New or Used Booster

[arturo7]

I've been looking at different kits for a front disc upgrade. Some include the booster, some don't. Is this an item I can pick up used? It would be nice to save a couple but I don't want to compromise on safety.

What about the proportional valve?

thanks

[hp1957]

Arturo7, Rec. all new brake parts. Can't put a price on Safety.

Harvey

1957 Chevy Stepside
1958 GMC Fleetside C4 build thread:http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...65#post5510465

[dwcsr]

I purchased a new supposedly made in USA booster and it turned out to be just as bad as an Asian booster. So to save money I used that one as a core on a Cardone rebuilt and its been working for 4 years.

I'm not a fan of used brake parts but buying junk parts as a core if its cheap enough (or free) to buy a reman unit is fine. I'm finding more and more that "NEW" units from online performance outlets are not nearly as good as a reman unit.

[arturo7]

Originally Posted by dwcsr

I purchased a new supposedly made in USA booster and it turned out to be just as bad as an Asian booster. So to save money I used that one as a core on a Cardone rebuilt and its been working for 4 years.

I'm not a fan of used brake parts but buying junk parts as a core if its cheap enough (or free) to buy a reman unit is fine. I'm finding more and more that "NEW" units from online performance outlets are not nearly as good as a reman unit.

Might I ask who was the vendor of the poor quality booster?

[dwcsr]

MBM. It broke inside and leaked vacuum to the point I had no pedal. this happened inside of a month of install. The one prior to this the brackets actually snapped off at the firewall where they bent them for the bolt pad. It was interesting stopping the truck that day, pedal on the floor.

It was a conversion for a 72. I ended up using what I could for cores to get reman Cardone parts and purchased used OEM brackets. Their Proportioning valve works ok. I got a couple of masters from them and they seemed to have grid from manufacturing still in them so I returned those and don't buy there anymore.

[arturo7]

There are options for slotted and drilled rotors. What is the purpose?

[hp1957]

Originally Posted by hp1957

Arturo7, Rec. all new brake parts. Can't put a price on Safety.

Harvey

1957 Chevy Stepside
1958 GMC Fleetside C4 build thread:http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...65#post5510465

Arturo7, Rec. www.classicperform.com

[mr48chev]

Slotted and or drilled rotors are intended for cooling but have become a bling item for a lot of guys. Originally it was done on road race and circle track cars to help cool the brakes.

On buying new or wrecking yard stuff. A few months ago the anti lock brakes on my wife's 600.00 91 Dodge Grand Caravan went bad and it was going to cost way over 1000 to have them fixed in a shop or around 500 for the part from O'reilly's. I went and took the whole regular power brake setup off a mini van in the wrecking yard and swapped it over. That included going back and getting the pedal. When I got it together the master cylinder didn't work right and I had to change it and then the booster didn't work right and I had to change it. The core value on both pieces was just about what I paid for them at the wrecking yard so I broke even but it cost me another full day's work working on her van rather than on my truck.
I've been lucky in the past using donor brake parts but they usually came off a donor that I had bought and driven to the shop before I stripped it.

[_Ogre]

arturo;
truk has a junkyard hydroboost and mc from an 03 mustang
in my opinion used oem parts are better than most of the rebuilt parts from the parts stores
the system was factory sealed until i put it in truk, it sat open for 4 years while i finished truk
no problems when i started it up
i did end up replacing the mc eventually when one of the newly purchased rebuilt calipers failed and i couldn't get it to bleed right

[1project2many]

Tough question. For a guy with experience diagnosing problems the answer is OEM booster, used or new, in good shape. Chances are it will be good but if it's not an experienced guy can usually pick up on the problems pretty quickly.

I work in fleet repair and I've been a tech most of my life. Cardone is the largest remanufacturer in the world but they sell a lot of garbage. They allow something like a 2% defect right off the bat. Really? With brakes? And steering? It's marginally ok if your car won't start but what if it won't stop or steer??? We take no chances. It's a cold day when one of our school buses receives a Cardone part.

