has anybody thought of swapping their 1500's vaccum power brake booster out for a '97 3500 hydroboost system? would it bolt right up and improve braking?

 

You can probably do that, but, I doubt you will see any improvement in brake performance.... All you would succeed at doing is adding a few more places for power steering fluid to leak out of.

You would also need the pump out of whatever donor vehicle you get the hydro-boost unit out of.

 

It would be easier and more cost effective to upgrade the rear wheel cylinders to the ¾-ton.

 

ive heard that aftermarket hydraulic units improve braking but then i got to thinking that the only reason the cummins had the hydroboost was becuz theres not enuff vac to sustain a vaccum booster in a turbocharged engine. my plans r to swap to a 3500 master cylinder, 3500 calipers, and gm dually wheel cylinder, but i thot it would brake better with hydro boost. so u guys r sayn u dont think itll be any different?

 

Nope, just swapping an easy form of 'assist' for a far more complex one. I have very very very rarely seen a vacuum booster fail. I have replaced a great many hydroboost units. (in comparison)

Stick with the vacuum booster. Far less trouble. Far fewer possible points of failure.

In all reality, I don't think you need to change the master cylinder either. You are already increasing the surface area of the pistons/slaves, so, with the same pedal effort, you are going to get more braking power. Changing the master isn't going to make a difference at all. The pistons in the master are still the same diameter. So, no improvement at all to be had there.