70 front wheel cylinder

[71tahoe]

I'm redoing the front brakes on my 70 GMC and found one of the wheel cylinders leaking. I know. Imagine that, a 40 yo truck with a leaking wheel cyl. The trouble I'm having is finding one that will fit. I could be wrong but I believe all the big name discount parts places use the same local warehouse or just packaged under a different brand. So the first one I got yesterday that didn't fit (yes I returned it and got my money back) will probably be exactly like the one they get in today, will probably be just like another one from "The (twighlight) Zone" or O'reamme's.

Is it worth the effort to rebuild (I think I have 3 to chose from)? If not, who makes one that will fit?

[mclairmo]

I would take the old one to Napa, Kragen or some other better parts place and try to match it up. I'm sure one of them must carry it. There couldnt have been that many variations for our trucks. I bought all my brake stuff from Autozone for cheap and had no problems. Are you sure they gave you the correct part? Do you have different brakes from stock? Your old one may not be rebuildable. Depends on how badly pitted.

[71tahoe]

Originally Posted by mclairmo

I would take the old one to Napa, Kragen or some other better parts place and try to match it up. I'm sure one of them must carry it. There couldnt have been that many variations for our trucks. I bought all my brake stuff from Autozone for cheap and had no problems. Are you sure they gave you the correct part? Do you have different brakes from stock? Your old one may not be rebuildable. Depends on how badly pitted.

All stock drums and I have some extra original cylinders too. I'm bound to find one that's not pitted but is it worth it?

I was kind of leary of NAPA prices but I just looked online and they are about the same. I get to spend a little time after work shopping and I have the old one for reference just in case someone has one on the shelf. I'm not holding my breath though.

[mclairmo]

I don't think it's worth it to rebuild them since they don't cost much brand new. I would rather have new ones, assuming they fit and function correctly, which is the issue you are having here. If you cannot find a new one, then the decision will be made for you.

[rwolf9653]

Whenever I go to a store like autozone or advance, I always look up the part number before I go. I had one clerk that told me my 67 was too old and I should buy something newer. I just shook my head not really knowing if he was serious or not.
Around PA my NAPA stores do have slightly higher prices, but they are staffed by old timers that dont look at you funny when you need a set of points. They should be able to get you the right one without a problem.

[cdowns]

if you woory about prices dand want to be cheap cheap while doing a brake job//the final cost might just be enormus

[leddzepp]

www.truckandcarshop.com sells them.

I went to Pep Boys yesterday, and they don't even carry a thermostat housing for a small block Chevy...it's a "special order" item. WTF??

[71tahoe]

Originally Posted by cdowns

if you woory about prices dand want to be cheap cheap while doing a brake job//the final cost might just be enormus

I wholeheartedly agree that brakes should be done right. It's the balance of time constraints, price and availability. Doing it myself already saves the $60+/hr in labor and my expected level of quality is the same across the board for all suppliers if anything will fit.

I definitely won't skimp on the brakes but I'm not throwing money at it until I do the frame-off. I have one truck completely apart in my shop now so I need the other to be drivable but no big rush. Although, when I find that this isn't off the shelf but pulled from their warehouse I wonder how long before one actually fits. One per day could take forever when I can do the rebuild today and move on to the next of many issues with this truck.

If the cylinder is not pitted, does a rebuild usually hold up well? A year warranty on the new cylinder vs ...

[Chada]

i got mine at advance last month and they fit just fine. In fact I replaced the entire brake system in my 70 all with parts from advance. New master cylinder, hoses, one steel line, wheel cylinders, drums and shoes.

[71tahoe]

Originally Posted by Chada

i got mine at advance last month and they fit just fine. In fact I replaced the entire brake system in my 70 all with parts from advance. New master cylinder, hoses, one steel line, wheel cylinders, drums and shoes.

I think I may be a month late and you got my parts! J/K

[Chada]

I cant remember on those parts but a lot of the time they have the same parts from different manufacturers and the more expensive ones are usually better I have generally found.

[71tahoe]

I've done 2 complete rear brake jobs with parts from Advance with zero problems. Fronts were from the same manufacturer, no other listed. Trial and error just like I learned not to buy Autozone shocks and u-joints. You get a lifetime of replacement guarantee.

[Longhorn Man]

i don't think the price is too much of an issue if the part fits and works... and finding a counter salesman who knows what you're talking about is a huge plus too.
You won't find me in an auto zone or advance auto very often.

[my70chevyc10]

Longhorn man i work an a kragen orilleys an i am the parts guy u are looking for i know about our trucks i even have 9 or 10 cust that have trucks like ours an they will not go to the 3 BROTHERS (pepboys) or GETOZONE (autozone) they will wait for me to get to work an wont let anyone help them but me Yesterday i had a cust with a 69 SWB wait in the 100 deg heat for 30 min till i got to work. An i have never gave any of them the wrong part. So if anyone needs some parts come see me im at the corner of Nogales an Amar in the city of walnut CA

[mbgmike]

1/2 ton? 3/4? 2 wheel. What size brake shoes?
They made differant ones.
post a pic of it and we can tell you what it is.
You have a 50/50 chance if its only a 1/2 on.

