A1 Cardone Brake Booster

• Performance
• Ease of Use / Installation
• Quality
• Price

• 4
• 5
• 4
• 3

A responsive braking system ensures safer driving. But if you have power brakes and you wish it to be even more powerful, then that is only possible with a brake booster. With one installed between your master cylinder and brake pedal, you do not need to exert too much effort on pressing that pedal when braking. This not only reduces stress on your braking leg, but it also makes you more confident during abrupt braking. If you have not decided yet which brand to choose, then see if a brake booster from A1 Cardone is fit for your taste.

Features

• With quality seals, diaphragms, and check valves
• Fine-tuned bores to OE standards
• With rust-prohibitive property
• Without a brake master cylinder
• Original equipment replacement
• Includes a bleeder kit
• With installation instructions and all needed hardware
• With lifetime A1 Cardone limited warranty
• Underwent several stages of quality checking

We tested this product on a Suzuki Swift with a four-wheel drive, and here is what we have found out:

Thumbs up

• The pre-adjusted master cylinder output rods along with the mounting nuts and washers made the installation faster and hassle-free. Generally, the entire procedure just took 25 minutes of our time.
• The booster provided enough assist for the Swift's four-wheel disc system. The generated power was about 1000 psi. The right size of the vacuum made us push the pedal with less effort. We drove the Swift with more confidence, and we were able to get a quick response whenever we hit the pedal.

Thumbs down

• A bit too pricey for a remanufactured component. This one matches the price of new Motorcraft brake boosters although it has parts that have been replaced with new ones. The price is also twice as costly as Centric boosters.
• The booster's push rod was too long and caused some drag during braking. (But upon some adjusting that required cutting the rod a bit, we were able to minimize this drag.)
• There was an annoying air noise under the dash. Even though this was something atmospheric, it still ruined the serenity of the ride.

Verdict

The addition of a brake booster will certainly be good if you want a more responsive braking system, but take note that you need to maintain proper vacuum volume and Hg level for the booster at all times. A1 Cardone's product provided what it promised--a boosted braking power--but a few of the bad things we experienced could have been naught with delicate manufacturing and spec reconsiderations. By and all, your long-time experience with the product will prove its real quality.