I've been dealing with brake problems for the last few years ever since I put this truck together. It was originally a 79 F150 which was partially converted to an F250 by the PO. He put a dana 60 with lincoln locker in and converted the front dana 44 to an 8-lug setup. When I bought it I replaced the bearings, calipers, rotors, and pads in the front; I put an f250 and a new master cylinder in; and I found a junkyard dana 60 (3"pad) out of an early 80s F250 to replace my rear. All rubber in brake lines have been replaced. After driving on the new rear axle I discovered my vent was packed with dirt after it spewed gear oil through the seals onto the brakes. Not cool. Later I ended up replacing pads and drums. I also switched to F250 E-brake cables. After all that, my brake pedal still isn't very firm and I don't feel like I can stop nearly as quickly as I should. My front brakes never seem to release very well- always lots of drag. I'm wondering if there is an obstruction in the lines or proportioning valve (I have a new valve and hard line kit coming from JBG)?? The parking brake is pretty much worthless and I can't even get the rear end to lock up on dirt roads unless I pump the brakes. When I try to adjust the rear drums I don't get constant drag (that's why I replaced the drums- I thought they were out of round but maybe it's my hubs??) Does anybody have any advice?? I live on a hill and it's a manual so I would really like to have a functional parking brake! I would also like to be able to drive in traffic without being terrified to killing someone...

 

It seems to me like you may not have you rear drums set up or installed properly. With new brake shoes and new rotors you should have no trouble adjusting the star wheel and completely locking the drums. Because you say this doesn't happen, this points to something clearly being wrong here. If the rear brake star wheels aren't adjusted right, your e-brake will never work right. Only after you get the star wheels adjusted just right, you can then adjust your e-brake adjustment under the middle of the truck.


As far as the front brakes, a little bit of grease on the ends of the calipers will help them slide against the holding bracket. Over years of little use the mating surfaces can get rusty and the caliper will not slide very well not allowing the out brake pad to properly release from the rotor.


Other things can be some air in the master cylinder, and even the brake booster being old and worn out. There is nothing but a big diaphragm in the brake booster than can fail.

 

What part of Alaska are you in?

 

I'll have to try greasing the holding bracket, that makes sense.

I've attempted several times to adjust the star wheel but every time I adjust then turn the wheel/drum the amount of friction varies significantly throughout the rotation. Its as if the brake shoes only contact a certain section of the portion- like the axis of rotation is not the center of the drum. I had thought that the drums were damaged or had not been turned properly but now I'm wondering if my hubs or bearing races are damaged or improperly installed.

 

"a certain section of the DRUM"

 

AK Ford Guy- I lived in Eagle River when I bought the truck, have since moved outside.

 

Bummer, it would have been nice to meet up and I'd help take a look at it.

You can sometimes tell if there is a hub / bearing issue by spinning the hub with the drum off a see if there are any rough spots.

I set mine real tight to start and then backed them off to adjust them. Almost like it needed to be tight to get everything centered up.

 

Rear axle they are called "shoes" not pads, no matter.

What does matter though, since you replaced shoes and drums the adjusters need to be manually tightened up all the way firm (drum won't turn) before backing off or they will never work right. Back them off so the drum will turn maybe one rotation with a firm spin. It's a "light drag" but maybe more than you might think. Press down on the brake pedal a couple times to center the shoes.

Check for drag again, re-adjust if necessary. If the shoes are not set close manually initially the pedal will be low and spongy, they won't work, nor will they self-adjust.

 

Agree with Tedster9 100%.

After you check all that out, and the punkin vent is working correctly, check to see if any 90 weight or brake fluid is leaking onto the shoes and the drums. You might be able to tell by taking off that rubber dealie at the bottom of the backing plate. With that off, you can see/adjust the "star" shoe adjuster and any abnormalities therein.

 

I am having the same exact issue. Does your pedal get really nice and firm after a pump or two but go back to being spongy right after you let up?

Might be rear brake adjustment, and thats no fun on a d60, lotta work from what I have heard.

 

Question on the new master cylinder: Did you bench bleed it before you put it in?

Brake lines bled properly .......pin on the proportioning valve pulled out when you bled the front disks?

The brake booster (I believe) is different for a 150 than a 250....I think the 250 and 350 are the same. The adjusting rod into the booster the proper length for it's use?

Nice looking rig, by the way.

 

Tedster- Thanks for the correction. I'll try tightening them down all the way then let them off. Usually when I adjust the brakes they're loose to put the drum on then I just tighten them down until they're dragging slightly. That's what I've been doing with these for the past few years but I can only get contact for a partial turn. If I tighten them down more I'll get uneven contact/friction all the way around.

Filthy Beast- I've had the brakes apart several times now since I cleared the vent and haven't had any gear oil leaking through the seals anymore. Also, I did thoroughly bench bleed the master cylinder and the brake booster if from an f250. I did not however pull the pin on the proportioning valve to bleed the brakes. I was told by a mechanic that that was unnecessary. I've played with the adjusting rod on the booster and have only gained minimal improvement.

Mountain Dewd- Yes that's exactly what happens. At low speeds I can pump the brakes and get them to firm up but as the wheels turn the rear shoes get pushed away from the drum by being out of round (or so I think) which requires more brake fluid to be pushed through the lines in order to make the rear brakes stop correctly- thus requiring pumping the pedal. I'm wondering if having a lack of pressure to the rear brakes is also affecting the stopping power of the front brakes??

 

Did you replace the wheel cylinders?

With new drums and shoes installed the wheel cylinder pistons and cups are going to ride on a portion of the bore that they haven't for a long time. Sometimes this area will have significant pitting and corrosion, and they may soon leak because of this. Replacing just some of the brake parts is like peeling back an onion, and it's pretty tough to stop once you get going.

Wouldn't get too spooled up about the unevenness of the drag - but, if you're concerned it wouldn't hurt to remove the drums and take them to a good brake shop and have them do a light face turn on them, just to true them up. This is probably a good thing to do, at least have new drums checked. The idea on tightening everything up and then backing off, and also centering the shoes, is to get all the slop out of the system and keep the shoes up close and personal with the drums.

 

I agree. I am slowly gathering all new parts for my 74... put new pads on the front to get by as the old ones were past the rivets, bled new fluid through the system, and a mushy pedal...

Not worth fooling around with brake systems that are 40+ years old.

 

Going back to being "mushy" or spongy brakes after a good stop because you pumped them sounds like air getting in the lines....somewhere. The new lines you put in were first blown/cleaned out by compressed air, yes? So there would be no goober snot stuck in the lines, correct?

The drum sizes match the shoe sizes, yes? For some reason (other than my getting old and feeble minded), I thought there were two different drum diameters (and thus two different shoe sizes for the free floater axle and semi-free floater). 11+ inches for one , nad 12+ inches for another......I can't find the paperwork that says anything about it. Being an early '80s D60 there might be some differences between the '78 -'79. Just throwin' it up in the air and seein' where it sticks, my friend.....