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Thread: Viper Brake / Big Brake Mediocre Performance

  1. #26
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    Did anyone ever find a definitive solution to the stiff pedal? The 4 piston Viper calipers and braided lines on the front of my 99 made the pedal too stiff and I was going to order the RAYBESTOS MC390508 master cylinder that's advertised as 15/16" bore but It's kind of a crap shoot if it's actually the smaller bore diameter and if it'll give a better pedal feel.

    '99 Custom R/T --1.92 heads, m1 2bbl, 52mm f&b, Mike Leach headers, Mopar 2400 stall, 4.56 rear, Comp cams custom grind cam, 1.6 roller rockers, K&N FIPK, Mopar PCM, MSD 6A, 24lbs injectors, APS trans, Flex-a-lite 180 fan

  2. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nitrohog View Post
    Did anyone ever find a definitive solution to the stiff pedal? The 4 piston Viper calipers and braided lines on the front of my 99 made the pedal too stiff and I was going to order the RAYBESTOS MC390508 master cylinder that's advertised as 15/16" bore but It's kind of a crap shoot if it's actually the smaller bore diameter and if it'll give a better pedal feel.
    smaller bore will give a softer pedal.

  3. #28

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nitrohog View Post
    Did anyone ever find a definitive solution to the stiff pedal? The 4 piston Viper calipers and braided lines on the front of my 99 made the pedal too stiff and I was going to order the RAYBESTOS MC390508 master cylinder that's advertised as 15/16" bore but It's kind of a crap shoot if it's actually the smaller bore diameter and if it'll give a better pedal feel.
    It hasn't been 10 years yet. LOL!!!

    Seriously, upgrading the fronts to a least 2 piston should be better than the stock single. I am running the SSBS read disk kit, and would like to upgrade the fronts, and SSBS doesn't offer any caliper upgrades.
    DRTC #1176

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  4. #29

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    Any new update or feedback here ? Anxious for a brake upgrade solution, may just go with the 03/04 setup ?

  5. #30

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    I haven’t had a customer yet complain about a stiff pedal when stepping to my brakes.

    But my front kits alone run $1750, so...
    --Tom
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  6. #31

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    I know I'm resurrecting a dead thread again, but I was thinking about this recently. Would it be possible to change the booster to the Viper booster? Since the Viper already uses the same master cylinder, it seems to me that using the Viper booster would possibly correct any issues with the braking system not working 'properly'.
    - Justin


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  7. #32

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    I know I'm resurrecting a dead thread again, but I was thinking about this recently. Would it be possible to change the booster to the Viper booster? Since the Viper already uses the same master cylinder, it seems to me that using the Viper booster would possibly correct any issues with the braking system not working 'properly'.
    The 1992-2010 Viper power brake booster has a diaphragm area of 122.97 sq in. The 1999-2004 Dakota has a power brake booster diaphragm area of 149.23 sq in, and is therefor larger than the Viper. That is why I produce a power brake booster adapter for the 1987-1996 and 1997-1998 Dakota. http://stores.hi-potek.com/brakes/

    I have the Viper brakes, and there is more at fault than just the power brake booster. While the larger booster certainly helps, other problems with the Viper brake kit is that the brake pad doesn't have 100% contact with the rotor, and, the combination/proportioning valve needs balancing.

  8. #33

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    How are the pads not contacting the rotor? I may have a 1/16" pad overhang off the edge of the rotor, unless you're referring to something else. Is that something inherent to Darren's kit, The GiSM kit, or both? The proportioning valve makes sense, I've heard that tossed around in other discussions before.
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  9. #34

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    How are the pads not contacting the rotor?
    This is Darren's kit. I would prefer full contact. I've thought about larger rotors, but that is added expense.

    To be honest, the stock brakes (front disc only) of my 2004 Dakota work better. Ironing out the Viper brakes may work well, but that is an unknown at the moment.

    Note: The 2004 is stock with high vacuum and the larger brake booster. My 1998 R/T with the Viper brakes has much less engine vacuum, and at the time, had the single diaphragm brake booster, so it probably isn't a fair comparison. I still have to sort things out.



    Last edited by 98Dak408; 06-08-2021 at 07:08 PM.

  10. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by 98Dak408 View Post



    how close is the caliper body to the rotor?

  11. #36
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    I questioned Brandon Burns(?) years ago about this same situation with his big brake set-up. I believed the response I received was BS.

    "Excuse me if I have some place in my mind, where I go time to time"

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    Ah, the ole' email notifications of replies to threads still works! haha.

    The sidewinder kit's calipers sat so high because of lazy bracket design. It's a caliper intended for a 13" rotor, being used on a 13" rotor. There is no reason why he couldn't get it to set down onto the rotor all the way.

    The good news is that the only detriment to this is that it looks like ass. It wont actually hurt brake performance. Brake performance boils down to 2 things. Squeeze force from the hydraulics (pedal to master, master to brake pistons. Pad area, and contact area do not play into the equation) and the ability to absorb and dissipate heat.

    The poor pad contact just results in faster pad wear. and that ugly rusty 'non-swept, but supposed to be swept' ring on the rotor.

    on the kits I make, I'm using a caliper intended for a 13" rotor on a 14" rotor--due to the difference in the radius, I have to do a little machining to the caliper to get it to sit down fully on the rotor.
    --Tom
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  13. #38

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    Brandon Burns' kit was just using a caliper that was way too small for the rotor he was using it on. But, again, the end result is just accelerated pad wear.
    --Tom
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  14. #39

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    As far as the proportioning/combination valve, what I did and what I suggest to others, is to eliminate the stock combination valve and run full line pressure to all 4 corners, but leave all the RWAL system in place. You would think that with 14" rotors, 4-piston brembo SRT-8 calipers on the rear axle, with no weight in the bed of the truck, would result in instant wheel lock up under even medium braking efforts. But, with the RWAL, my rears never lock up. And yes, I can feel the RWAL pulsing on harder stops
    --Tom
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  15. #40



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    Brandon Burns runs the I suck dick FB page.
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