- Joined
- Aug 17, 2017
- Messages
- 40
After almost 2 years of fighting the horrible feel of my brakes on a vacuum booster, I finally pulled the plug on a new hydroboost from Wild Horses. Like everyone says, it's a night and day difference. But what a messy job! Despite my efforts to keep it all under control, I wasn't very successful. And when they tell you in the instructions to keep checking for leaks, they're not kidding. It reminded me of when I started bleeding the brake system during the restoration process. I was racing from leak to leak. I'm still amazed at how much wrench pressure it takes to get a stainless steel brake line to seal. They are not soft and malleable like common steel lines, so they don't conform well and don't want to seal. I found through trial and error that loosening the fitting first and then retightening it gave me the best results, although it seemed counterintuitive at first.
One thing I appreciated about the kit was how well everything fit together, and how well it integrated into the truck. I'm so happy to have room to work in that dark hole that was created by the previous system. I won't have to loathe pulling spark plugs any longer. This time around I broke down and got some speed bleeders and that was a blessing.
Before attempting this I read multiple threads here on CB to get opinions on different hydroboost systems. If there's one takeaway I got from all that reading it was that mixing and matching parts from different vehicles could yield varying outcomes. I read about people trying to correct bad habits in their trucks, with varying suggestions about changing master cylinder bore size, or other brake system components, or adding brake bias systems or proportioning valves. No amount of money I could save could justify the potential headache.
There appears to be common agreement on trying to extract the most performance you can get from these hydroboost systems. Such as using a dual return pump and making sure that absolutely all air is removed during the bleed process. I tee'd in the return line, and I did my best to bleed the system, but I wasn't anal about it. If there's a very small amount of air left in the system it might actually be beneficial, since it would have the tendency to desensitizie the system somewhat. That's a personal opinion that most would disagree with, but I'm not running 35's or 37's that would require optimum performance.
As it stands, I think the engineering that went into this system was perfect for me. Components appear to be well-matched. The pedal pressure is firm but not overly sensitive. Adjusting brake bias is built in. And I didn't have to fight the installation. I'll be the first to admit that it's not an inexpensive system, but at my age I don't relish a visit to the junkyard. Been there plenty of times in my youth, and I'm happy to be past that now. And I hope I won't have to tear into a power steering or brake system anytime soon! Two thumbs up to Wild Horses!
One thing I appreciated about the kit was how well everything fit together, and how well it integrated into the truck. I'm so happy to have room to work in that dark hole that was created by the previous system. I won't have to loathe pulling spark plugs any longer. This time around I broke down and got some speed bleeders and that was a blessing.
Before attempting this I read multiple threads here on CB to get opinions on different hydroboost systems. If there's one takeaway I got from all that reading it was that mixing and matching parts from different vehicles could yield varying outcomes. I read about people trying to correct bad habits in their trucks, with varying suggestions about changing master cylinder bore size, or other brake system components, or adding brake bias systems or proportioning valves. No amount of money I could save could justify the potential headache.
There appears to be common agreement on trying to extract the most performance you can get from these hydroboost systems. Such as using a dual return pump and making sure that absolutely all air is removed during the bleed process. I tee'd in the return line, and I did my best to bleed the system, but I wasn't anal about it. If there's a very small amount of air left in the system it might actually be beneficial, since it would have the tendency to desensitizie the system somewhat. That's a personal opinion that most would disagree with, but I'm not running 35's or 37's that would require optimum performance.
As it stands, I think the engineering that went into this system was perfect for me. Components appear to be well-matched. The pedal pressure is firm but not overly sensitive. Adjusting brake bias is built in. And I didn't have to fight the installation. I'll be the first to admit that it's not an inexpensive system, but at my age I don't relish a visit to the junkyard. Been there plenty of times in my youth, and I'm happy to be past that now. And I hope I won't have to tear into a power steering or brake system anytime soon! Two thumbs up to Wild Horses!
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Glad to hear our Hydroboost upgrade made a night-and-day difference for you. Those steel lines can be a pain, but sounds like you crushed it! 
