Now that I have spent all this effort and money on making my truck go, now I guess it's time to spend some on making it stop. It looks like I'm gonna be rebuilding the front system anyway. Unless there are some better suggestions I am going to order some stainless lines from EGR performance Brakes, http://www.egrbrakes.com/index-main.htm
Looking for opinions here. I am also considering there calipers to, I just can't decide if they will be worth that much more cash that standard ones. Jump in and let me know any other alternatives.

 

Rebuilt calipers are like $20 each at O'Rillies.

 

That's why the dillemma. I don't mind spending extra money on extra performance I just don't know if that much extra money is gonna get me that much extra performance. I'm hopin somebody else with more money than me has already tried em and can give me some insight. Nobody realizes my struggles I face everyday. I want the best of everything, but way down deep I am a die hard tight-wad.

 

Alright, here's the skinny on the EGR blueprinted calipers...

If you have had the infamous brake pull the EGR blueprinted calipers will straighten it out. I know from personal experience... In September of '04 I put them on, but just last month, thanks to the heavy winter salt on the roads, I had to swap them out. I went back to some remanned calipers and low and behold, the brake pull is back.

As for the stainless braided lines, definite improvement in pedal feel. The carbon kevlar pads... so far, I've gone 84K miles, that's the longest I've ever got on the Dodge. My old Ford F250HD would go 90K on front pads no matter the manufacturer. And last, but certainly not least... with about 40K of those 84K with a trailer on my back the slotted rotors are still in good shape. That's the first time I have pulled the wheels to check the brakes and not felt it would be a good idea to replace the rotors.

It's your money after all. I feel the big $$$ I put into the EGR variety was fairly well spent. I would've done it a lot sooner knowing what I know now.

 

Talk about mixed emotions, I need better braking but it sure would of been alot cheaper if you said no way worth the money. I have fought this pulling brakes since the day I drove the truck off the new lot. It's been through several shops for front end work and alignment for the pulling and nothing has helped yet. After all this time I'm so used to pulling the wheel while braking that I'd run somebody over if it didn't pull. Thanks for the info.

 

Amen Brother.... CJ

 

Somebody tell me the problems I'm gonna run into here. I have been wanting to lift the back of my truck a couple inches anyway, so what would be the outcome if I could find a newer 3500 rear axle with the disk brakes on it and just change that out. With new calipers up front of course. If I'm gonna be droppin a $1000 on brakes, I sure enough want the most for my money. The rear disk would give me the improved braking.

 

Heres the deal

00-02 use dual piston calipers in the front but the knuckles share with AAM axles. I'll get back to this in a second

94-99 use the single piston calipers /drum rear. for some reason the dodge single piston calipers suck and hang up, get hot, then start pulling later on. why i have no idea every brake shop curses these trucks.


I went through 6 sets of calipers on my 98 front axle, including a set of blueprinted calipers all worked great for about 5k-10k miles then for some reason one would hang up and start the random left or right pull when braking.

I swapped on a 02 front axle first, partially because of the brake issue but also because i snapped the shorts side axle shaft then that stub ont he inside damaged the spidergears and the metal flakes from the drive hoem ate my bearings so the 02 axle was a cheaper option at the momment (especially since i had my totaled 02 sitting right there waiting to be picked up and taken to a wrecking yard). 60k miles later i have no brake pull and have had no more brake premature wear issues still on the first set of pads. I did do cryogenically frozen rotors and the kevlar pads.

I later swapped in the 02 rear axle ( i regret not swapping proportioning valves Opps but getting under the hood to get the proportiong valve or the master cylinder would have required some tallent)

The 02 axles can have the later 03-05 caliper brackets, 14" rotors and calipers swapped on. key thing is the caliper brakets.

Right now im putting the 02 master cylinder on monday to up my volume sinc ethe 98 cylinder is smaller then i will wrestle with the prop valve then next year some slotted cryod 14" rotors & then a set of junkyard special 03 calipers and caliper brakets for $75 for the set and some new performance pads and i will be shooting for 80k-100k miles of sharp braking.

 

So if I understand this right, keeping in mind that I am a non-mechanic here, I am worried about changing the wrong parts. I should be looking for a newer model master cylinder, and if they are interchangeable calipers for an 02 or up. Are these calipers interchangeable on a 99?

 

I got my brake lines from these guys, they are made by the same company that makes the EGR lines, plus they are way cheaper and you can get any length you want, and lots of colors too.

Brake lines

 

That's the kind of info I'm looking for, thanks

 

the 99 and earlier axles are not interchangable. i was hinting at swapping in a later 00+ axle and if you do that then a mastercylinder would be necessary