Is it a bad idea to go with a remanufactured brake booster?

EJD

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Ok, so i've ran a few different tests and have determined my brake booster is failing. I'm not sure to what degree exactly but it needs some attention, and in a continuing effort to minimize and hopefully end my stalling issues someday, I have decided to replace this component.

My question is: Is going with a remanufactured/refurbished one a bad idea? Thoughts?

Also brand vs generic...is it a huge deal to go aftermarket on these or do I need to go Mopar? I just don't know how many things I am going to be replacing so i'm trying to conserve $.
 
Typically A1 Cardone is the only manufacturer to sell these things remanufactured, and I've determined most of their stuff to generally be junk. I would personally seek out a brand new Mopar unit. It lasted a long time til now, it should last you a good long time again.
 
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@mrblaine will know best since he's the brake expert.

The OE Mopar ones are very expensive I see:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049EDQPE/?tag=wranglerorg-20

This one is aftermarket, but has several good reviews:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C496OK/?tag=wranglerorg-20

Usually the issue with aftermarket parts and our TJs is related to sensors and electronics. I personally wouldn't be afraid to try an aftermarket brake booster like the one above. Especially since Amazon would effortlessly return it if you had any issue with it.

EDIT: I have no experience with Cardone, but it sounds like @Brantley does. In defense of what he is saying, you can be assured that while a Mopar unit is costly, it will last you 10+ years easily, so it's worth the extra coin (unless you are strapped for cash and have no other choice).
 
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@mrblaine will know best since he's the brake expert.

The OE Mopar ones are very expensive I see:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049EDQPE/?tag=wranglerorg-20

This one is aftermarket, but has several good reviews:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C496OK/?tag=wranglerorg-20

Usually the issue with aftermarket parts and our TJs is related to sensors and electronics. I personally wouldn't be afraid to try an aftermarket brake booster like the one above. Especially since Amazon would effortlessly return it if you had any issue with it.

EDIT: I have no experience with Cardone, but it sounds like @Brantley does. In defense of what he is saying, you can be assured that while a Mopar unit is costly, it will last you 10+ years easily, so it's worth the extra coin (unless you are strapped for cash and have no other choice).

I have one of their boosters in my Jeep, and the idle goes up every time I press the brakes. Done that since day 1 that I got it. It is the only option for me as their are no Mopar units for mine anymore. I would have absolutely gone Mopar given the choice.

@mrblaine is definitely the go-to here for this kind of info, and I know for sure he is less than fond of Cardone parts, so take that for what it's worth.

I go for Mopar parts every chance I get unless I'm doing some sort of modification.
 
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Typically A1 Cardone is the only manufacturer to sell these things remanufactured, and I've determined most of their stuff to generally be junk. I would personally seek out a brand new Mopar unit. It lasted a long time til now, it should last you a good long time again.
I see ACDELCO remans them too...Also Crown makes a new one for $150. Any experience with either of them?
@mrblaine will know best since he's the brake expert.

The OE Mopar ones are very expensive I see:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049EDQPE/?tag=wranglerorg-20

This one is aftermarket, but has several good reviews:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C496OK/?tag=wranglerorg-20

Usually the issue with aftermarket parts and our TJs is related to sensors and electronics. I personally wouldn't be afraid to try an aftermarket brake booster like the one above. Especially since Amazon would effortlessly return it if you had any issue with it.

EDIT: I have no experience with Cardone, but it sounds like @Brantley does. In defense of what he is saying, you can be assured that while a Mopar unit is costly, it will last you 10+ years easily, so it's worth the extra coin (unless you are strapped for cash and have no other choice).
I was just checking those out too Chris, and thanks man. Yeah I hear ya, believe me I would love keep it all Mopar but it just adds up too much when your replacing so many things. I was hoping for the middle of the road approach! Which is why I love buying through Amazon too with returns and no hassle stuff.
 
I see ACDELCO remans them too...Also Crown makes a new one for $150. Any experience with either of them?

If you don't mind, post up a link to the Crown product you found. I know they have an "upgrade" kit for the YJ (not an actual upgrade, more like a downgrade) that Blaine gave a nice little critical analysis of and after reading it, I wouldn't have a whole lot of trust in one of their brake boosters. Granted it was for a YJ but the concept is the same of course. You can find that thread here: https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/this-is-why.398/

I know Mopar stuff is expensive, but you really do get what you pay for and I can promise you it will be better than Cardone or Crown. I don't know about ACDelco, I believe they made some factory Jeep alternators, I'm not sure which years. Those are alternators, not brake boosters, so I don't really know how I trust the boosters from them. I'd definitely pick Mopar over any of them if I had to pick.
 
