Make it stop!!! The brake system revisited

[midget]

Looking over the last coulple months (and longer) there has been some good information obout optimizing the brake system in the setting of big tires, 1ton swaps, towing, and 4 wheeling.

My current situation is a 73' K5 481 bb, TH 400, 205, D60 in front with detroit, 4.56 gears and reman1ufactured Bendix caliipers and napa pads.

The back is FF14 bolt with a detroit and drums that have seen their last turn so Im motivated to move forward with the disc conversion to hopefulluy get the brakes better.

My plan: Use Blackwidowmounting plates/spacer. Junk yard for 76-78 eldorado calipers with e brake. I would keep the stock blazer proportioning valve in to see how it does.

Does anyone know new of a truck (chev 1ton or 3/4 ton) I can use to harvest the power booster and master cylinder out of. All that is assuming the newer designs worked better and more efficiently

I'm curious as to whether anyone is aware of a certain year or groups of years where the brakes worked noticably better.

Thanks alot if anyone cand dig up some info on that.

 

[tRustyK5]

Convert it to hydro-boost. 82 and up diesel K5 and pick-ups got hydro boost.

Rene

 

[midget]

brake solution

Today 02:42 PM tRustyK5
"Convert it to hydro-boost. 82 and up diesel K5 and pick-ups got hydro boost.

Rene"

I have thought about putting the hydro-boost on the K5. I have an 89 3/4 ton suburban with the 6.5 TD running hydro-boost from the factorty and have not been over impressed with the brakes on it either. It doesn't feel like they are better enough to warrent the conversion.

I'm wondering if they made any improvements in mid to late 90's in the booster/master cylinder combination that could be used in this application.

Thanks for the input

 

[mouse]

I used the hydroboost unit from a 1/2 ton, 1981 GMC pickup. Prior to this I used a reman vac booster and new MC. The hydroboost is far superior. I can lock up all 4 EASILY, and modulate them as well. I am also running disc brakes on my 14BFF.

 

[tRustyK5]

Same here...


Rene

 

[midget]

hydroboost

I used the hydroboost unit from a 1/2 ton, 1981 GMC pickup. Prior to this I used a reman vac booster and new MC. The hydroboost is far superior. I can lock up all 4 EASILY, and modulate them as well. I am also running disc brakes on my 14BFF.

Ok The hydroboost is sounding like a better idea. I have always sort of stayed away from that system because I thought it just added more parts that could potentially fail.

I take it none of you have had significant mechanical problems with the hydroboost? Like I said earlier, I had that 89 suburban with it, never did alot of 4 wheeling with it but it seemed to work ok on the street.

Thanks alot for the input, I appreciate it.

 

[mouse]

I just installed the system last month, and have a couple of minor issues to work out. The rear brakes lock up just a tad too early. I will be installing an adjustable porportioning valve to fix this - Rene, what do you use?

Second, my master cylinder lid keeps leaking. I'm not sure why. At first I thought it was from the rear brakes getting hot from long, extended down hill trails ( I was out on a 4-day wheeling trip), but it still leaks a little around town. I guess it just must be a poorly designed lid. BTW, this is the hydroboost MC that I am running. Its a reman unit...

These are not really anything to worry about. I would worry about not being able to stop quickly in my truck.