled.

second was a 88 w100- brake fluid changed every other year or so. Actually 2 froze up on this truck- one was a napa, one was a fly by night thing from rhode island that was pretty sketchy. Other problem is it sat for 3-6 months at a time during winter.

I've had good luck with napa eclipse calipers so far.

 

Chrysler had a tsb to change phenolic to metal on customer experiencING sticky calipers.
Use Dot 4 fluid, change every 2 years.. all problems will disappear.

M