Front wheel cylinders - original or repro

[loweredlight]

Morning guys just checked my front brakes and it looks like I need new cylinders.

Original or repro as the price difference is massive and there's 4, is the quality as differnt as well.

I'd appreciate views if anybody has used the repro ones, by the way it's not a daily driver so useage will be light.

Cheers

Loweredlight

 

[Loxy]

Not had any experience with front cylinders as I have disks but I have with rear ones - I would go for the best quality you can afford, I have seen some very poorly made & finished brake components that I wouldnt trust at all

 

[Bookwus]

Hiya low,

X2 with Loxy's sentiment above.

If there is any place on the Bus I would not skimp on money it's the brakes. All the rest of the stuff (with the exception of the fuel routing system) is secondary to the brakes. When you have to stop, you HAVE to stop.

Matter of fact, not only would I buy the very best wheel cylinders I could find I'd also be taking a very close look at the rest of the braking system. Everything from the brake fluid reservoir all the way down through the shoes and drums. EVERYTHING. Especially those funky rubber brake lines that swell up on the inside and look perfectly OK on the outside. Especially those!

Your life, and the lives of those riding with you, literally depend on the braking system. Spend the cash (and check the rest of the brakes)

 

[speedwell68]

OEM all the way, repro stuff is nearly always ****. It is cheaper for a reason.

 

[Frisco69]

I used repro cylinders and they leaked all over my brand new brake shoes. :evil: The threaded hole for the brake pipe had been machined too deep.
I had to remove them and grind some material off so that the union could seat properly.
They are fine now but to have to modify them in the first place is crazy. They shouldn't be allowed to sell them like that as people can be killed when brakes don't work properly or fail completely.

Matt.

 

[noddy]

I can only speak from my experience, when i rebuilt the drum brake system on my van I put new repro cylinders all round.
After 3 years non leaked and only one used to stick occasionaly.

I guess you will take a risk with cheeper ones but they maybe ok, as I found.

I think ATE still make cylinders and their stuff should be good quality, you can get ATE part numbers off the web site but it takes a bit of digging to find (not a great web site design), but might be cheeper than going through the specialist if your local motor factor can order them for you.