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My personal choice would be AC-Delco over Crown but I'd sure try to find a Mopar. Maybe Wermopar has this one in stock... https://www.wermopar.com/oem-parts/mopar-brake-booster-4798158ac/?c=Zz1icmFrZXMmcz1oeWRyYXVsaWMtc3lzdGVtJmk9V0o5NzQwMTUmcj0xJmE9amVlcCZvPXdyYW5nbGVyJnk9MjAwMCZ0PXNwb3J0JmU9NC0wbC1sNi1nYXM=

Amazon has it at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0100GEQSA/?tag=wranglerorg-20

I run many aftermarket parts but not mission-critical parts like sensors, water pumps, radiators, starters, brake boosters, etc.
 
I'll wait to see what Blaine things. However, I definitely agree with what Jerry is saying about the mission critical parts though.
 
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If you don't mind, post up a link to the Crown product you found.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BA7CWUI/?tag=wranglerorg-20
My personal choice would be AC-Delco over Crown but I'd sure try to find a Mopar. I run many aftermarket parts but not mission-critical parts like sensors, water pumps, radiators, starters, brake boosters, etc.
I can appreciate that Jerry! Any insight on a transplant from a wrecked TJ? Now i'm seeing Mopar ones all over EBAY for $50.
 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BA7CWUI/?tag=wranglerorg-20
I can appreciate that Jerry! Any insight on a transplant from a wrecked TJ? Now i'm seeing Mopar ones all over EBAY for $50.
Be wary of "Mopar" replacements anywhere... many are not actually Mopar, they're just designed to replace a Mopar so their wording is often very misleading. "Mopar replacement" doesn't necessarily (often) mean it is actually a Mopar.

I personally would be careful with brake components from a wrecked TJ... who knows if the wreck might have been caused by a bad brake component.
 
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I see ACDELCO remans them too...Also Crown makes a new one for $150. Any experience with either of them?
I was just checking those out too Chris, and thanks man. Yeah I hear ya, believe me I would love keep it all Mopar but it just adds up too much when your replacing so many things. I was hoping for the middle of the road approach! Which is why I love buying through Amazon too with returns and no hassle stuff.
Crown Automotive is import cheap crap for the vast majority of their parts. I'll take an AC Delco reman over a new Crown even if the Crown was free and I had to pay for the Delco.
 
Update!

Ok, so first I went on Ebay, bought a 2nd hand Mopar Brake Booster for $50 shipped from a TJ of a newer year and that had half the miles "my" TJ has and installed it. It had the same warped diaphragm and therefor the same vacuum leak and kept stalling upon idle with the brake pedal depressed. The good thing was the Ebay seller I bought through offered a money back guarantee if the product did not function. So I got my refund instantly and they didn't even want the product returned so I tossed it out.

Then, I went ahead and bought a fresh Mopar Brake Booster from the factory for $250 shipped, and just installed it this morning.
My stalling issue has gone away! I ran it through all of the 3 scenarios that made it stall before, and it did not stall out at all.

I am so very relieved right now, and I would love to thank the Forum here and everyone that schooled me along the way.
Thanks forum and thank you members, much appreciated!
 
Sounds like $250 well spent! At least you're still able to get a factory booster.

Thanks for the update!
No prob, I know updates are important to forums, and help others potentially in the future.

But, what a relief to just not stall while idling, lol. This experience had kicked my butt in troubleshooting, but at the same time I feel like I learned a ton in the process.
 
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No prob, I know updates are important to forums, and help others potentially in the future.

But, what a relief to just not stall while idling, lol. This experience had kicked my butt in troubleshooting, but at the same time I feel like I learned a ton in the process.

Yep, I hate when people don't update their threads. Some guy comes along a year later with the same issue, but he never knows what ended up being the fix. So yeah, I appreciate it, and I'm sure a lot of other future TJ owners will as well.

That's funny, because the last thing I ever would have thought of would be the brake booster. I would have been thinking IAC or other sensors first.
 
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Update!

Ok, so first I went on Ebay, bought a 2nd hand Mopar Brake Booster for $50 shipped from a TJ of a newer year and that had half the miles "my" TJ has and installed it. It had the same warped diaphragm and therefor the same vacuum leak and kept stalling upon idle with the brake pedal depressed. The good thing was the Ebay seller I bought through offered a money back guarantee if the product did not function. So I got my refund instantly and they didn't even want the product returned so I tossed it out.

Then, I went ahead and bought a fresh Mopar Brake Booster from the factory for $250 shipped, and just installed it this morning.
My stalling issue has gone away! I ran it through all of the 3 scenarios that made it stall before, and it did not stall out at all.

I am so very relieved right now, and I would love to thank the Forum here and everyone that schooled me along the way.
Thanks forum and thank you members, much appreciated!



Where did you land up buying it? Part number? What year TJ?
 
4798158 is the power brake booster's Mopar p/n for a '97 TJ.
PB Booster.JPG
 
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