FlashBuddy Posted April 12, 2018 Report Share Posted April 12, 2018 (edited) Shopping for new front wheel cylinders for Roxanne. Not having much luck. Many sites don't differentiate between left and right for the front wheel cylinders. Other sites show one and list it for front or rear. DCM Classics shows both front driver and front passenger. It appears the difference is the bore size, where the larger bore goes to the rear. If this is the case why isn't this clearly stated on other sites selling brake wheel cylinders?! I'm guessing the single wheel cylinders for the 1950 B2B are for the larger trucks since the ½ ton takes two; upper and lower, right? This is what I'm working with. A little history - Replaced the rears, adjusted same. Truck pulled hard to the left. Adjusted the fronts and noticed the left side rear shoe had what looked like no wear. I cleaned it meticulously and spend a lot of time adjusting it. Truck stopped FANTASTIC, straight too! A few hours later I see a large pool of brake fluid on the floor under the front drivers side. Opened it up and this is what I found: Look at the wear on the piston and the pitting in the bore. How do those get chewed up like that? Questions: 1.) Good source for front wheel cylinders to fit my Dodge B2B 2.) How did those red aluminum pistons get so chewed up? TIA Edited April 13, 2018 by FlashBuddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merle Coggins Posted April 13, 2018 Report Share Posted April 13, 2018 From what I’ve found, the stepped bore cylinders were updated to straight bore in the later years of our trucks. Many aftermarket replacement cylinders just offer the simpler straight bore version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlashBuddy Posted April 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2018 Thanks Merle, that helps a bunch. I should be ok buying a straight bore wheel cylinder. I think a lot of us are wanting a fellow member to chime in with; "I have the same truck. Here is what works best". Did you see how those pistons were chewed up? Very strange. I get the spring in there creating some wear on the inside, but the back edges and some serious wear in the back center defies logic. Solar flares or aliens is my guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBNeal Posted April 13, 2018 Report Share Posted April 13, 2018 Your wheel cylinders look pristine compared to the two rights that came out of my '48, both were chewed up and pitted from decades of sitting with moisture-soaked DOT3 in the bores...VERY BAD...a few years after I had them sleeved, I acquired a left on eBay, plan to get it sleeved on a future project...but yeah, straight bore should work fine as long as ya check them brakes every 5000 miles for wear and adjust as required Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlashBuddy Posted April 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2018 I'll keep the original cylinders for Sleeving at some future date. I found online one store that sells sleeved wheel cylinders for $70 plus $20 core, plus shipping. Prices I'm seeing range from twenty something to eighty something - none sleeved and most look nearly identical. They have that Chinese casting look to them. So paying more and hoping to get better quality really puts you at risk of being a sucker Decisions decisions, what's a man to do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgeb4ya Posted April 13, 2018 Report Share Posted April 13, 2018 Don't buy Chinese...be safe. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBNeal Posted April 14, 2018 Report Share Posted April 14, 2018 I spent more on my brakes and fuel system than on the powertrain...I figured it was cheap insurance to keep from sliding into something expensive and burst into flames...cuz that would be some mighty weak sauce 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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