Brake input from those that did various upgrades

If not doing water crossings, 11" Bendix brakes in good order work really well. I actually believe that matching the right size master cylinder to your system is the most important piece of the puzzle.

 

Gotta pull a wheel and look. Not real sure. Right now I'm just trying to figure out a direction on both vehicles AND a budget.

 

The hydrovac boost system 61zip is working on over at Oldwillys really sounds interesting. He has it worked out for a wagon, but should be same for CJ. Helps looking to get enough interest before he can place initial order. I don't want to hang anything on the firewall and his will fit down between the frame.

 

Do you have a link for that?

 

Opps, was 61zep not zip. Here are 3. One on the booster and another on the dual circuit with remote fill. He is also working on a disc that does not require grinding.

remote dual circuit hydro-vac

Dual circuit remote fill master cylinder

Disc brake conversion for stock wheels

 

The hydrovac is basically a remote power booster, using a master cylinder at the pedal and a slave cylinder at the booster. The booster then drives a second master cylinder, which drives the wheel cylinders. Any one of those three cylinders fail, and you have no brakes.

The dual-circuit hydrovac would have to use six separate hydraulic cylinders to be truly redundant (ie dual like the dual brake master cylinders). It would have to have two separate hydrovacs, one for each circuit. It would need two masters, two slaves, two hydrovacs, and two master cylinders. The hydrovac units would have to be linked somehow to keep the front and rear brakes in balance. This seems very complicated, and introduces a lot of new failure points with all those cylinders.

JMO - if you want power brakes, convert to hanging pedals, or figure out a way to put the booster at the master cylinder. Another possibility is a hydroboost unit, which is powered hydraulically from the power steering pump. They are very compact, and possibly could be put down by the through-the-floor pedals.

 

This shows how it's done -


The way they link the slave and new master is clever - I see how loss of boost would not make for a loss of braking.

You are still adding two more hydraulic cylinders to the mix, even though they use the same piston. Theoretically you could split the front and rear axles the same way the dual master cylinder splits them, on the same piston. Not sure how you would split the input pressure though.

 

As I understand this will help with the amount of leg required to accomplish the braking.

 

I put a vacuum assist system in mine. I have 9" brakes and 31" tires. I have no problem stopping, but I was taught to downshift when coming to a STOP, so that helps, too. It was an easy fix and while I was at it, I put a hanging pedal assembly in the Jeep. I used the old clutch linkage connected to a T-98 tranny and it works fine. The original hanging clutch assembly was a hydraulic unit and my intent, if I keep the Jeep as is, will be to install a hydraulic assembly in place of the mechanical mechanism I have now, with the cable, etc. The biggest issue is that I need a slave piston that will pull instead of push the throw-out bearing fork. I have seen a couple of vehicles in some research I have done, like the recently doomed Chevy Aveo that uses this type of system, but what I have right now works so well, I hate to mess with success.

If you can cut the whole assembly out of a compact GM product or anything of the sort and weld it into the firewall, it should work fine. I wish I could tell you which car mine came out of, but it was in the pile of junk the PO gave me along with the jeep when I bought it.

 

I'm wanting to keep the stock look so putting one of those giant donuts on the firewall is not an option plus the hanging pedals. Plus on the CJ, the heater is there.

 

On my B, I ran stock 9" a couple of years, then 11x2 Bendix's for about 10 years (huge improvement), and then 4 wheel power disc's (another huge improvement). I don't know what shoe material Daryl is running on the 11x2's, but the semi-metallic versions I had REALLY sucked after being submerged. With the disc's, no notable difference wet or dry. I looked at a lot of master cylinders when going with the power disc's (in the mid 80's). Wanted something both light weight and compact. The master cylinder/booster for the Shelby versions of the Dodge/Plymouth 024/TC3 fit the bill perfect. I believe that cylinder is identical to one still marketed by Wilwood.

And yes, when the engine isn't running, you do need a strong right leg. But even though I'm an elderly old fart, that has yet to be a problem.

 

Can someone help me out with wet drums? I was taught to ride the brake after water crossings for a bit to dry the brakes... Is this still not applicable?