Rear brakes fixed, kinda

[mvusse]

Well, I finally decided to investigate why I had no rear brakes.

 

Turned out the PO fixed a rusted through/leaking brake line by pinching it shut. By the time all was said and done I had run a whole new line from the front valve body to the rear weight sensing valve. 3 pieces totaling 160".

 

Now the brakes themselves are so loose they still don;t really work, but I can't adjust them: the adjusters on both wheels are rusted stuck. So badly that even with a pipe wrench and a pair of channellocks I still could not break them loose.

 

Surprisingly, the sprigs, pins and cylinders are all in good shape..

[FxRacing282]

torch it yet?

[jtdesigns]

Those adjusters are cheap, like 2 or 3 bucks... I'd go ahead and replace all the hardware,, that stuff is too cheap not to..

[HOrnbrod]

Those adjusters are cheap, like 2 or 3 bucks... I'd go ahead and replace all the hardware,, that stuff is too cheap not to..

 

Agree. This seller on Ebay carries everything hardware wise for drum brakes at good prices. I've used him in the past when I had drum brakes: brownssurplus@echoes.net

[CWLONGSHOT]

This is GOOD ADVICE!!

 

If you are going to be doing your own drum brakes, get in the habit of replacing ALL SPRINGS EVERYTIME. They live in a climate that is not conducive to a long life for a spring. Large temp variations.

For you, I would go all out and replace everything. You have NO IDEA how long they say not working. I would just replace everything, wheel cylinders, all springs, shoes and adjusters. Hopefully the drums them selves, cross bars and emergency brake cable ends are in good shape. You may want to get the drums turned. If they are badly scoured, you may want to go this. If just rusty, you can clean your self.

 

Good luck,

CW

[Eagle]

While you are in there working, check to be sure the parking brake cables are clean and slide easily. Nothing kills a fresh brake job faster than parking, then the cables don't let the parking brake release and you wind up frying your new linings and warping the drums from the heat.

 

Plus, the drag doesn't help the gas mileage. But ... it'll only drag until it burns up the linings.

[mvusse]

Well, rear brakes work. And since it seems to work just fine I left the height sensing valve in there as well.

 

Parking brakes are non-existent so far as both rear cables have rusted through, front cable and equalizer are missing. That seems to be the norm for old trucks around here. My F100 was like that when I bought it (and it was a stick shift!), my Jeep is like that, and my neighbor's Ranger is like that.

 

That will be the next project after I get my new (to me) gas tank here and installed.