hello to all. just a question about my power brake booster. I have a 1999 dodge ram 1500 4x4 5.9L. I noticed yesterday I was hearing a hissing or air when I press on the brakes. I had my son press the brakes while it was running and checked up in the engine compartment but didn't hear anything in there. last weekend I did a complete brake job all the way around. Calipers, pads and rotors up front. Shoes, drums and wheel cylinders in the rear. The rear brakes are adjusted good as well. It was all do anyways. But I went for a test drive and the brakes feel a little bit better but im still not convinced they are stopping me like they should. I guess they are good for right now but i was having issues last summer pulling my boat. The boat was pushing me all the time and shouldn't of been doing that. That's why i had it looked at and was told it needed everything around. So i did it all. Still have a couple of months before i get the boat back out to see if that has changed any. But i am hearing the air when i press the brake which is leading me to believe my booster is going or is already bad. So if anyone has any thoughts or opinions that would be great. If you need any more info please feel free to ask. Thanks

 

Boosters DO fail, but, I can't count the number of times I have seen a bad one on one hand...... Yeah, it's rather rare. The hissing you hear in the cab is pretty normal. The booster IS vacuum powered after all.

How much pedal travel do you get before your brakes actually start doing something?

Is the pedal hard? Do you really have to reef on it to get the truck to stop quickly?

If you do a panic stop from 40mph or so, can you lock the tires? (ABS complicates this test.....)

2 or 4 wheel ABS?

Did you flush the brake system when you did the brakes?

 

The brakes start reacting as soon as I press on the pedal.
The pedal is not hard, it feels ok I guess. not hard but not soft.
however it is a 2 wheel abs and do not lock up the brakes when I do a panic stop. it stops fairly decent but do not lock up.
I put a new master cylinder on last summer and at that time I did a complete flush. When I did all the brakes last weekend I pretty much did another flush because I had to replace some lines and bleed the whole system.

 

I have a 98 Sport 4x4 with the 5.2. I am having the same issue,cannot lock up the wheels over 35

 

What size tires are you running?

 

265/75r16

 

That's probably not helping.

This would have been a great opportunity to upgrade your brakes..... The single-piston 3/4 ton calipers are a direct bolt-on, as are 1 ton wheel cylinders.... but, as you already spent the money..... How are the front brake hoses? They still original?

 

I think I'm running the same size tire. A little bit bigger than what was stock.

 

Same reply as above. I think the brakes on the half-ton truck were barely adequate for a truck of that weight, let alone hauling several thousand pounds of trailer+load.

My truck, unloaded, if I even glance cross-eyed at the pedal, the truck stops RIGHT NOW. With 5000 pounds of dirt in the bed, I could tell I had some weight, but, the brakes would still stop the truck right quick. Mine are all still stock, but, it IS a 3/4 ton.... and my brakes are substantially larger than the half-ton fellers.

 

I just put the new calipers on last weekend and only have about 15 miles or so. I wonder if I can take them off and take them back and upgrade like you mentioned. What would I look up for the 3/4 ton caliper. My truck I have saved is for 1/2 ton so it's only giving that option.