The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline 1956 3600 brake parts

I've been shopping around for brake parts for my 1956 3600 and I've noticed that some sites like LMC and RockAuto have the same part number for all four wheel cylinders while other sites seem to have a different one for each wheel. I've also noticed the Delco cylinders are double the price of the Raybestos. Can anyone shed some light on which cylinders are needed and if the Raybestos ones are of an okay quality? Thanks in advance for any help.

newbie poster,
Matt

Matt, I'm probably late on your question but I will comment or give my opinion. I have ran into the same "number" problem as you only to find out that they are not the same. Usually the reason is the front wheel cylinders cups are a fraction bigger than the back ones. I've also found difference from brand to brand over the years. I'm not saying its your problems but just my experiences.
Delco vs Raybestos? Both have had a good reputation over the years but I have no up to date info to share here except I would not be afraid to use either one of those. Others may have difference opinions.
However, I would advise to check the cylinders you have to see what size cups you have and then be specific when ordering as to what your getting. Its the only way to be POSITIVE....and there is always the possibility some previous owner did some "voodoo" on it. Check, double check when it comes to Brakes!

....and the prices are all over the board. Shop around. My personal experience on stuff I've ordered, in the past from LMC, is that they are pricey. Do the research, be informed and with a little luck you should be OK...along with the advice of others here who have more experience than me!!

Good luck, return and report your findings. Knowledge is the Best Resource.

Thanks for the reply, that's good advice. Feels weird to complain about an abundance of parts but it's a bit overwhelming when there are that many different choices. I'll be sure to post a reply to this with all the measurements and parts numbers I end up with for future reference.

Alright, all brake parts have arrived and look to be correct. I ended up going through RockAuto.com for shoes, master cylinder, and wheel cylinders. All four wheel cylinders are the same (Raybestos WC18009) at 1 1/8" diameter and the master cylinder (Raybestos MC21680) is 1 1/8" to match. Shoes are Centric brand (11103100). I found the drums on Summit from Centric. There was a little confusion trying to find the right p/n. In fact the p/n on the parts that arrived was ever so slightly different from what I ordered but the part appears to be the same. Fronts were 122.66027 and rears were 122.66036. The parts that arrived had the same suffix but started with 123 instead of 122.

Hope having these part numbers here helps somebody find what they need in the future and hopefully my truck will soon be one step closer the the road.

Thanks for posting part numbers, Matt B.

Are you replacing the flex hoses?
Are you replacing the brake lines?

Definitely. I'll have an entire new brake system when its said and done. I figure that's not really a place you want to leave any weak links, especially since I'm sticking with a single chamber master. I'm ordering new hardware and springs for it as well. This is actually my first big parts order since buying the truck. It feels like Christmas opening up all these boxes at once.

I completely agree.

Good job.