Jim--
I purchased the whole package from Leigh Harrison:
Master cylinder kit (increased capacity)
Front axle kit (larger calipers)
Center axle kit with remanufactured hub $2096
Rear axle kit $825
Sensitized vacuum booster $200
Parking brake kit $250
Core charges (refundable) were added ($400 center axle hubs + $100 v.
booster)
Anderson Automotive (local GMC specialist) did the entire installation for a
little over $600 labor. I installed new rear bearings at the same time. The
installation was straight forward with all parts fitting nicely without any
machine work required. The nuts holding the vacuum booster in place and the
actuating rod nut caused some confusion ad to how to get at them --- seems the
later model coaches had these buried in the dash and the only way to get at them
is to cut a part of the under dash out. It is not visible but kind of a strange
way to put things together (see Gene Fisher's pages--he has a good description
which I found after we were finished). We thought we had a brake bleeding problem
- --- soft pedal --- but Leigh assured us to drive it carefully, stop from 20 mph
about 25 times and the pads would seat themselves and the pedal would firm up. It
did!!!
There is a night to day difference in stopping. Pulling my Tracker Toad I am able
to stop just as quickly and effortlessly as stopping in my unladen Jeep Cherokee.
And there will be no more fade!!! I have not installed the parking brake (next
week before leaving for Albuquerque) but I'm assured that it will hold even with
full power in low range. That is quite an improvement, to say the least. Now I
won't have to carry that heavy anchor and chain for my wife to throw out in panic
situations.
As you can tell from the above, I'm sold on the brakes and Harrison's package. In
fact so sold that the 4-bag suspension from Harrison is next after Albuquerque.
See you in Albuquerque???
Gary
North Bend, Oregon Coast
> Gary,
> I'm interested in better brakes and wondered about any improvements you found
> with the Harrison brakes. How much do they cost and how hard/how much time to
> install? Thanks,
> Jim
