Power Brake Boosters

A power brake booster is positioned between the brake pedal and the master cylinder to increase braking force while reducing the effort required by the driver. There are two kinds of boosters, vacuum operated boosters and hydraulic boosters. Vacuum boosters use the pressure differential between engine vacuum and atmospheric pressure to create application force, while hydraulic boosters employ fluid pressure to assist brake application.

A typical vacuum booster contains a diaphragm and piston within a shell formed by a front and rear half joined together. The master cylinder mounts to the front half, which is supplied by vacuum from the engine or an auxiliary vacuum pump. When the brakes are released, vacuum exists on both sides of the diaphragm. When the brakes are applied, the brake pedal rod opens a valve, allowing atmospheric pressure to fill the rear half, creating the pressure differential that forces the power piston forward to apply the master cylinder. Hydraulic systems use pressure from the power steering pump or an electric pump/motor assembly.

Vacuum power boosters are generally very reliable, but they occasionally fail. If you have a failed booster, there’s no need to pay the high price for a replacement from the dealer, or deal with suspect availability at the local parts store. With just a phone call, we can ship an affordable replacement booster right to your door. We have a large selection, and our boosters are manufactured to OE specifications, so you’ll get precise fit, perfect performance, and exceptional durability. We offer boosters that come with a master cylinder, for a complete repair, as well as the other parts you need to repair power brake booster systems, like vacuum pumps, check valves, and filters.

When many of our beloved classic and muscle cars were built, power brakes were an expensive option that buyers often elected to forego. Whether you’re restoring one of these vintage machines or building a custom hot rod, you won’t have to do without the ease and luxury of power brakes if you install one of our performance brake boosters or power brake conversion kits. There’s nothing like the feel of driving a restored classic, a resto-mod, or a custom hot rod. You love the exhilarating acceleration and admiring stares, and brakes that require excessive effort shouldn’t detract from the experience.

With our performance brake boosters and power brake conversion kits you can have brakes that are just as effortless to use as the ones on your daily driver. And being able to make a seamless transition from your everyday ride to your performance machine without having to adjust to the need for more leg power makes for safer driving. We offer both model specific and universal power brake boosters. Individual boosters come with single or dual diaphragms, and in a range of diameters and finishes including traditional gold anodized, black, chrome, and a variety of powder coated colors.

Generally speaking, the larger the booster diameter, the greater the power assist, but if you’re building a hot rod and have space limitations in your engine bay, the two diaphragms in a smaller diameter dual diaphragm booster can provide as much assist or even more than a large diameter single diaphragm booster. For disc brakes, opt for the diameter/diaphragm combination that gives you the most assist, however, if you’re sticking with drums less assist is better because it keeps the brake pedal from becoming touchy.