Best Brake Booster - Pancake vs. Bendix

[68Charger]

Hello everyone,

Just picked up a 1971 Challenger and have a few questions related to the components as I am less than impressed with the braking performance based on the parts that were installed by the previous owner. I can stop if I start pumping the brakes early, but don't feel confident with an emergency braking situation (will feel the brakes grown as I slow down too):

1) The car has the later style "pancake" booster. My dad's '68 Charger has the Bendix style which was always the "gold standard" based on what I've been told. Is that true, or will the pancake suffice (albeit with a once over from Booster Dewey)?

2) The car was upgraded with a Wilwood disc brake setup on the front, but still has the standard Master Cylinder and the original drum/drum proportioning valve.

Overall, I am thinking of replacing the Master Cylinder and Proportioning valve, but wondering if that will give me the braking performance I'd expect from Wilwood, or should I replace the Brake Booster while I am under the hood?

Thanks!

[1 Wild R/T]

Post a picture... If it's a real OE disc brake booster it'll work fine when Booster Dewey is done with it.... If it's any of the Chinese Aftermarket crap don't waste your time....

FWIW honestly I've worked on a few cars with Wilwood Discs, I haven't been very impressed...

BTW pumping brakes points to other issues...

[Burdar]

By "pancake" I assume you're talking about the Midland Ross boosters that are held together with a band type clamp.  Nothing wrong with them.  They came standard on a lot of Mopars.

[anlauto]

I think using the drum/drum master cylinder and proportioning valve with disc brakes up front is likely your problem. Disc brakes require more volume

[Burdar]

Do you have front discs and rear drums or front and rear discs?  Drum/drum cars didn't use a proportioning valve.  They just used a splitter block.  Those splitter blocks work great on a disc/disc setup.  However if you still have rear drums, you NEED a proportioning valve. 

Also, a drum master cylinder won't have enough fluid capacity in the front reservoir to safely be used with disc brakes.  As the pads wear down, the fluid in the master is displaced.  You can easily run out of fluid with a drum master cylinder if you don't check the level often.