I'm planning to overhaul the brakes on my 1996 Ram 2500 V10 2WD and I'm slightly confused by part compatibility.

Front brake components seem to be specific to 7500lb and 8800lb trucks as well as 4WD/2WD. So that's 4 incompatible caliper/disc combinations for pre-2000 Ram 2500s?

My truck's doorjamb sticker states an 8800lb GVWR, which, as I understand things (I'm not 100%), makes it a 2500 heavy duty. However some online parts finders are directing me to 7500lb GVWR brakes, spec'ing 8800lb brakes for the 2500 V8 and 3500 V10, not the 2500 V10. Other parts finders (unhelpfully) list both 7500lb and 8800lb brakes for my vehicle, even after a VIN# lookup. Both brake specs - 7500lb and 8800lb - are visually very similar, to each other and to the factory brakes on my truck. I'm not asking whether my truck needs single/dual-piston calipers - I can tell the difference

My front calipers and pistons are pretty heavily corroded so I'm looking at getting remanufactured calipers from either ACDelco (18FR981 / 18FR982) or Raybestos (FRC10183 / FRC10184) - both 8800lb models. I could service/refurbish the current ones but remanufactured calipers seem like good value and a lot less work.

I'd like to be sure that I'm looking at the right calipers and any experience with remanufactured calipers from ACDelco / Raybestos would be really great too.

Thanks for your help.

 

If the 2wd's are anything like the 4wd's..... According to popular theory, the true "heavy" trucks had dual piston calipers in front.... I have a 96 2500 with the 8800 GVW, but, it still has the "light duty" front brake calipers on it.

Rule of thumb here is "Single piston = Light duty calipers, Dual Piston = Heavy duty calipers". Should be easy to tell the difference between 2 and 4wd.

 

I have Dual Piston Calipers

 

Bite me.






You have a 2000 and newer truck. They ALL came with dual piston calipers.

 

They work great for an unloaded truck, start pulling a trailer or anything heavy and you might as well have no brakes

 

That's more a product of rotor diameter. I do believe there ARE some good upgrades for brakes on these trucks. (larger rotors....)

Also, make sure you use GOOD pads.... With the dual piston calipers, you should be able to toss yourself thru the windshield with your brakes, even when you ARE wearing a seatbelt.

 

Sorry OP, I'm done....

Yea, they work great, and work well when pulling loads, and I've pulled a heavy load or two.

Edit: Seatbelts are completely optional and almost never worn by the driver of my truck....

 

Thanks but I don't think that this is the case. As I understand things, Dodge introduced the two-piston caliper design in 2000 across the board of 2500 and 3500 models (which would be why stewie01's 2001 Ram has two-piston calipers).

I've read that the GVWR (7500/8800lb) is the best indicator of whether a 2500 is a light duty vs. heavy duty as well as the build sheet code for "GVW/Payload rating" (mine is "Z2BS" which I also believe equates to HD).

I'm not certain of the specifics but I think that there were piston-bore/disc-thickness differences in the (single-piston) brakes fitted to 2500 and 3500 models between 94-99. This is what I need to understand so that I can be sure I'm ordering the right brakes.

 

That's just it though. Dodge did some REALLY strange stuff in the early/mid years of production. As I said, I have an 8800 lb. GVWR, but, I have the light duty, single piston calipers.

The 7700 GVWR 3/4 tons had D44 front axles..... They were eight lug though, and I am not entirely sure if they rotors and such were the same from light to heavy..... Ordering online is gonna be a crap shoot to matter which way you slice it. Any particular reason you don't just pick them up at a local store, where you can actually see, and touch, the parts before signing on the dotted line?

 

You would have single-piston calipers because your truck's model year is 4 years before Dodge introduced two-piston calipers. What makes you think that they're light duty single-piston calipers not heavy duty single-piston calipers?

Haha, yes. I'm living on the other side of the Atlantic — in the UK — where you won't find any auto stores carrying Dodge parts. It sucks and that's another reason why I need to be certain before ordering.