I’m hoping someone with a factory parts book or firsthand experience with the heavy-duty Advance Design trucks can help clear up some confusion.
I’m restoring the front brakes on my 1954 Chevrolet 4100. It has Bendix brakes with 2.5” wide front shoes.
The front wheel cylinders currently on the truck:
* GM casting number 5454385
* Bore is cast/stamped 7/8
* I measured the bore with calipers and confirmed it is 7/8”
* Both left and right cylinders are identical
The truck appears to be largely original, but I’m trying to determine whether these are the correct factory cylinders or if a previous owner may have installed smaller cylinders because the originals weren’t available.
The confusing part is that many online parts catalogs seem to list 1” or even larger front wheel cylinders for 1954 trucks, while my original cylinders are clearly 7/8”.
My questions are:
1. Was a 7/8” front wheel cylinder actually factory-correct for a 1954 4100 with Bendix brakes and 2.5” shoes?
2. Does anyone have a GM Master Parts Catalog or Shop Manual that lists the correct front wheel cylinder bore or part number for this application?
3. Has anyone run across casting number 5454385 and can confirm what truck it belongs to?
I’d like to rebuild and keep the original cylinders if they’re correct, but I don’t want to rebuild the wrong parts if the truck should have had a different bore from the factory.
Thanks in advance for any information or factory documentation you can share.