There's a lot of import junk out there these days which makes it hard to decide what to use for reman. I stick with Raybestos, Delco, Motorcraft much of the time. They can be very pricey but the quality is generally higher and more consistent. EIS was good for a long time but I can't find them in this area. Same with Bendix. Napa parts are usually reboxed from another manufacturer but they're generally decent quality.

Choose your supplier based on what people here have to say.

[arturo7]

Any opinions on this all-in-one kit from CPP? Who makes it? Is it one of the previously described marginal units?

http://www.classicperform.com/Store/...ks/4754BBD.htm

[dwcsr]

When I worked on school buses I remember it be illegal to used reman on brake systems but that was in CT so it may be different. 2% failure is an excellent failure rate. I doubt Delco or Wagner or others have much better than 2% on new parts.

I hear people really trash Cardone but I don't have the issues with them that some do and have had more issues with new aftermarket parts for early trucks that reman parts.

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by arturo7

Any opinions on this all-in-one kit from CPP? Who makes it? Is it one of the previously described marginal units?

http://www.classicperform.com/Store/...ks/4754BBD.htm

That is a common kit that a lot of places sell. I would shop around and get one from a reseller that is a little more responsive to its customers. Look in the review section about CCP and you can then make your choice to purchase from them or not.

[arturo7]

Originally Posted by dwcsr

That is a common kit that a lot of places sell. I would shop around and get one from a reseller that is a little more responsive to its customers.

So is it a quality unit?

[OrrieG]

Depending on your skill level, you can make the brackets and buy the mc, booster and proporting valve cheaper than the kit. I have about $10 in scrap iron, $90 for booster (on sale), $35 for MC, had the proportioning valve, a few bucks for misc parts. I made the lever between pedal and mc out of EMT and nuts I had laying around, clevis came with the mc. Performance Online (co I got my booster from) have kits starting at around $230.

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by arturo7

So is it a quality unit?

That kit I have not used.

[dwcsr]

I have used this. its a 77 bronco. Bendix booster and a GM style master

http://www.cardone.com/Products/Prod...=509317&p=rock

$150 and you buy or make a bracket

If you get it from rockauto or your local parts house at least there is a warranty and you don't have to send to china for parts.

[OrrieG]

Don't know the quality, I know the booster seems to be and works (at least when I put a trial vaccum source to it). I just saw it when I was looking up the price I paid for the booster.

[solidaxel]

I have had good luck with ECI brackets and MC on a few projects

[buggy5872]

I used a 91 Lumina booster and mater with 4 wheel disc brakes. Did not have a proportioning valve. 4 lines come out of the master. Must be internal proportioning? It came out of a salvage yard 12+ years ago. Works great and stops straight. Stops better than most cars I have had. Used the pedal assembly from the car too.

[Russell Ashley]

Originally Posted by arturo7

So is it a quality unit?

I would say it's a good unit. I have that same kit on my truck and I like it. It's not hard to install, you just have to drill one hole in the frame rail.

[arturo7]

Just had an unexpected windfall. New it is; a complete front disc kit. Probably go with ABS in Orange, CA.

Thanks for all of the advice. Another informed decision courtesy of this fine forum.

[arturo7]

Yowsa! Stopped by ABS this afternoon. They want 20% more than everybody else for the kit. No wonder they don't publish their prices.

Any suggestions on other vendors?

[Gator Alum]

I went through POL online. $239 shipped to my door for booster kit with dual 7" MC. I didn't get the disc brakes though. It's even cheaper than POLs website! Haven't installed yet, but looks real sturdy
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[JumboAMONGus]

o i got one of them ebay booster master cylinders the thing dont make a difference if its hooked to vacumm or not works the same either way , and i used junkyard boosters on 4x4 rigs ,, jeep cherokee makes aluminum master cylinders ,, cheap just look inside clean good to go , lol remember you always have an e-brake