Break issues
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Junior User
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 83
Likes: 0
From: Watertown, WI
Break issues
So it was a nice day on Saturday and I decided to take the truck out for a short drive.
I made a quick stop at the bank drive thru on my way to the junk yard... When I pulled away from the drive thru one or all of my breaks locked up. By the time I got a ride and someone to watch which wheel was locked up it wouldn't start. Luckly I use to moonlight for a tow truck company and they said they would be down to get it when they weren't busy. About 3 hours later they dropped it off at my shop... Ofcourse by then it fired right up and the breaks were unfrooze. Anyone know why they locked up? This being only the second vehicle I have ever owned with 4 wheel drum breaks. I never had this happen before. Is this why everyone wants to switch to front wheel disk breaks?
I made a quick stop at the bank drive thru on my way to the junk yard... When I pulled away from the drive thru one or all of my breaks locked up. By the time I got a ride and someone to watch which wheel was locked up it wouldn't start. Luckly I use to moonlight for a tow truck company and they said they would be down to get it when they weren't busy. About 3 hours later they dropped it off at my shop... Ofcourse by then it fired right up and the breaks were unfrooze. Anyone know why they locked up? This being only the second vehicle I have ever owned with 4 wheel drum breaks. I never had this happen before. Is this why everyone wants to switch to front wheel disk breaks?
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 24,552
Likes: 74
From: Creedmoor, North Carolina
Give me a break, breaks aint got nothing to do with Ford trucks, BRAKES do. 
What have you recently done to the brake system? Does the truck have a FE engine and you recently install an Alum. intake?
John
What have you recently done to the brake system? Does the truck have a FE engine and you recently install an Alum. intake?
John
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Junior User
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 83
Likes: 0
From: Watertown, WI
Hahaha... A loud Homer Simpson Duhhhoo! I checked my text messages to my buddy's from Saturday... Of course there I spelled it right.
Nothing done to the brakes in the 2 months I have had it. The engine is an FE but haven't mess with the intake yet. I have heard of brakes fading but never locking up. I haven't gotten a chance to get it into the shop to pull the drums and see what looks wrong... But the wierd thing is now they seem fine. It acted like the Master Cylinder was not allowing the fluid back in.
Nothing done to the brakes in the 2 months I have had it. The engine is an FE but haven't mess with the intake yet. I have heard of brakes fading but never locking up. I haven't gotten a chance to get it into the shop to pull the drums and see what looks wrong... But the wierd thing is now they seem fine. It acted like the Master Cylinder was not allowing the fluid back in.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 24,552
Likes: 74
From: Creedmoor, North Carolina
I would look in the master cylinder for fluid levels. Not sure what caused it, but I have a similar issue when I installed my power disc system. There was pressure being sent because the rod between the mc & booster needed screwing in a few rounds. It was applying just enough brake that they finally got hot and swelled causing a lockup. I adjusted the rod and the brakes have worked well since.
I had an issue with the engine not wanting to crank after installing an alum intake on my FE. Gas was being boiled out. I resolved this by using a phenolic 1" spacer.
Hope that gives you a little something to chew on.
John
I had an issue with the engine not wanting to crank after installing an alum intake on my FE. Gas was being boiled out. I resolved this by using a phenolic 1" spacer.
Hope that gives you a little something to chew on.
John
Elder User
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 554
Likes: 1
The brake system is very simple, so you may just pull the drums off and make sure everything is installed correctly and nothing is broken. You may also bleed the brakes and make sure the fluid is clean/debris free.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,315
Likes: 0
From: Rossmoor at Seal Beach
Agreed if the truck has sat for any great length of time the Brake fluid can harden up, and cause brake locking, or a lack of braking... it is a Glycol ether based fluid, and will evaporate just like water. but it does leave a heavy sludgy residue... Flushing the system out can make a world of difference, especially the wheel Cylinders. Also if your master cylinder has an adjustable rod that is adjusted out a bit long, it will cause the brakes to lock after vacuum pressure has built up.... last check to see if one of your brake lines is touching or very close to a source of heat such as exhaust manifold, muffler, Cylinder head... the brake fluid can expand due to excessive heat like the fluid in a Thermometer, and that can actually cause the brakes to apply, or if it starts to boil the fluid you will have a great loss of braking due to vapor in the lines... Just a few things to check for!
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