I started working on the brakes on my son's 1950 F-2 last night. They are stock brakes. I was surprised by the good condition of the brake pads and brake drum. However, the emergency brake cable is stuck. I have started penetrating oil on it in hopes it will free up. I will also rebuild the brake cylinder and replace the brake lines, the steel and rubber ones. In looking at the brake setup, I have a question. I see no way to adjust the brakes. There is no star wheel adjuster as on newer vehicles. How do you adjust them?

Any other words of wisdom for working on these brakes.

 

If I remember correctly ( foggy brain), There are a minor and major adjustments for the brakes. There should be 2 adjusters (cam) that are at the widest point of the shoe arc. At the bottom, there's 2 bolts with nuts that are also adjustments. You should invest in a shop manual. ( look in the store area on this site) They're repo'd now and are on Ebay. THe shop manual shows how to do it. I can scan the pages from the manual and send it to you if you send me a private message with your email address disquised. Put "at" and "dot" in places of @ ans . Maybe someone could also post it here. I haven't figured that process out yet.

Barry

50 F-1

 

I don't want to be critical of members of this board but I have noticed a lot of the questions asked are easily found in the shop manuals. You can find the manuals in the store on this site or other sites and on eBay. They aren't that expensive, especially considering all the information in them. I have two copies, one I keep in the house that is kept clean and one in my truck that has tattered pages with grease smudges that I use when I work on my truck. I'm not being critical of someone who doesn't have have a manual but I can't see how anyone can expect to do any kind of work on these trucks without a manual sitting next to them on the fender to reference to. These manuals have 99% of the information on part numbers, assembly precedures and torque specifications. Even with the manuals, there still are hundreds of questions that the only place to find the answers are from the guys who have experience working on these trucks, like the people here or on the Bonus Built site.

If you buy a manual from this site there will be a two fold benefit, you will have a invaluble resource and at the same time, helping to support this great site.

Now I will step down from my soap box, thank you.

 

I had removed about half the thousand or so bolts/screws that hold the front end togeather before I looked in the shop mauual and found that there are 8 or so per side and the whole darn thing comes off.

 

Danny,

When I got home tonight I looked through my shop manual. On the F-2 you have what is called "Double Anchor Self-Centering" brakes. Here is what the manual says:

What I stated above I strongly believe, the shop manual is an invalueable tool when you work on these old beasts. I have been working on these old trucks for over twenty years and I still use my manuals for the simplest repair. I hate reading instructions myself but every time I have had a problem or question I can usually find the answer in the manual. If the manual doesn't have the answer one of the guys here will or at least they'll give you their best shot.

Good luck on your project and keep us posted.

 

Bob,

Thanks for the info. I have the shop manual on order, but have not received it yet. Unfortunately, I have the brakes apart now.

Thanks,
Danny

 

Danny,

Do you need a drawing to show how everything goes back together? If you do let me know. I can scan it out of the manual tonight.

Good to here you're getting the manual, it's money well spent.

BTW, have you driven this truck at all? From one F-2 owner to another, they're fun to drive. No girlie truck, you're going to build arm and left leg muscles.