Hydroboost Introduction

Being a power brake remanufacturer, the experts at Vanco have come up with the ultimate stopping solution, the Hydroboost system for CJs and Yjs.

The main problem we saw is that vacuum boosters only put out 800-1000 lbs. of pressure, not nearly enough power to stop a Jeep once it’s been converted to larger tires and or brake system. The only system out there that would work is a hydraulic system; hydraulic systems put out 2,500-3,500 lbs of pressure, which is plenty for the built-up Jeeps being driven today.

There are quite a few hydraulic boosters to choose from. The most common one has an accumulator on its side. This, although easy to find was a problem with the extra width that the accumulator gave it. Other boosters have motors that present the same problem. There is however a hydraulic booster out there with a built-in accumulator. This particular booster was only 4.5 inches in diameter. To top it off, it fits 4 wheel disc vehicles and puts out 2,800 lbs of pressure. That kind of pressure would stop any Jeep no matter the size of tires or any other upgrade. The built-in accumulator allows for an extra stop or two if the vehicle stalls out.

Quite a few other bonuses came with this booster. Using a system like this means you never have touchy brakes. It works a lot like a power steering gearbox, easy stopping going slow and a little firmer as you speed up. It never has the super touchy feel that makes you jerk and has great stopping power when you’re going fast or have a heavy load. In addition to this we where able to incorporate a 1 1/8th bore master cylinder to it. I would not recommend putting such a big bore master cylinder onto a vacuum booster; you’ll loose quite a bit of the boosters power doing this. The bigger the bore you use the more power you need to make it function, the hydraulic booster was made for a 1 1/8th master cylinder from a four-wheel disc system, so it works perfect. The bonus of a bigger bore master cylinder is of course more pressure, but you also use a smaller pedal stroke to stop the vehicle.

All Jeeps have linkage and/or brackets attached to the original booster and from there to thefirewall. This was Jeep’s solution to making the booster fit in the confined space. Since the booster we are using is only 4.5 inches in diameter we chose to mount it directly to the firewall. The system still clears any engine used and leaves room for a hydraulic clutch.

The system includes new hoses, master cylinder, hydroboost, brackets and everything else you need to install it on all CJs and Yjs except for power steering fluid and brake fluid. It doesn’t matter if you currently have power brakes, are upgrading, or don’t have power brakes and want power this system will work. The system has been a complete success with every customer so far; they are reporting fantastic stopping power and control. The power steering unit needs to put out 1,500 lbs of pressure and 6 g.p.m. to operate both the hydroboost and the power steering gearbox. Jeep power steering boxes didn’t come this way, but it’s been Vanco’s observation that most of their customers have already made the up-grade. If the customer still has the original power steering pump Vanco can supply them with the more powerful pump need at an additional cost.

We are currently working on having units for the early Broncos and FJ 40s.

Hydro-Boost Installation Instructions

*Introduction*Beginning Installation *Installation Part II (Bench Bleeding Optional)
*Mounting the Booster *Installing the Hoses*Brake Line Installation*Start Up