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1934 Dodge Wheel cylinders


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I ordered Master Cylinder and Wheel Cylinders from Bernbaums for my 34 Dodge. Started to put cylinders on rear end and when I opened packages I found they were all stepped cylinders 1-3/8" on one end and 1-1/4" on the other. Two for left side and two for right side. The ones that were on the car weren't steeped and it had 1-1/4" on front and 1-1/8" on rear. They fit O.K. but will they work right? Sure would make more stopping force but is the volume of the master cylinder sufficient to work and shouldn't the ones on the rear have smaller bores? The guy I talked to at Berbaums didn't know if the sizes shipped were right and to call back tomorrow and maybe someone else might know.

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1-1/4 on front and 1-1/8 on rear is what the '33 Plymouth had too. I used "Safe-Line W18262" on my fronts which are actually 1-3/8 diameter (still available from NAPA as UP 18262). Still have a reasonable amount of travel left when the shoes are properly adjusted, so I guess the step bore cylinders might be okay for volume. Worse comes to worse, you could get the NAPA cylinders and then send them off to be sleeved down to the original diameter. Or, of course, have your originals sleeved. Seems like I was able to find a match up for the 1-1/8 used in the rear but that was a couple of decades ago and I don't have notes to show what I found then and I can't find a match up now.

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I ordered Master Cylinder and Wheel Cylinders from Bernbaums for my 34 Dodge. Started to put cylinders on rear end and when I opened packages I found they were all stepped cylinders 1-3/8" on one end and 1-1/4" on the other. Two for left side and two for right side. The ones that were on the car weren't steeped and it had 1-1/4" on front and 1-1/8" on rear. They fit O.K. but will they work right? Sure would make more stopping force but is the volume of the master cylinder sufficient to work and shouldn't the ones on the rear have smaller bores? The guy I talked to at Berbaums didn't know if the sizes shipped were right and to call back tomorrow and maybe someone else might know.

Stepped cylinders were the norm for the era, many owners in later life found the originals unobtainable and simply refurbished them by honing out to parallel bore, this probably explains the status of your removed cylinders.

Obviously the master cylinder was designed to work with the stepped wheel cylinders but experience has shown that there is not a lot of difference when they are parallel anyway. My personal experience with a 34 Chrysler fitted with parallel bore cylinders is that the car stops exactly as I would expect for one of this era.

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I called Bernbaums and was told that they sell a lot of the wheel cylinders like this and as far as they know there has not been any problems. Going to go ahead and put them on.

And THAT's the problem I find with Bernbaum's. They are in it to sell it. They don't seem to really know, don't really seem to care, and have been this way for a very long time. If it's "close enough" for you, it is "good enough" for them. If you just want to "make it work" they will find you a part. If you are trying to go for originality, good luck. None of their parts are referenced to original part numbers (that I have ever seen) which is probably a good idea on their part. "thirtyfourdodge"s issue is typical.

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I also got a set of stepped cylinders from Bernbaums, and I was not happy with the way my car was stopping. I spoke to an "old guy " who had done his apprenticeship on old Dodges ... His advice was to have my original cylinders sleeved and to use woven brake linings... as asbestos is now banned from brake linings, the new compounds are too hard and do not work well with older systems..... My car now brakes better than when new but with modern traffic conditions and speeds , I am looking at ways to improve .

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I guess I will hold on to my old wheel cylinders in case these don't work out. If I would have known sooner I would have sent these back and had the old ones sleeved or find right ones somewhere else. I also got a pair of lower A frame rubber bumpers that weren't correct. The ones on it are 2-3/4" dia. and 3" long with 2 ea. 5/16" studs. The ones I got were smaller and only one 3/8" bolt. Can use them on top if I drill the bolt hole out to 3/8" instead of orig. 5/16".

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I guess I will hold on to my old wheel cylinders in case these don't work out. If I would have known sooner I would have sent these back and had the old ones sleeved or find right ones somewhere else. I also got a pair of lower A frame rubber bumpers that weren't correct. The ones on it are 2-3/4" dia. and 3" long with 2 ea. 5/16" studs. The ones I got were smaller and only one 3/8" bolt. Can use them on top if I drill the bolt hole out to 3/8" instead of orig. 5/16".
Sad. Just sad. :(

And everyone keeps suggesting his parts. Too bad. He really needs to step up to the plate!

