I gots a '40 COE, all original, Budd 20s, original brakes.
I have gone thru everything brake system-wise: resleeved MC & WCs, new lines, great drums, new shoes, etc. In fact, the only thing left is to bleed the brakes and go for a ride.

The COE is a (pretty sure) "2-ton", and these truck carried some hefty weight. I have the 1945 registration card for it: loaded weight then was 15,955 lbs. Right now tho it is & is going to stay a cab/chassis truck, which I believe is right around 4570 lbs.

Anyone have some feedback/opinion on how decent these large brakes will be, performance-wise, when the truck is relatively 'down' in weight in my scenario?

 

Depends on what you expect. The brakes work well when they are in good shape and you respect that they are drums. If you expect anti-lock computer controlled disk performance you will be disappointed.

 

I had a '47 COE as my shop truck for about 10 years. It had 158" WB and a 16' flatbed that I built. I think it weighed around 6000 empty. I sleeved and rebuilt the MC and rebuilt all the wheel cylinders, new shoes on the front and good used shoes on the rear. I wanted to install a Bendix Hydrovac, but I never got around to it. Empty, the brakes worked good, but you still had to drive it like an old truck. It would run with traffic easily at 55-60 mph, but you needed to stay farther back from vehicles ahead of you and watch traffic a lot more carefully, the stopping distance is pretty long. Driving at lower speeds thru town, the brakes are better, but you should still allow a little more room between you and cars ahead than you normally would. Brake pedal pressure is higher than in the smaller trucks. A booster would have made a lot of difference in both pedal pressure and stopping distance. My COE was a blast to drive. I miss the old thing. The gearshift looks awkward, but I think it shifts as well or maybe better than a conventional.
Mark

 

I went through mine, they work fine but as stated by 38 Coupe, not like a new f-250 at all. I have ridden in one that had the power booster and that helps a lot if you can find or adapt one but they are still drum brakes. Proper adjustment and DOT 5 brake fluid will do the trick(don't use the 4 stuff, I learned the hard way). My truck has 18,000 painted on the doors, tag says 14,000.

I have had almost 4 tons in it on accident, my (frame has reinforcements) slow going and hills are no fun but otherwise it moved along fine. That much weight makes it hard to stop but you are not going that fast anyhow so keep a good distance and plan for the lights/stops.

 

I have many miles in 4-wheel drum brake cars; I daily drove a '64 Catalina with 25K 'em and had zero issues, and there have been many others. The '64 had 11-in manual drums. I like drums.

In my current late model 2500HD diesel (4 whl disc/ABS), I have gotten used to leaving 'more braking room' from a pure physics perspective, so I'm conditioned there. That will likely expand by a factor of 10 in the COE from a pure jitters perspective.

My point RE the COE is that the brakes are pretty large and I was thinking they'd be, perhaps, better than one might expect with the 'low' weight and big drums.
• white 66 : I have already committed to DOT 3.
• 49ford : what gears did you have that you were hitting 60? I have the 5.83/8.11s.

 

5.83-8.11 gears and 8.25-20 tires.
Mark

 

Dang, should have bought larger tires, would have been simpler for sure.

 

The vacuum booster was standard on 2 ton trucks, optional on 1.5 tons.

My 158" wheelbase COE is 1.5 tons with no booster. It has a 15 foot wooden bed and empty it weighs around 6000 lbs. It is a working truck and I deliver loads of 3 to 5 tons. My preference is to limit loads to 3 tons.

I just drive it somewhat slower and leave plenty of space in front of me. It always stops, eventually. With no load, stopping is never a problem. But even empty I've never managed to lock up the wheels and leave skid marks.

 

I drove my 68 F250 from Washington state to Texas. Non power discs but all right up to snuff. I took it out on the interstate and to Tyler once, scared the beans out of me. You CAN NOT leave a comfort zone in front of you. If it's 2 car lengths some hairsprayed up soccer mom will dive in there and grenade her brakes. Old timey brakes are fine in these little sleepy towns or country side but there is no way you can maintain a comfort zone with those city folk who are all wound too tight.

 

Disc pretty much NEED power boost tho, vs. drums.

47COE- Doesn't the 'double frame' indicate higher tonnage also

 

The trucks rated at 2 tons had double frames, 1 1/2 ton trucks were single frames. I don't know if Ford built any COEs with single frames except maybe the 101" WB trucks. My truck was originally a 134" WB and it had been lengthened to 158". It was originally a double frame.
Mark

 

Interesting. Mine is a 134", double frame.
I wish there was some definitive coding to verify tonnage.
Are you 100% on the booster = 2-ton, for pre-war also?

 

I always thought the booster was optional even on the two ton trucks. My Coe didn't have one and a '46 conventional I had didn't have one either.
Mark

 

My '40 is very original (other than the 59AB) and it has none.