Opinions on replacement parts from Kanter, CARS and Whitepost

[Guest Roadmaster]

I'm looking for opinions on brake cylinders, brake hoses, brake spring kits, brake linings and tune-up kits that people have used on their cars from CARS, Kanter and Whitepost. Thanks for all responses in advance.

[rocketraider]

Other than the expense, I've gotten very good service and name brand product from Kanter. I've never dealt with White Post except for touring the facility, and all I've bought from CARS is literature. I found them to be prompt with good quality stuff.

[Guest Albert]

Have you checked with napa? the rear cylinders i have a number for and hoses, and some of the other parts. do you know what series buick? I just picked up rear wheel cylinders for my 54 Packard the Wagner# is the same as used on a 2000 Ford truck.

[Guest]

Albert is right. You would be amazed at what you can get from NAPA. Some off the shelf and the rest in only a few days. Buick used a lot of the same parts forever.

Two years ago on a tour I got points for a 40s model Delco distributor, right off the shelf at the NAPA store in Gettysburg, PA. If you have part #s, you are well on the way.

hvs

[Guest DeSoto Frank]

I've dealt with Kanter's a number of times over the last ten years; each transaction has been fine.

About five years ago, I needed new u-joints for my '41 De Soto, which turned-out to be uncommon and different from other 1941 Chrysler products; not even MoPar specialists had them. Kanter came through.

Most recently, I have purchased a front-end kit from them.

As much as possible, I try to buy parts through my local jobbers...ones that still have printed parts books in addition to their computers....brake parts are frequently still available from Bendix, Wagner, and Raybestos. Shoes are sometimes hard to find...

Tune-up & carb parts are probably still available from Standard Ignition, Filko, and KEM.

Engine parts might be more challenging for the straight-8 Buick.

Gaskets are probably still available from Fel-Pro or Victor.

This means you'll probably have to go to a Mom & Pop established jobber; not Advance Auto or PeP Boys, which cater more towards late model cars and kiddos looking for goodies for their "hoop-dees"...

If possible, I try to replace my old wheel cyls /master cyls with new after -market or NOS using new rubber. Most old brake cylinders I've taken apart are too pitted to re-use without sleeving. If I can get a new cylinder, I do so, and put the old ones in a box to be sleeved somewhere down the road.

White Post does cylinder sleeving w/ brass; I 've not heard negatives about their workmanship, but I think they're prices are a little more than I've cared to spend. For the step-bore wheel cyls from my De Soto, new ones were $50 each; resleeving from WP was around $60 per bore ($120 per wheel cyl), so economics dictated that I buy new (I actually bought one new @ $50, and the remaining 3 for $20 each at a swap meet - they were in old United (NAPA) boxes, but the parts themselves were original Wagner-Lockheed units-still in their wax=paper with little corks stuck in the line fitting holes!)

Apple Hydraulics up in New York state re-sleeves with stainless, plus they rebuild lever-action shocks too.

If you have time to do the swap-meet thing or price-shop on the internet or through catalogs, you'll probably do better on price...

Kanter has been around as long as I've been reading Hemmings (30 years) or more; White Post has been around too...you don't stay in business that long if you don't have at least some satisfied customers.

I buy what I can locally, then go on to the mail-order/ internet "specialists".

Good Luck!

[Amphicar BUYER]

Although I have not had personal experiences with White post, I do know a number of people who have had trouble with brake cylinders leaking from them. They always replaced them as far as I know. If your car is ready for a show or run, you probably don't have the time or want the trouble of replacing them. I know I wouldn't. Because of this I have never tried White post.

[Guest Dave Mills]

I just finished rebuilding the wheel cylinders and master cylinder on my '28 Plymouth. The local NAPA store actually had the parts in stock except for the master cylinder kit. I had to wait until the next day for it. The part number on the box was.......#1!

[Guest]

don't use white post.....

over priced, and in my case... they just take your brake boosters and mail it to Ed Strain in Florida...

The unit is ship to you marked 100% up, and with Ed's home town newspapers in the box for packing..

And ED cannot rebuild a booster to save his life..

I got a full refund and wrote Better business office.

[Guest imported_MrEarl]

I suspected that!!! So who does one sue when the power brake cylinder blows out going down a mountain at 60 MPH. I reckon that's what the markup covers...liability?

No reply needed...

later,

[Jack Harlin]

Sorry you didnt like the work Ed Strain did for you. He did 2 tredal-vacs for us & 2 none power break master cyl. and all worked like new. Jack

[Guest imported_oldmitchell]

I would not use any brake part sleeved with brass. Here's my reasons-1) brass is soft and easily scratched by grit in disc caliper applications and 2) brass corrodes. I bought a car that had brakes on one wheel only. When I dissassembled the system I found 6 stuck caliper pistons. They were stuck because there was so much green corrosion on the brass sleeves in the calipers that the seal wouldn't budge. I will not sleeve with brass.