"thirtyfourdodge", if I were you I surely wouldn't bore out the hole just to install an incorrect part. Future rebuilders of the A-frame will be confused or fit a correct part sloppily.

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Guest Mark1934*
I also got a set of stepped cylinders from Bernbaums, and I was not happy with the way my car was stopping. I spoke to an "old guy " who had done his apprenticeship on old Dodges ... His advice was to have my original cylinders sleeved and to use woven brake linings... as asbestos is now banned from brake linings, the new compounds are too hard and do not work well with older systems..... My car now brakes better than when new but with modern traffic conditions and speeds , I am looking at ways to improve .

I spent 6 months trying to get my brakes to work after I installed those "replacement" cylinders from Bernbaums. I talked to them about it more than once. No help. Plus you have grind part of the front ones to use the original fittings. Replaced master cylinder twice. Didn't help. Bought the brake adjustment too on eBay everyone recommended (Ammco 1750)and it helped but still not much braking power. I am definitely going to have original cylinders rebuilt and try the brake lining you recommended.

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I spent 6 months trying to get my brakes to work after I installed those "replacement" cylinders from Bernbaums. I talked to them about it more than once. No help. Plus you have grind part of the front ones to use the original fittings. Replaced master cylinder twice. Didn't help. Bought the brake adjustment too on eBay everyone recommended (Ammco 1750)and it helped but still not much braking power. I am definitely going to have original cylinders rebuilt and try the brake lining you recommended.

Might not be with the hydraulics but with the geometry: With the Lockheed brakes especially, having the shoe ground to the correct diameter for your drums is needed for best braking performance. I've heard that some places that specialize in truck brakes can still do that.

In any event, small drum brakes will not have the the fade resistance of modern disc brakes. That together the small tire to road contact area will mean your braking will be less than you might be used to. I allow lots of extra space ahead of me for braking my '33.

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Hi guys !

i have recently spoken to an older mechanic that knows the old girls very well (Chrysler ) I mean !

He told me he got linings made longer on the shoes and also machined them on the backing plate for circumference grind on shoes.

i read about this grinding procedure somewhere , it's a machine or cutter that fits on stub axle and it cuts the linings to almost perfect circumference ,I suppose it would improve friction area on drum !!

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  • 4 years later...

I know this is an old post but just goes to show that some things sometimes can go from bad to worse.

I'm referring to the response which indicates a stepped bore with 1 1/4 on one end and 1 3/4 on the other?

 

Re: OldMoparts.com Question
  •  
     
    11/8/2017 4:05 PM
     
    To  Diane Miller  
     
    ok stephen, what we sell on those number is 1 1/4" on one side, 1 3/4" on another side
     
    this replaces all the other bore sizes on 1930 through 1938
     
    some of the early cars were 1 1/4" on both sides, some were 1 1/8 on one side and 1 3/4 on the other side
     
    all went to 1 1/4 and 1 3/4 by late 1934 is our information
     
    we reproduce these cylinders to retro fit the earlier cars and have been selling them for years, no problem
     
    small bore faces forward
     
    hope that is helpful thanks cp
     
    On Wed, Nov 8, 2017 at 3:47 PM, OldMoparts.com Website <web_admin@oldmoparts.com> wrote:
    Date Sent:11/8/2017 3:47:42 PM Name: Stephen Miller Email: diane.miller2@sympatico.ca Phone: 4166222488 Question: G 181, 182 front wheel cylinders Is the piston bore 1 1/4 inch? G 183, 184 rear wheel cylinders Is the piston bore 1 1/8 inch? Also do you have in stock the metal brake shoe anchor b…
     
     
    -- 
    Andy Bernbaum Vintage Auto Parts
    93 Border Street
    Newton, MA 02465
    1-617-244-1118
    1-617-244-1164

 

 

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