type of brake booster

My booster switched from a gentle hiss to sounding like a honking goose....so I'm looking at auto zone/parts stores for a MC and booster assembly ( i think it was leaking a bit anyway) . My truck is 7300 lbs. It seems i have 2 choices, single piston caliper or dual piston caliper. Can i use either, and the dual is more powerful? How do i know what i currently have? Recommendations as to brands? Do i have to worry about new foreign built vs rebuilding my old one? Id sorta rather just have new and clean assuming its not low quality. Thanks.

Stay OUT of the zone.

The booster isn't directly related to the hydraulic system; it's something that helps you push the pedal.  Click this & read the caption:



I'd browse the junkyards for an original booster off a newer similar truck (like a gas '95 F-series/Bronco).

The different brake boosters used different brake pedals. The pin is in different positions relative to the pivot point. The lighter trucks had a larger diameter flat booster, the heavier ones had a smaller diameter but deeper booster. You need to buy the correct one for your truck that matches the pedal you have.

i get that regarding the physical size of the booster (thats the <8500 lbs or >8500 lbs), but i still have 2 options for me to choose from for my truck (under 8500). a single or dual piston caliper MC and booster assembly....

advance auto parts is saying theirs are remanufactured? is that better?

id also be hesitant to get a 20-30 year old booster out of a junk yard as its likely to be in the condition mines in. Are there any good new brands that you know of?

delco1946 wrote

id also be hesitant to get a 20-30 year old booster out of a junk yard as its likely to be in the condition mines in.

There were many significant advancements in design & materials during the ~16 years between your booster & the last one that's a direct-fit for it.  A '92-97 booster is likely to be in far better condition, with many miles left to go on it.  I'm using them on 3 of my trucks right now; 2 as original parts, and 1 as a junkyard upgrade.

delco1946 wrote

Are there any good new brands that you know of?

MotorCraft, but IDK if they still offer those boosters.

Our page here (Driveline/Brakes and the booster tab) shows your truck as taking E0TZ 2005-A, whether it is single or dual-piston.  At least, that's the way I read it.

So, what I do is take the part number and Google it.  I've been able to significantly reduce the price as well as get quick shipment that way with just a little effort.  And that way I don't have to trust the seller's understanding of what part fits what truck.

For instance, recently I bought engine mounts that Amazon wanted $50+ for and said they won't fit.  But I got them for less than $10 elsewhere and knew they'd fit because the part number was correct.

Here's the listing from the page in the link above.  See if you agree with my assessment of what the part number is - before you order.

Gary Lewis wrote

Our page here (Driveline/Brakes and the booster tab) shows your truck as taking E0TZ 2005-A, whether it is single or dual-piston.  At least, that's the way I read it.

So, what I do is take the part number and Google it.  I've been able to significantly reduce the price as well as get quick shipment that way with just a little effort.  And that way I don't have to trust the seller's understanding of what part fits what truck.

For instance, recently I bought engine mounts that Amazon wanted $50+ for and said they won't fit.  But I got them for less than $10 elsewhere and knew they'd fit because the part number was correct.

Here's the listing from the page in the link above.  See if you agree with my assessment of what the part number is - before you order.

Gary, you may be a little miss leading and right on the part number(s) as that is for the booster ONLY.

The OP is saying the zone, I have not had any issues with AZ parts, lists 2 different part numbers: duel calipers (different master?) or single caliper (a 2nd different master) but both may use the same booster.

To the OP you will need to pull a front wheel and see what calipers your truck has as it is the only way to know for sure before buying the booster w/master when they ask single or duel calipers.
Dave ----

Dave - Thanks for correcting me!  I forgot that he was also looking at a master cylinder.  

 thank you for the replies everyone. So it sounds like a dual piston caliper master cylinder would simply be more powerful as it had to operate two calipers versus one? And so if the choice is up to me I would just assume having a more powerful master cylinder. Does that seem like a safe assessment ?

delco1946 wrote

...a dual piston caliper master cylinder would simply be more powerful...?

No, the MC doesn't make any power.  It moves fluid, and 2 pistons need more fluid than 1 to move the same distance.  So using the single-piston MC on the wrong truck would take less foot effort, and the pedal would hit the firewall before the dual-piston caliper put enough braking force on the disk to stop the truck.  Using the correct MC would require more foot effort, because it's moving more fluid with less pedal travel.

All that only applies to a truck with dual-piston calipers, so find out what yours has before going farther.

Okay, as Steve already pointed out, the reason for a different  dual piston master is it has to move more fluid. It does this with a larger cylinder bore. If you put this on a single piston truck the pedal won’t move down as far when you brake. It will feel firmer sooner and stay up higher. It won’t brake any better or be any more powerful.

Also note that the light duty master cylinder that goes with the flat style booster has mounting bolts closer together than the one for the “deep” style HD booster. They won’t physically fit together. Also the brake line fittings for the light duty ones are different sizes. They won’t physically fit either.

Your best bet is to replace you parts with exactly what came on your truck. If you want better braking you need the pedal, the booster, the master cylinder and the steel brake lines to the pressure differential valve. In my opinion the only upgrade worth all that is hydroboost from a F450 in which case you also need the two pressure lines for the power steering fluid.