Hello everyone!
I just recently bought an old farm truck/mouse hotel. It's 1960 F600 custom cab dually. Sorta mad max, rat rod, tow truck type thing. I've been looking to get this thing road worthy and all of my Google searches tend to end up on this forum. So i thought I'd share some pics with other enthusiasts and throw a couple questions everyone's way.

It's got a running 292, with a manual transmission, and a split differential.
It also has a large PTO winch on the back. It's cool, but I will probably sell that off. With the exception of the big split wheels (8.25 x 20 tires), the huge dually split diff, and beefed up suspension. It all appears to be very similar if not the same as the smaller versions.

The Questions:
For starters, The brakes don't work....at all!
It has power brakes with a big booster under the drivers side cab.
I started with filling her up and checking for leaks. Found that the master leaks both in the cab and thru the cap.
This may be an easy enough fix with stock replacements.
The question. Is there a combo booster/master off a different model or newer that can replace the two separate old ones? if not does anyone know where to find a NOS booster if needed?
Additionally the parking brake does not work. It has a pretty cool
Transmission\drive shaft drum brake set up. Has anyone ever replaced these? And have more info on where to source the shoes for it?

Lastly: Does anyone know of alternatives for the wheels, Or a solid place to find at the very least some decent rubber?
The current ones are rotted.

Thanks for your time. Any help is appreciated.
Enjoy the pics! If anyone wants to see anything else I am happy to get some other pics.
Zach

 

Not sure what your project budget is, but I have considered this for mine. The master on our trucks is a design unchanged from the mid 40's(at least mine is, yours may be a bit bigger on that monster). This is hardly great for the roads of today. The kit discussed in the link below, gets you a new dual bowl setup, along with disc brakes in the front.
Installing Disc Brakes On A 1960 Ford F-100

 

Thanks for the reply! I like the idea. Kill a couple birds with one stone. (Brakes wheels tires)My issue with that though. It might be out of my budget. And once the front is done. I'm left with an odd or what I think strange set up on the rear with regard to wheels and tires. I'll look into that booster set up in the link as a start.

 

Well that setup, keeps the stock 5x5.5 setup, also known as 5 x 139 if your looking for wheels on tire-rack. You send up with disc in the front and drum in the back and imho that's not an odd setup at all. However, I just looked at your truck again, you have a 6lug setup. I doubt that kit i posted will work for you. I missed that the first time.

 

The kit may not work. But I wonder if the master/booster might.

 

That is an awesome looking piece of metal! Take your time and keep looking around and things you need will show up closer to your price. Looking for stuff is part of the fun.

 

I have a similar F600 and pretty sure there is a vent tube that runs up inside the back of the cab. I hear mine vent when the brakes are depressed. Also pretty sure the booster for the F100 won't work. However I've seen replacement boosters at some auto parts stores that they advertise will work on that year/series truck. As for the emergency brake it's a great design. When set, that thing won't budge. I haven't seen replacement linings and believe one option is to pull them and take them to a truck brake service shop where they should be able to rivet a new set on. The actual brake linings on that series are riveted (as most were back then) and the brake cylinder, hardware and master cylinder are still around in some auto parts places.
Need to look at those wheels, they may be the widow-maker although I can't tell. However, Stu (Truckdog62563) is a great resource for help on that series truck.

As the previous post stated..keep looking around and you can find some stuff out there.

 

The outer rear duals are NOT widow makers, but we can't see the fronts well enough. Below is a pic showing the distinctive raised band that is the joint where the halves of a widow maker connect. Since you have the 6 x 8.75" pattern that distinguishes an F-600, if you're other wheels are widow makers you'd find replacements at a military surplus yard, if you have one in your area. Stu

 

Nice truck, I like it. I'd think twice about selling off that winch, though. You might be sorry down the road.

From the sound of things, your entire chassis and running gear aren't a whole lot different from my '73 F600. Everything you describe sounds a lot like mine. I believe you figured out one magic secret - the F-series medium duty trucks use basically the same cabs, hoods, and doors as the light duty trucks (there are some minor differences in some years).

I would recommend reposting this in the large truck forum, or request a moderator move it there for you. Every question you've asked has already been answered in that forum at least once, not to mention questions you haven't even thought of yet.

I'll start helping you right now with this tidbit - If you need brake parts, check with NAPA Auto. They still carry a fair amount of tune-up parts for these old medium duty trucks.

Have fun, and see you in the large truck forum.

 

Spurrden: Thanks! I bought it on looks alone haha. It's becoming a bit overwhelming size wise. I'm a motorcycle guy. Worked on bikes my whole life. I agree. Looking for the stuff is part of the fun. This is just quite a bit bigger!

Thanks Maminer13. I'll check the local NAPA. The ebrake does look like a cool design. Hopefully I can find the replacement shoes or whatever they are.

Truckdog: I don't know what widow makers are, but I am fairly sure they are split rim thru out. Attached some pics there is a sort of hump in the middle that does not appear to be welded.
Good idea on the Military supply. Got a couple around here as well as a couple of guys around here with Deuce and a half's I might be able to look at or talk to.






FBnengr: Thanks! I haven't fully committed to getting rid of it. It is really cool! But I'm not 100% if I personally will have a need for it or not yet.
Yeah I wasn't sure if this was considered a BIG truck or a mid size because it has so much in common with the F100's and such.

Thanks for all the help guys. Like I said I am a motorcycle guy, and I have found lots of interesting things to do to older bikes to add newer parts to them, and I am just hoping those kind of things are out there for this without tearing too much into my wallet.

As a BONUS though. I assumed I would need new door windows when I bought it. And I just found both intact windows sitting at the bottom of the doors!
Also attached a pic of my most recent bike build. I would love to have it sitting on the back of this old truck!

 

That's a clean looking bike.

 

I have a 58 F600 torn down right now for a diesel conversion, I'd kill for a winch like that for the flatbed and 4wd conversion!

For the brake issue, I am under the impression that the early 2nd gen cummins hydroboost brake system will work in out trucks. I believe it was a local old fart that told me about it. (I am trying to track down an internet source or pictures of said contraption)

The stock parking brake is quite awesome actually, its got two shoes inside that drum, it may just need an adjustment, take a look inside and see what condition the shoes or drum is in
Good looking rig though!!

 

Hello, be careful when looking for alternates for the master cylinder/booster on these larger ((F500 and up) trucks. The wheel cylinders take a larger volume than those on pickups, and dual wheel cylinders are common, so you will want a master cylinder and booster combination that can deliver enough volume for brake application. You do not want a setup where you will have to pump the brakes just to get the shoes to move.


And over on the large truck forum, look in the tech folder, there is some good info on the original system. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...ke-system.html

 

Truck salvage yards should have a good supply of 22.5 6 hole wheels, that's how I would go. I'm not into this disc brake conversion thing, I know I'm a minority here on that but its a money pit and drum brakes worked fine for 70 years. many things I could buy with that $1K. I drive a semi truck for a living and we still have drum brakes.

 

You certainly aren't alone though.