rear drum brake *CHEAP UPGRADE*

BradBeyer · #1 10-30-2007, 01:30 PM

I am not sure if everyone knows this or not but I did some reading and this really worked (for me)

I went ahead and purchased ($22.00 total) new wheel cylinders from a 1998 (I think it can be newer)dodge ram3500 and put them on my1997 dodge ram 1500. It was a direct swap no modifications. It helped stoppingwith a boat on the back. I hope that some one else can benifit from this.

Here is the thread I read

http://www.dodgeforum.com/m_511650/tm.htm

Silver_Dodge · #2 10-30-2007, 01:47 PM

Can you tell us more about what you did specifically? Where did you get the parts from? How long did it take?

Thanks, i'm intersted in this upgrade myself.

ron333 · #3 10-30-2007, 02:21 PM

As am I...

BradBeyer · #4 10-30-2007, 02:22 PM

I am not sure how detailed you want this but I am going to be as detailed as possible so please no one get offended

[ul][*]$10.99 a wheel cylinder and you need one for each side from Autozone[*]took about an hour probably less if I wasn't distracted by my kids and wife

[/ul]

Here are the steps I did (sorry no pics if needed I can take some) **did one side at a time**
[ol][*]take off rear wheel[*]take off rear drum[*]took springs off that hold on the brake shoes[*]on the back of the brake I disconnected the brake line (3/8" wrench)****make sure you do not take the lid off yet from the fluid reservoir under the hood...that is in another step below[*]took out the bolts holding the wheel cylinder on (1/2" socket)[*]removed oldwheel cylinder and put new one from the 3500 (1 ton) in its place[*]hooked up brake line getting as tight as you can or want[*]put the bolts back in and tightened[*]checked and retightened brake line[*]put the springs back on the brake shoes and hooked back up[*]loosened the brake bleeder on the wheel cylinder[*]took off the lid from fluid reservoir under the hood[*]waited for all the bubbles to stop coming out from the bleeder then close it and open it a couple of time to make sure there are no bubbles...MAKE SURE TO WATCH THE RESERVOIR AND IT DOES NOT RUN OUT OF FLUID[*]put the lid back on the reservoir[*]put the rear drum back on (if you need to adjust your parking brake I would do it on this step)[*]put the rear wheel back on[*]start at 1 for the other side[/ol]
I hope this is detailed enough..I can't think of anything I left out.

ron333 · #5 10-30-2007, 02:29 PM

Awesome! Thank you!
This seems like a relatively simple to do. I need to fix my brakes because one of the cylinders is leaking, as I just found out last week. I'm glad you posted this before I did it.

BradBeyer · #6 10-30-2007, 02:33 PM

yeah the 1 ton wheel cylinders are only a couple dollars more than the 1/2 ton's

Glad it helped

Obiejuankinobie · #7 10-30-2007, 03:03 PM

Does the 2001 1500 2WD have drum brakes??????????

BradBeyer · #8 10-30-2007, 03:07 PM

I don't know...what do you own?

ICEMAN_CH · #9 10-30-2007, 03:10 PM

Does anyone know if this will work on a 2001? The reason I ask is because the brakes on a 2001 are completly differnt from 1999 and below. It seemed like they were trying new things before they switched the body style.

BradBeyer · #10 10-30-2007, 03:15 PM

from what I understand from reading other posts is that it will work on all second gen's just that if you have a 98 or older 1/2 ton you are supposed to get a 98 1 ton wheel cylinder and if it is 98 or newer 1/2 ton to get the same year you have just the 1 ton cylinder.