I was thinking along the same lines. Picked up about $350 in parts today:
Haven't taken off any wheels yet, just got the old booster & MC out tonight. I'll start with the front end and will see what the discs look like. May go ahead and replace the pads since those are low cost. Hopefully the discs are OK ($70 ea).

I also need to replace the emergency brake cable or fix it somehow. It has about 4" of play and is useless right now.

I hope I'm not throwing good money after bad fixing all this. Still have a steering joint/shaft to replace, and eventually a lifter issue in the engine. The cab has plenty of rust on the back corners but thankfully not so much on the frame underneath. I know I'm never going to get my money back out of this.

 

The rotors have a lot of meat in them and, in my experience, can be turned. As can the brake drums. Put pads and shoes on and you'll have a new brake system - after you find and fix the leak, assuming the hoses aren't it.

 

It all depends what you got the truck for. If you want it to do work for you, it could well do that for years to come. If you wanted a pretty play toy, probably not as easy to get the value back.

Sounds like the e-brake cable is sticking, best thing to do there is replace it. They generally don't run that much, $20 a side.

 

Are there any how-to's on replacing calipers and rebuilding rear drum brake assembly? I've googled and tried searching here but only find articles on newer or older trucks. I have the dually rear wheels if it matters.

 

autozone.com has a decent auto repair manual section. You need to create an account but access is free.

 

I've been trying to access the content but clicking any section returns: Tried Firefox and Chrome.

I was hoping there would be a post here that had some pics and explanation. It looks like it will be a little harder to do than on my Mazda/Ranger small truck.

 

Unfortunately, I'm not home, but there is a pretty good section on my website with the F-250/350 drum brakes. it is under the 1991 section. Before I yanked anything apart, I would put enough fluid in the MC you can pump it until the source of the leak becomes evident. You are dealing with roughly 30 year old steel lines.

If you go to my thread here: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...n-86-f350.html there are some pictures where I replaced all my brake lines. I had a failure one weekend while at a campground with our 30ft 5th wheel. It was the portion of the lines running across the crossmember behind the rear axle.

 

Is anyone else able to access the repair guide section on Autozone?

| Repair Guides | | AutoZone.com

I've logged in and get a red error box if I click any of the component sections (brakes for instance).

Wondering if it's a site problem or my browser/OS.

 

I can access them

 

I'm getting desperate for some help. I ordered the ALLDATA online manual for a 84 F350. At least I used a coupon code in advance and only lost $15.

For anyone else reading this - do not waste your money. They do not have information for brake repairs.. only prices and labor times. In fact they have very little information for this car.. alignment was there, but the images are so small it is a joke.

 

It must be my system thanks.

 

Found this 1984 Ford F350 Remove the Caliper - WikituneUp - The Free Service Manual

Haynes explains it different, says I have to bend tabs while prying with a screwdriver at the same time.

Surely there is a definitive guide on how to do this without breaking something. I'd be glad to write one up myself with pictures if I could just figure it out.

 

If the 84 is the same as 81 I can post pictures from my factory shop manual later today.

 

Let me snap some photos of what I have -- give me a few minutes.

 

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