[Legolas894]

OK-On my '67, GMC 1/2 ton, the front wheel cylinders I put on were from Wagner Brake Products

Wagner# WC45997

Federal Mogul owns Wagner and Champion here.

Hope this helps.

I would recommend checking a GM dealer too. I've had good luck for somethings you can't find elsewhere. Remember that they had to fix these for a long time and a lot of parts didn't change through the years.

Front wheel cylinders are challenging since they went to front disks almost exclusively around the time our trucks were made.

[mbgmike]

Originally Posted by Legolas894

OK-On my '67, GMC 1/2 ton, the front wheel cylinders I put on were from Wagner Brake Products

Wagner# WC45997

Federal Mogul owns Wagner and Champion here.

Hope this helps.

I would recommend checking a GM dealer too. I've had good luck for somethings you can't find elsewhere. Remember that they had to fix these for a long time and a lot of parts didn't change through the years.

Front wheel cylinders are challenging since they went to front disks almost exclusively around the time our trucks were made.

The poster said he had a 1970. They made more than one for diff brake sizes on a 1970. Yours is a 1967. yours used only one for a 1/2 ton Yes that part may fit cause it is one of them but he needs to know the correct one. He hasn't said what he has except its a 1970.
We sell brake parts and all auto parts 364 days a year and if a customer doesn't state what he has its hard to help him out.The best way is to always take the old one in.

[Legolas894]

Originally Posted by mbgmike

The poster said he had a 1970. They made more than one for diff brake sizes on a 1970. Yours is a 1967. yours used only one for a 1/2 ton Yes that part may fit cause it is one of them but he needs to know the correct one. He hasn't said what he has except its a 1970.
We sell brake parts and all auto parts 364 days a year and if a customer doesn't state what he has its hard to help him out.The best way is to always take the old one in.

I agree-That's why I said on MY '67, this was the part I got. There's also a left and right I believe. The GMC dealer I go to has the old part books and will look up stuff which is why I recommended trying that option as well.

[71tahoe]

Originally Posted by Legolas894

OK-On my '67, GMC 1/2 ton, the front wheel cylinders I put on were from Wagner Brake Products

Wagner# WC45997

Federal Mogul owns Wagner and Champion here.

Hope this helps.

I would recommend checking a GM dealer too. I've had good luck for somethings you can't find elsewhere. Remember that they had to fix these for a long time and a lot of parts didn't change through the years.

Front wheel cylinders are challenging since they went to front disks almost exclusively around the time our trucks were made.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/a...1&d=1252715562

This was exactly the one I needed. Non-HD, driver's side. Unfortunately they're like hen's teeth here. Even NAPA had Chinese crap. The boss for the hose is larger and the centerline is 1/16"-1/8" closer to the spindle than that beautiful example. The good news is that a rebuild kit costs $4 and a hone at HF was $5. No pitting in the original and it's back together and bled. Now for the back and a thorough bleed/flush on all 4 corners.

[mr48chev]

Schucks which is part of O'Reilly's shows a several wheel cylinders the top priced one being Bendix. the What it fits page shows that it should fit from 64 through 70 C-10's

I have 4 parts houses here in town. An Autozone that I only go to for what I can pick off the shelf myself, two independents and a Napa. The Napa has a good counter guy who is training the kids who work with him pretty well but the owner won't stock a lot of what I need. One old school parts house just sold out so I don't know what is happening there and the other is owned by a long time friend who doesn't have a computer to look up parts. All out of the books.
I buy a lot from Schucks (O'Reilly) as I can order it online and pay for it on line and walk in and pick it up. If a mistake gets made it is my mistake.

I'll agree that there a lot of places where you can get away with going cheap but brakes aren't one of them. It always amazed me when I was doing brakes daily for a living that guys with little or no mechanical experience would attempt a brake job but wouldn't do a full tune up on a bet.

I used to rebuild all of my own wheel cylinders but the last few brake jobs the price difference has been pretty small and I just bought new.

[unclewatts]

Originally Posted by 71tahoe

If the cylinder is not pitted, does a rebuild usually hold up well? A year warranty on the new cylinder vs ...

Several years ago I took my front wheel cylinders to a machine shop and had them honed. I put the kits in them and they both leaked. I was so mad I went down to NAPA and bought a pair of new ones. Haven't had a problem since. I don't know maybe it was just me.

[mbgmike]

I am glad you figured it out

[newbraunie]

Did recent R&R to brakes on my 69 1/2 ton. Bought all new Raybestos wheel cylinders from RockAuto. They fit fine but when I went to bleed out I discovered that they had 10mm bleeder nuts. I wish that I had saved and rebuilt the old ones which were GM. It drives me crazy to know that there is anything metric on my truck!