The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Power Brake Booster Review

My brother and I are rebuilding a '49 3100 for my mom. We want to upgrade the brakes so it's safer and a little bit easier for her to drive, but we can't spend a whole lot of money doing it. Will a power brake booster kit like this Classic Truck Parts
for front and rear drum brakes improve the braking at all, or will it just make the system safer w/ the dual master cylinder? Thanks

In my opinion it will not effectively change the brakes ability to stop the vehicle but it will make the brakes "feel" more like what you are used to in the more modern vehicles. If you want better braking you need to go to disks. The truck has been around for sixty years with the brakes it has so they obviously are able to stop the vehicle in its stock condition. If you want to make it go faster or haul more then you need to upgrade the brakes. If you are staying stock then a complete rebuild should be all it takes. as your handle says nuthin fancy should do it.

Thanks for the input. I think that I will at least put a dual master cyl. on because a single master cyl. is just asking for trouble. Will upgrading to Bendix brakes improve braking at all? Upgrading to disks is a little bit out of my price range, but I would like to improve braking so my mom can stop if some idiot pulls out in front of her.

I'll leave the answer to that question to somebody that has done it. I cheated by using the whole 1973 Suburban from the frame down.

I remember when I put a power booster on a 65 Tempest conv. It made a world of difference in pedal effort. All it took was a booster/mc that matched and it bolted up. You won't be that lucky on the "just bolt up". I tried to run discs on the front of my 50 chev pu without a power booster. I thought it took too much pedal effort. I agree that the stock brakes are adequate, but if your Mother is not used to the pedal effort, I would look into adding at least a power boost to the shoe brake set up. You will need to find a small booster to fit under the floor along with fabricating a new bracket to mount to.(study the pictures of the store bought one) All of this can be store bought. I know it can be over $100, but your Mother's safety is worth doing it right, if you don't have the skills. I think it is MCI? that specializes in brakes. They can be very helpful in getting the correct set up.

I just completed this conversion a couple of weeks ago.

It does make a huge difference in feel & I believe it stops better because you can apply more pressure than with a manual.

You can buy high performance brake linings that will improve your stopping distance too. I saw an ad for someone who specializes in performance drum brakes - but can't remember where. The point I'm trying to make is drums can be 'enhanced' to work much better.

That said - just adding the booster to your truck will make it a lot safer & more responsive to hard braking.

remember though that when drums get hot they fade - booster or not. So tell Mom not to ride the brake down hills or in town cuz once they get hot they don't stop as well. The same can be said for disks except they cool much quicker & are harder to get fade.

I used a dual master cylinder on my 55.2 NAPCO. I also bought cross drilled drum rotors from Brothers which should help in the fading department. I have not taken it over 20 mph but I can tell you when I hit the brakes they grab like a modern car. I have a lot of adjusting to do before I hit the open road for some hard, high speed braking.
Now, I know that drums are old technology but they do have their PRO's over disks. I have read before that drum brakes have 10-20% more braking power than disk due to the large area of the brake lining. That is why most 18 wheelers have drum brakes. Also, drum brakes are lighter than disks. Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems is fade. Hopefully, the cross drilled drums will help. Not sure if they are available for your truck. Oh, and all I had to do was drill one hole in the frame for a brace. It was an easy install.

I have updated from Huck to Bendix on the front of my 39 because:
1. Bendix are self actuating brakes and I believe that should give better brake pedal assist.
2. Bendix is an easy bolt on upgrade with easier to find and cheaper parts. Just look for a 51 through ??. Drums and shoes available at your neighborhood discount parts store.
3. Increased brake shoe surface area. GM used these 11”x2” on the front through 1970. They are a good design and in some ways superior to disk.
4. If you desire, you can use the self adjusters from the 1963 and up drums.
5. The fronts are an easy change and do most of the braking on a truck. The backs represent a little more work and investment.
6. They retain the stock old school look.