Many truck aficionados think that as long as you have the latest and greatest master cylinder, booster, calipers, discs, etc., your hauler should stop on command, which isn't exactly the case. When designing brake systems, you have to start thinking about master cylinder bore sizes, booster sizes, valves, and especially vacuum. Vacuum is one of those things that is often an afterthought, but without it, no matter what parts you have, the truck won't stop. In the quest to rocket down the highway at the fastest speed possible, truck owners are running such hot cams that it's killing vacuum, and therefore killing braking. To compensate for the loss of vacuum, people install vacuum pumps that do help, but even then braking potential isn't at its fullest.
One of CPP's latest products, their hydroboost braking system, is designed to alleviate the problem. The hydroboost system, which replaces the power booster in a power brake system, is powered off of pressure from the power steering pump. Instead of running off of vacuum like a power booster, the hydroboost is powered by pressure from the power steering pump. The hydroboost taps into the power steering pump and uses the pump's pressure to deliver clamping force to the calipers. The CPP hydroboost delivers 1,300 psi at the wheels, and because it doesn't run off vacuum, the calipers will be given the same amount of pressure from the minute you hit the brakes all the way up until the second you let off them.
What happens if you lose your power steering pump or the motor dies? No worries. The hydroboost's accumulator stores enough high pressure for three full power stops. For instance, let's say you're cruising down the highway and you kill the motor; the first time you hit the brakes, the system will deliver 80 percent of the system's full potential until you let off the brakes. Once the brake is let up and pushed again, roughly 50 percent of the power is there, and if you let off the brakes and hit them for a third time, you're scraping the bottom of the barrel for the rest of the power. After three stops with no engine power, the system converts into what is called manual brake push through compliance, which means the system becomes a true manual brake system.
If all this sounds a little too space age for ya, consider this: hydroboost technology has been around since the early '70s, when GM equipped many of their 1-ton trucks and even some mid-'70s Cadillac Eldorados. In more recent years, all Ford Mustang Cobras from '96 on are equipped with a hydroboost, every Hummer ever made has a hydroboost, and since '05, GM has equipped every 1-ton truck with a hydroboost.
The CPP hydroboost system, which is completely bolt-in for specific vehicles and manufactured from all-brand-new parts, is much like a power brake system: it still uses a master cylinder, proportioning valve, and the like. The only difference is instead of running a power booster for power brakes, a hydroboost sits between the firewall and the master cylinder. But don't be fooled, a hydroboost system isn't just for trucks with low vacuum; it is also an excellent upgrade on trucks with manual brakes. Instead of opting to convert one's system to power brakes via a power booster, a hydroboost is also a viable option.
...the ends of the lower A-arms...
...the ends of the lower A-arms had to be cut away just to get the lower A-arm to clear the 15-inch rim. Although it does work, there are still signs of minimal rubbing; taking away the metal around the lower ball joint weakens the arms' internal structure, making them prone to bending and possibly even breaking.
In order to install the new...
In order to install the new arms, the factory arms had to be removed. By removing the caliper and spindle/brake unit, the arms can be unbolted. With the OEM arms removed, we can get this side-by-side comparison of the CPP and OEM lower arms.
Since the arms come preassembled,...
Since the arms come preassembled, all you have to do is bolt them up. The crew at CPP began by bolting up the upper A-arm. As a side note, even though the truck will have to be aligned, try to use all the alignment shims used with the factory A-arms; this will help keep the alignment close to what it was.