Brake Booster

[Matt H]

Hey, I need to replace my brake booster and am looking for some advice… OEM is not available, and I want new vs remanufactured. The only new one Rock Auto has is the SKP. Elsewhere, the Crown Automotive is what I am looking at however I see several negative reviews about the push rod being a little short, leaving the brake light on. Does anybody either have experience one way or the other with the Crown unit or another one to recommend? Thanks!

 

[sab]

See post #3 in this similar thread started last Thursday:

Post in thread 'Used OEM Brake Booster vs RockAuto'

Mar 12, 2026

There's a guy on here that could give you the best answer.
View attachment 676870

It is a toss up but I'd try the OEM first.

• mrblaine

• 

 

[Matt H]

Thanks for pointing that out. The issue for me is once I buy one I have to send it down to Belize and import it, so it doesn’t work well to buy a used one if after getting it down to Belize and installing it the booster turns out to be shot. It would then be another 3-4 months for a second chance. Really hoping to buy once, cry once and have it done. If the jeep was in the US then it would be much easier. No feedback on the new SKP vs new Crown vs reman Cardone or any other new options?

 

[mrblaine]

I see several negative reviews about the push rod being a little short, leaving the brake light on.

That's just downright stupid. (I'd normally say it was retarded but that tends to offend the snowflakes a bit too much) Here's why. No one on the face of the planet has ever pulled the booster and not let go of the brake pedal or pushed it back out of the way. When you do that, it smacks the brake switch plunger and pushes the self adjuster in all the way. Correctly, after the booster is installed and the brake pedal is hooked back up, you reach up there with a pair of needle nose and pull the switch plunger out to the end of the adjustment and then gently let the brake pedal back up. It will hit the plunger, push it in to the correct length and then the switch will work perfectly.

Don't take that as an endorsement of Crown anything. I just don't think dumb people should be leaving bad reviews for stupid stuff and companies should not suffer for it.

 

[mrblaine]

Thanks for pointing that out. The issue for me is once I buy one I have to send it down to Belize and import it, so it doesn’t work well to buy a used one if after getting it down to Belize and installing it the booster turns out to be shot. It would then be another 3-4 months for a second chance. Really hoping to buy once, cry once and have it done. If the jeep was in the US then it would be much easier. No feedback on the new SKP vs new Crown vs reman Cardone or any other new options?

I'm not a fan of Crown but I'd take one of those over anything Cardone. I know nothing of SKP.

 

[Matt H]

I'm not a fan of Crown but I'd take one of those over anything Cardone. I know nothing of SKP.

MrBlaine, thank you for your replies! I appreciate the comments. I just hate to roll the dice on a used one off ebay, most of which visually look much worse than mine, on whether they work or not and for how long given my location and the logistics of getting parts to there. I do see a used oem booster, not on ebay, from a jeep with 125,000 miles when parted out that looks clean. I will decide between that and a new Crown, but leaning towards the new one.

 

[Matt H]

That's just downright stupid. (I'd normally say it was retarded but that tends to offend the snowflakes a bit too much) Here's why. No one on the face of the planet has ever pulled the booster and not let go of the brake pedal or pushed it back out of the way. When you do that, it smacks the brake switch plunger and pushes the self adjuster in all the way. Correctly, after the booster is installed and the brake pedal is hooked back up, you reach up there with a pair of needle nose and pull the switch plunger out to the end of the adjustment and then gently let the brake pedal back up. It will hit the plunger, push it in to the correct length and then the switch will work perfectly.

Don't take that as an endorsement of Crown anything. I just don't think dumb people should be leaving bad reviews for stupid stuff and companies should not suffer for it.

Thanks for the explanation. That is exactly what I was looking for.

 

[macleanflood]

I wonder if there is a rebuild kit out there. I mean essentially all that's inside is a spring and a diaphragm.

You could convert your Jeep to an iBooster. I'm getting ready to try bolting mine on later today.

-Mac

 

[speeding_infraction]

You could convert your Jeep to an iBooster. I'm getting ready to try bolting mine on later today.

More info please?

 

[macleanflood]

Search and you will find...

Thread 'Electric vacuum pump to improve brakes'

May 10, 2025

Just got back from Moab. My brakes absolutely sucked.

Going to order a BMB 15" big brake kit from @mrblaine - that's going to solve most of my issues.

Considering divorcing the vacuum booster from the engine and adding an electric pump like this:

https://granatellimotorsports.com/i...volt-vacuum-pump-systems-410100.html?q=410100

That way when I stall my manual 97 with an AX-15 on a steep slope I still have vacuum assisted brakes to either back down and try again or enough stopping power to get the engine running again and keep crawling...

• macleanflood
• Replies: 71
• Forum: TJ General Discussion

-Mac

 

[Matt H]

I wonder if there is a rebuild kit out there. I mean essentially all that's inside is a spring and a diaphragm.

You could convert your Jeep to an iBooster. I'm getting ready to try bolting mine on later today.

-Mac

Thanks, but for my use the stock system, working at 100%, is fine. I haven’t come across a rebuild kit.