brake booster????
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Ohio
brake booster????
i know this is just kind of random, but it just hit me and i was curious..... can the old booster be removed and still have decent functioning brakes?or would the pressure created by pedal alone not be enough to create a good amount of pressure? i've heard some large cams can mess with vacuum for the booster and hurt braking efficiency? is there much truth to this?
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2005
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From: Hartford, AL
If the booster is removed. You have non power brakes. The booster is what makes it power brakes. It will stop, but it takes a ton of pedal pressure. Also...there is a bit of difference in the brake pedal bend on a power brake and a manual or on power brake and I think the manual design gives a bit more leverage. I wouldn't advise doing it. And yes a real large cam doesn't make as much vacuum. The "power" booster gets it's power from the vacuum created in the motor. The booster is bascially a vacuum diagram that assist you in pushing brake fluid to the caliper pistons. There are ways to help increase vacuum when running big cams, such as vacuum resovoirs, etc. Why would you want to remove the booster?
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 2,881
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From: North of Tulsa, Oklahoma
lol. my booster quit on me a year and a half ago. I drove around with it for a few months. It was not fun at all. I swear the muscles in my right leg grew bigger than my left leg. It took a lot more human power on that pedal to stop my small 1/2ton '78 F150. In the winter time it took both feet on the brake pedal to keep from lurching in stop in go traffic on the snowy roads. Not fun at all.
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Joined: Nov 2003
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My '74 didn't come with one on it, and I have yet to put one on. Now I don't drive it hard, and don't pull anything large or race it or anything like that, but It does fine for just cruising around. Can I tell a difference, definately. In fact, If I have time this summer I may take one off of one of my parts trucks and put it on. but, you can get by without them. Wasn't '73 the first year for a brake booster? They had plenty of big trucks and engines before '73.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2005
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From: Hartford, AL
If you have the option to run I would highly encourage doing so. It's just plain scary not being able to stop. My '73 was manual with front disc and rear drums, but have since converted to power. I think there were power boosters before '73 though.
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Senior User
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From: Ohio
im not wanting to eliminate mine, i have went through my ENTIRE brake system and it works just the way i want it to... and plus i need the brakes. but it was just something that came to mind when i was over at a buddies.... trying to free up some firewall space in his pulling truck.
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Fleet Mechanic
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From: phoenix
Those brake stories reminds me of the 76 trailerspecial i used to have. The booster was shot, and you had to REALLY anticipate your stops, and push a lot harder then i wanted to on a brake pedal to get it to stop. Not a fun thing to do.
Matt
Matt
Fleet Mechanic
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From: Hartford, AL
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