The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Which brand wheel cylinder?

(New thread, the old one was getting longish)

For replacement wheel cylinders I have found three brands...maybe four.

Advanced Auto - True Torque, Raybestos, Bendix
LMC - (Unknown)

There is a bit of a price difference too. LMC is cheapest, then true torque, then raybestos, then bendix.

But looking at the pics, the all look pretty much the same, execpt the Raybestos has better advertising speak.

Anyone know waht brands they ahve used/liked in the past?

Dave

I deliver parts "part time" for Advance. I am NOT a spokesman for them but I can tell you a lot of garages use the TruTorque and I have never seen a return in over a year. I personally have always prefered Bendix but I can't see where one is superior over the other. Whoever makes the housing probably uses the rubber cups/springs etc from the same place. I have noticed on some of the cups that no names or sizes are stamped into them while others still have. Its a marketing thing where the ones without any writing is cheaper but made with the same rubber. There are not many steel foundries around this country anymore and I suspect one or maybe two foundries make them all. I might add this thought....many times I open a package just to check it out and find that they have been packaged or boxed wrong. One brand in another brands packaging. So, unless you know EXACTLY where they come from its anyones guess. Buying them locally saves on shipping. Some of the vendors are "cheaper" but make the money back on shipping....even when JimCarter just charges exact shipping your cost goes up. With local guys you have a chance to look at it and also get it overnite in most cases.

I just put 2 Huck-style cylinders made by Raybestos on the rear of the 49. No comments yet except before I put them in I noticed they were pretty much stuck internally. I forced they open and put a never-seize type compound around the pistons and they are nice and smooth now.

I'm partial to Wagner brand myself, but then I tend to use strictly Federal-Mogul products for all of my own vehicles. I would not use any kind of never-seize in a wheel cylinder, that stuf is petroleum based, and will contamitate the fliud and can damage the rubber components in the cylinder. Use only an approved brake lube, usually silicone based.

Interesting.

I put cylinders from DynoBrake on my truck and I would recommend them. Are they are a bit more expensive, but they are also overbored - takes less pedal pressure to actuate the brakes. They made sense to me because I cannot (very easily) upgrade to power brakes since I have a dual master cylinder. I liked them so much that I upgraded my drums and pads with DynoBrake parts. They claim 30% better braking over stock - believe it. Good luck with your search.
Kyle

Going back to the comments on never-seize. I found that the pistons were really tight in the cylinders and forced them out. We didn't go overboard with the lube but enough to give them a coat and free them up. Now do I have something else I should be worried about regarding this?
The person who helped me is a certified mechanic who has operated a family garage for decades. He owns a 38 Willys sedan and a 1946 big size Ford flat deck. I would like to think he would not have done anything out of the ordinary to jeopardize the cylinders.

I found that the adjusting cogs on the front Huck brake cylinders were made of very thin steel, on the new ones. The stop piece was attached with a screw where as the original was mounted with an impressed stud. I didn't notice that the screw was not tightened and the first adjustment attempt actually bent the stop.

i put wagner cylinders on my 61. I didnt dissasemble before installing to check internals. After install I found that one cylinder had a scratch inside that held up one side from sliding. I had to remove, hone and reassemble. Bottom line is check internals before install.