BCBroncos power brake kit

[rubywoofs]

Well, here I go again. Donk, you around? ;D

I'm running stock brakes on my 74 with 31" tires. Tires not extreme by any means, but my brakes are weak and a little soft. I'm considering adding the BCBroncos power brake kit. Looks like a straight forward install (hey, the Petronix kit was a little tougher than I thought, so I'm due, right?).

It was likely obvious from my Petronix thread, but I'm no mechanic. I'm a little handy, though.

So, the same question again - is this something a sort of handy non-mechanic can accomplish? Gremlins I should watch out for?

I'm thinking of installing the kit (assuming I can) and then taking it to a brake shop (if still needed) for standard brake work.

Any thoughts?

Thanks again,

Ruby

(by the way, Ruby was my dog and she barked a lot, so . . .)

 

[Hozr]

Do you have power steering? Hydroboost is the way to go

 

[rubywoofs]

I don't have power steering. I am interested in in the BC kit because it seems pretty easy and affordable and I don't need monster brakes (again, 31s, no lift, etc.). If hydroboost is also easy, then I could be interested.

 

[SteveL]

Hydro requires power steering. It runs off the pump. Its far better than the vacuum power brakes.

 

[broncodriver99]

I'm running stock brakes on my 74 with 31" tires.

So you are still running 4 wheel drum brakes?

I don't know that I would want power assisted drums in any way shape or form either vacuum or hydro.

A much better investment would be to do a front disc swap, the chevy kit is the easiest to source. I am running front discs with stock rear drums using the stock unassisted master cylinder and my brakes work great, much better than when I had the stock drums at all 4 corners. I am running 31's as well, I used to run 33's and the brakes were fine then as well.

Also, if your brakes feel soft check your rubber lines from the frame to the axles and from the master cylinder to the H-block if yours has them. They age and get soft which causes a loss in pressure and can make the pedal feel soft or mushy.

 

[DirtDonk]

...I'm running stock brakes on my 74 with 31" tires. Tires not extreme by any means, but my brakes are weak and a little soft.

Describe "soft" please?
Soft pedal, as in "squishy" or something like that? Soft as in it goes closer to the floor than you like? Or soft as in they're not very strong when pushing on the brakes?

I'm considering adding the BCBroncos power brake kit. Looks like a straight forward install (hey, the Petronix kit was a little tougher than I thought, so I'm due, right?).

Due? Yeah, do for another headache working on Broncos!
But yes, it's pretty straightforward. But that does not mean a booster install is not without it's little issues and things you should know about brakes in general while you're doing it. And while you're putting together what you need.
How's your tool supply?

So, the same question again - is this something a sort of handy non-mechanic can accomplish?

Yes. But you have to have the basic skills (meaning knowledge about what to look for and what to do when something crops up.

Gremlins I should watch out for?

Yes:
1. Pedal rod length.
2. Booster to master rod length.
3. Vacuum source.
4. Bleeding, bleeding, and more bleeding.
5. If your dash brake warning light was working properly before brake work, it might not be afterwards. If you're lucky, no problem. But if not... well, it happens.
6. Individual brake adjustments at each wheel.
This last is important no matter what you've got, when it comes to drum brakes and Broncos. Which is likely why one of the first recommendations above was for disc brakes first.
Not that the drums are undersized (by much), or that they can't work very well. But because they're crap for consistency compared to a disc setup.

I'm thinking of installing the kit (assuming I can) and then taking it to a brake shop (if still needed) for standard brake work.

Reasonable as long as you can bleed the brakes well enough to get you safely down the road. And adjust them again while you're in there anyway.

So, if you're looking for less pedal effort on your part, this kit should do the job. Just don't expect it to feel like a more modern car. Or even an older one with power brakes. You do get more power. It's just not that big of a difference, likely due to the small-ish booster that we have to use under the hood of a Bronco.

As mentioned, adding a booster to an already finicky brake setup can exaggerate the issues of uneven braking. If your brakes do work well and consistently, then the booster is a nice help. But if they pull one way then the other, or if the pedal you have now is actually soft and spongy, adding a booster is not going to get rid of it. For that you need the usual other suspects and brake job.

So let us know if it's a soft pedal, or weak brakes your trying to rid yourself of.

Paul

 

[rubywoofs]

Thanks for all the responses.

My brakes really just aren't strong, even if I put a lot of weight on the pedal. I feel like they get stronger, and the pedal reaches resistance higher/earlier, if I give the pedal a quick pump before a stop, though. The pedal does not reach the floor or anything. I don't generally pull to either side when braking but about 2-3 months ago I had a short spell of it that pretty much went away on its own.

Yes, I am still running drums at all four corners. I would like the disc conversion, but don't think there's any real chance I could do that on my own and worry about that atypical type of work at a brake shop or mechanic's garage.

I had sort of hoped that I could just remove the old master and put the new kit in, bleed the brakes, and be done. Doesn't sound like that's how it would work. So, I'll likely just take it in for the normal brake work.

Thanks again.

 

[DirtDonk]

Sometimes the friction material on the shoes is at fault. Just not the right compound and does not like to grip. Might be semi-metallic and needs to warm up some, but that's not what it's sounding like here.
However, friction material is still an important aspect.

The fact that yours are not pulling says a lot about their character. It's not uncommon for them to stop straight under normal circumstances, but it's a rare Bronco that doesn't pull to one side or the other (or both!) when there is a panic stop.

The double-pump aspect is interesting. I wonder if your master is getting old? Mine did that towards the end of it's daily driver life. Still in the Bronco now, but it's going away because that to me was a symptom of getting old.
Could have been a symptom of either the front or the rear brakes being out of adjustment, so that's another possibility. But in my case that was not an option because the brakes were adjusted to within an inch of their lives almost every other week by me.
The auto-adjusting feature never worked well on mine, so I got in the habit of tweaking them often.
What about yours? Do you know if the rear brakes are doing their part? Maybe next time you're driving it, push the parking brake down one click and see if the braking feel improves.
If they are so tight they only go one or two clicks normally for parking though, then this is probably not your issue and you'll just be dragging the brakes unnecessarily.

I wonder if someone put a larger than stock master cylinder on there already? A larger piston would mean you'd need to push harder to get the same amount of braking pressure at the drums.

A booster is likely going to help some. It's just that there is no guarantee it's going to fix an issue that has yet to be determined. Normally the Bronco drums are more than enough to stop decently with 31" tires. I had 32's for years and the brakes were fine.
I didn't expect it to stop like a modern car though. And that was the "modern" car of the seventies!%)
Can't really hold a candle to a true modern car until you do lots of stuff to them.
Could that be what you're feeling too? Just that these old brakes on a heavy Bronco are not near as good as any other newer cars or trucks you have?

Good luck. Sorry it wasn't sounding so easy after listening to us. Now I just hope we were right. And not just some of those internet expert gurus!

Paul