Best Rear Brakes

[00gyrhed]

don't need any assit

Thanks for the help guys. So if I have front disks and rear drums what do you guys think about manual brakes vs hydroboost vs vacuum assist?

First let me preface by saying I run 33s. I also grew up without any type of power assit. I got my first vehicle in 1973. The first power assist brakes I ever had, I put on my 55 chevy I bought in 1987.

I like the feel of the pedal that you get without assist. I also like the fact that the brake pedal does not change just because the engine dies.

If I had taller tires and my wife couldn't stop it I would put power assist on. It was always my plan to do hydroboost but the thing stops so well I just do not see a reason to spend the money.

No assist with the chevy brake conversion works very well. No complaints and the brakes are better than most.

My 120 # wife can stop it with no problem.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Thanks for the help guys. So if I have front disks and rear drums what do you guys think about manual brakes vs hydroboost vs vacuum assist?

Worst, Vacuum
Mid, Manual
Best, Hydro

Hydro gives the assist without removing the feel
Vacuum has a slow response and an isolated feeling. Also suck major if you loose vacuum. Hydro just goes back to manual brakes if you loose the assist, not fighting it like a dead vacuum booster.

 

[supermottl]

Ditto that...
i have h-boost on mine and love the peddle feel, but the e-brake yangs it.

i will go back to the large rear drums if I can find all the parts...

The rear caddy disk calipers are not good and very expensive. You get e-brake cable function but also constant adjustment and somewhat mushy pedal IMO. I think front disks are a must, but I would stick with rear drums for simplicity and cost. I wish I still had mine...

 

[blubuckaroo]

Don't needem! That's what all the truck runaway ramps are for;D ;D ;D Seems like all high performance applications use disks. Even my 173,000 lb AirBus.

He's got a daily driver with a boat in back. Not a race car!
173,000 lbs? I thought trains used electric dynamic braking.

 

[trailpsycho]

Running the Exploder discs for about 850 miles. Brakes are great...havent hooked up the Ebrake yet. I am running H-boost from an F250...stops awesome. For the minimal difference in cost, I would go with an H-boost setup vs a power-vac-assist booster. If you are needing to replace your drums, pads, cylinders, etc...look into a disc kit...you will spend maybe $200-250 more (maybe less) for the disc setup vs a complete drum overhaul. The Lokar universal line kit for the Exploder disc emergency setup is pretty sweet at ~$80. Like I said, its on emy list to get to that install...but the discs work great..they will stop the truck with the front brakes not working. Good luck.

 

[Dakkota777]

I know this is gonna sound like a newbie question but thats okay. What do you mean when you say chevy disk brakes up front. Is this what is sold by places such as wild horses, duff's etc...is it possible to piece the kits togther from a junkyard and just buy new calipers and rotors. I was going to do a vacuum power assist first and then front disks but it seems like most on here don't like the vacuum power assist. The bronco is for my fiance and she can stop it just fine....as long as no one pulls up short. This is gonna be her daily and I want it as safe as possible. First thing I did was to rebuild the rear drums. Parking brake works fine and there is no serious pull or locking up. Just curious as to what and where others started with their brakes.

thanks in advance

 

[Viperwolf1]

You can pick chevy parts from the junkyards. You'll need spindles, calipers and backing plates from an 71-76 blazer with a dana 44. Hubs and rotors come from 76 and up bronco or f150. If you get the calipers from a yard use them as a core for some new/rebuilt ones and get new rotors. There is a writeup in the tech section.

One thing to note: Power brakes, vacuum or hydroboost, do not make you brake better/faster. They only decrease the effort you need to put through your foot to engage the brakes. If you go to non-assisted front disks and have no trouble with the pedal effort required to stop then power brakes will not help you stop any faster. If you change master cylinders to a larger bore then it will be harder to press the pedal. I have unassisted chevy disks with a stock 1 in. bore master cylinder and can lock the front brakes if I need to.

 

[Dakkota777]

Thanks for the help. With the rear drums rebuilt the bronco stops okay. just takes alot of effort to keep it reined in. I can lock them up no prob in the gravel driveway not so much on the road.

 

[Madgyver]

Running the Exploder discs for about 850 miles.

Why do people call them Exploder discs??

 

[Viperwolf1]

Why do people call them Exploder discs??

I think it's just a pun on the explorer name.

 

[Ohio Bronco 21]

Im running Chevy Disks up front caddy disks in the rear and a power assist (larger bore) Master Cylinder. The Brakes work pretty good, much better than my normal vehicles (Cherokee and Saturn).
If I were to do it again I would stick with drums in the rear, the caddy set up is a pain.

 

[00gyrhed]

same reason they called it the have a stroke diesel

Why do people call them Exploder discs??

text must be placed here too.