2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Dodge 2500 to Chevy 3500 Wheel Cylinders Conversion= Night and Day!

[WDixon27]

that's something that would keep me from doing it, it's a mother when the rear end wants to steer

I did this right after this post first started and it worked great. As a matter of fact, I have to be careful be sometimes the rear brakes will lock up now. Works great. Oo.

 

[DieselLady]

that's something that would keep me from doing it, it's a mother when the rear end wants to steer

Not that bad. Just when I am rolling slow like in the parking lot and hit the brakes real hard with no weight in the bed. Only happened 3 times I think. Not really and issue and certainly not enough to make the back end come around.

 

[tabell]

I added a couple washers under the proportioning valve lever brack. Its on the rear drives side shock mount. Therefor fooling the valve into thinking I had more of a a load. Cost about 50 cents in washers.

 

[KennethS]

I have a 1995 3500 and the brakes are junk

I just took it in the Dodge garage and they adjusted the rears brakes whic did not do squat. My 06 had super nice brakes. and I am not going to spend 800 dollars for a power brake unit. Anyway its sitting out there in the garage for now.

 

[biggy238]

I did this mod and it has made a noticable diffierence in my stopping distance. Emergency braking will cause the rears to lock now. (very rare though)

 

[rraulston]

I did this mod today on my 95 2500. Very easy. I bled them. then bled them again. Then i bled them again. . And then a little later on... ... I bled them one more time. Man, my pedal travels WAY more than stock. There is NO air in the system. (i hope) 1/2 gallon of bleeding. When i get close to the floorboard, it stops HARD. I also did the two front calipers. I went to trade it in on a new CTD, regular cab 4x4 are impossible to get. And the $3000 :--) they offered me for this one wasnt happening. So we are just going to fix her up and keep it. God help me cause the front end rebuild is next..... Ray

 

[farkum]

The front end rebuild is something that a lot of people cringe at the thought of but I have had the joy of paying for two in the last three months. The first one I paid to have done and the second I did myself. Buy the parts and do it yourself then bring it in for an alignment, its really not that hard or anything to be scared of.



As for the brakes I definitely noticed when I did the brakes on my 96 earlier this week that it had original pads at 150k and they were only about half gone. I am going to get the new cylinders tomorrow to try that and see if I can get this truck to brake a little better. My question is I live in Bozeman, MT and we do have a lot of ice out here due to not salting. Should I be concerned with the rears locking up with chevy 3500 cylinders? I am really leaning toward the dodge 3500 cylinders just because the winter driving out here.

 

[rraulston]

mine now lock up on a dirt road, and i feel a little ABS on the street. You might consider the dodge ones. I still need a week to get a better feel for them.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

The rear end should remain behind you, that's no doubt.



One more thing that bothers me is that now you've added 60% more braking power but it also requires 60% more fluid to move the cylinder the same distance. You're master cylinder wasn't designed for this. It is entirely posible that in one pedal stroke your front brakes will come up tight and begin to slow you down before the piston in the rear brakes ever get's out far enough to start pushing. That wouldn't be a good thing.

Our proportioning valve? has a residual pressure valve for the rear wheel cylinder, in other words the cylinder is pretty much full, so technically you're not having a 60% empty wheel cylinder when you hit the brakes.



Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Regcabguy]

I did this mod today on my 95 2500. Very easy. I bled them. then bled them again. Then i bled them again. . And then a little later on... ... I bled them one more time. Man, my pedal travels WAY more than stock. There is NO air in the system. (i hope) 1/2 gallon of bleeding. When i get close to the floorboard, it stops HARD. I also did the two front calipers. I went to trade it in on a new CTD, regular cab 4x4 are impossible to get. And the $3000 :--) they offered me for this one wasnt happening. So we are just going to fix her up and keep it. God help me cause the front end rebuild is next..... Ray

The Chevy wheel cylinders did nothing for my '98. 5. Next came the EGR rear disc conversion with moderately better stopping power but like you increased pedal travel after multiple bleedings. I solved the whole fiasco by ordering the last of the 5. 9 regcab manuals in Oct. '06. This sucker has the brakes Dodge should have installed beginning in 1994. Dave Smith Motors used to keep a generous amount of regcab work trucks in stock. That's where my friend got his off the lot and where I special prdered mine.

 

[steved]

One thing to note (since this thread is getting up there in age) is that the hose between the frame and rear axle will swell shut and cause poor rear braking. I've had this happen on several Dodge trucks, and it would be the first place I would look if the brakes "didn't work" after replacing wheel cylinders.

 

[SRath]

Good tip, Steve. Somewhere on my "yet to get done on the dodge" list is "replace every inch of crappy rusty dodge brake and fuel line with stainless steel hard and braided lines".

I chuckled as I read through this thread at some of the serious misconceptions such as "if the hydroboost fails, you won't have any brakes. "

That is simply false. You will have exactly the same brakes you did before, you just won't have boost and will have to use your leg muscles to apply them. A hydroboost leak or failure has zero effect on the brake hydraulics. And it is exactly the same thing if your vacuum boost fails.

As for "the rear steering", I just have to ask if I'm the only guy over 40 here? Just how in the world did anyone ever survive all those many decades driving any of the millions of vehicles made before antilock brakes came on the scene?

If your rear antilock is working, it will work with bigger wheel cylinders, too. It doesn't know or care how big they are. If you are in 4wd (abs disabled), you should be driving sensibly anyway.

One easy thing you could do is install a Wilwood adjustable proportioning valve and simply "dial in" how much or how little rear brakes you wanted depending on load and road conditions.

One thing's for sure: the factory rear brakes are for parking only. They do nothing to stop you.

 

[swordfish]

One thing's for sure: the factory rear brakes are for parking only. They do nothing to stop you.

-AMEN!!!!

I couldn't agree more.

 

[CCiatteo]

Which trucks got the 3. 5 wide shoes? Was it based on DRW or the Axle (Dana 80?)

 

[steved]

Which trucks got the 3. 5 wide shoes? Was it based on DRW or the Axle (Dana 80?)

I believe my dad's D80 Hybrid in his 2500 uses the same brake shoes as those in my D70 (both trucks are 99s). My guess is that it would be a DRW thing.

 

[WilsonF]

Does the 3. 5" shoes fit in the 2500 drum? Or do you have to buy new drums if you want 3. 5" shoes on your 2500?

Floyd

 

[CCiatteo]

Does the 3. 5" shoes fit in the 2500 drum? Or do you have to buy new drums if you want 3. 5" shoes on your 2500?



Floyd

I don't know, but when I do my rear brakes I'm gonna measure and find out. My Napa guy didn't think I could run the 3. 5 wide shoes without buying new drums, but I'll measure to be sure.

 

[steved]

I don't think they will... different drums between the 2500/3500... mainly because the backing plates are located further in than on a 2500.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

I did the swap last week...

The Napa part # is 37337. I had the Dodge 3500, 1 1/16" cylinders. Did my rear shoes 12 years ago? and there were little wear on the shoes. I was apprehensive about twisting the right rear brake line off in the cylinder. It came right out. I took a turkey baster and sucked the master cylinder dry wiped it out and bleed the whole system till new fluid came out.



Noticable less pedal pressure to stop. Pedal travel is the same or less w/ the 1-3/16" W/C. 's



Had to stop quickly for a red light. No rear lock-up all all. I will test in the rain. This is where I noticed the difference. The ABS system should take care of it.

 

[JTruelove]

Dodge 2500 to Chevy 3500 Wheel Cylinders Conversion= Night and Day

Looking at this thread and wondering if it's worth the money for rear disk swap or change the m/c and w/c