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1977 Ford F150 Custom Explorer Supercab Long Bed 2wd
I want bigger brakes on the truck and don't really know much about universality around these years in terms of 2wd suspension. Please be patient with me, I am young (20) and dumb but Im not against learning or criticism.
Can I take brakes from the same generation 250 and 350 with twin i beam and bolt them onto my f150?
If so, will I need the I beams and spindles?
If not, is there anyone that know of after market spindles that will work to allow bigger brakes?
Any and all help would be awesome, and anyone that knows where i can get a older Chiltons Manual or workshop manual please do tell. I for the life of me can only find Chiltons manuals made by Hayens and I have one but it is as useless as a square wheel.
The easiest upgrade is to change over to full size for car calipers from the same year. They are a direct swap to the caliper mount but need a special brake line) and they increase the piston bore from 73mm to 79mm (15% increase in piston area).
The next swap would be to change over to a 1 ton brake booster and master cylinder.
After that get some Hawk or other performance pads.
Upgrading suspension and brake parts will not make a half ton into a 3/4 ton truck. If you're overbuilding it so you can ask it to do things it's not built to do, then I'd consider selling it and getting a truck that more appropriately suits your needs.
Also of your reason for bigger brakes is because you drive like a jackass like you said you do, then this thread is a pretty moot point till you learn how to drive.
I like to build thinks the way I want them done. I know what's been done and that it done right. Buying something else would just set me back to where i started. So if anyone can tell me or refer me to someone who can answer these questions.
Will same generation 250 or 350 2wd front brakes fit on a 77 f150? Will I need the I beams and spindles? What after market companies support twin i beam?
I personally dont see a problem with putting bigger brake on anything, the bigger the brake the better the stopping.
I like the hydro boost idea, if i did that i would forced to fix the power steering leak.
I don't really care about what the lug pattern is, the more lugs the better.
The rear disc brake conversion is a good idea but i have different plans for that.
I dont what to do a frame swap unless im putting another truck frame under it. At one point in time i was considering doing one with a 4x4 chassis but that went out the window due to extreme supercab longbed 4x4 rareity and over pricing of crew cab short bed.
Thank you for all the advise and ideas but i would like those questions answered.
Look for an F-250 Camper Special or Towing Special. These have upgraded brakes and suspension parts. The frame is stouter too. Eight lug wheels. Buy an F-250 sCab long bed 4X2 with rusted out sheet metal and work with that frame. Continue driving while you get that stouter frame just the way you want it.
F150 trailer specials do not come with any of the above. I would know, as I own one. At best its got a couple extra leafs, bigger shocks, a bigger alternator (for '77 standards) a 460 and a C6 with a cooler. See the photo above for exact specs. HD trailer specials included more options, but then again they still make no mention pertaining to brakes. Pretty much everything else is standard issue. Single piston calipers, regular front coil springs, no sway bars, etc.
I used to own a '78 F-250 camper special as well. It had a 400, some extra leafs, the C6 with a cooler, dual piston calipers, a Dana 60 rear end and 12" drums with 11" rotors. FWIW, it stopped the same as my current '77 does.
I-beams should be the same between the trucks. The spindles, caliper mounts, etc are different between the trucks though. The F-350 booster upgrade is common but getting the booster is difficult. Increasing the rear wheel cylinder size using F-350 cylinders is also common, but doesn't change much. Calipers off an early full size car (think '72 Thunderbird) are also a common option, because though they're single piston calipers, they are larger in size. Again, that will require new mounts, and possibly rotors that are not available (been searching awhile for a set for my '72).
I have considered the same kind of venture before too on my truck, but after rebuilding my stock system I have found that it stops my truck perfectly fine both loaded and unloaded.
At 20 years old, and like most millennials, 30 seconds after laying eyes on a classic vehicle, your first instinct is: "MODERN, MORE EFFICIENT UPGRADES NOW! BIGGER, BETTER, BRIGHTER, FASTER!!!!" Then come the "swaps" (Cummins, LS, coyote, Prius electric motor etc), the 50 inch LED light bar, the ricer black rims, the "leveling kit".....and finally, the empty wallet, broken dreams and a completely disassembled, unfinished project. That's no fun!
Ive been there. I was 20 once. And now my own kids are in their teens and 20s living your struggle. One step at a time.
My suggestion is to you is to fix the brake system you have, get it in top shape and use quality parts and see how you like it. When maintained properly, the braking system on these is actually pretty good. Maybe some slotted rotors and dual piston calipers up front and high quality (US Made, not japan, not mexico) rear brake components will dial you in. If you feel the absolute need to upgrade, plan for it, research it, collect the parts and move forward.
I like your initial idea of putting it on a 4 wd drive frame. You will get bigger brakes with a 4wd unit. Id suggest 77.5 through 79 for the best/easiest "swaps" for your truck. They are definitely out there in salvage yards and craigslist. I just scored a complete supercab/long bed frame for next to nothing to go under my crappy SC/LB work truck eventually.
1977 Ford F150 Custom Explorer Supercab Long Bed 2wd
I want bigger brakes on the truck and don't really know much about universality around these years in terms of 2wd suspension. Please be patient with me, I am young (20) and dumb but Im not against learning or criticism.
Can I take brakes from the same generation 250 and 350 with twin i beam and bolt them onto my f150?
If so, will I need the I beams and spindles?
If not, is there anyone that know of after market spindles that will work to allow bigger brakes?
Any and all help would be awesome, and anyone that knows where i can get a older Chiltons Manual or workshop manual please do tell. I for the life of me can only find Chiltons manuals made by Hayens and I have one but it is as useless as a square wheel.
So I have essentially been driving your truck for the last 20+ years, a 77 F-150 2wd longbed supercab Ranger. In that time, I have essentially rebuilt the truck, piece by piece. Some pieces multiple times. I have an old Haynes manual and it is my initial "go to" for quick reference for torque specs and such, but I also have a set of factory manuals. Much of the Haynes manual comes out of the factory manuals. You can still find the factory set if you search them online, four volume set, green covers.
As for the brakes, you don't need to swap chassis parts. Hail Destroyer is correct. The existing brake system is acceptable if all the parts are functioning properly. When I first got my truck, the brakes were crap. I rebuilt the rears, the brakes were crap. Rebuilt the fronts, the brakes were crap. I replaced the master cylinder, brakes were crap. Replaced the proportioning valve, the brakes were crap. I finally replaced the booster and the brakes were better. I replaced the vacuum line from the manifold, and my head nearly hit the dashboard. As long as the truck is empty, the stock brakes work fine. My problem now, is that my truck runs fully loaded all the time and the brakes can't handle it. So I'm doing what buckin69bronco suggests and replacing F-150 parts with F-350 parts, and full size Ford car front calipers. There are threads about this. https://www.ford-trucks.com/articles...-ford-broncos/ . Skip the rear disc upgrade and just use F-350 wheel cylinders.
Here is my list of my top upgrades I've done over the years, in no particular order:
I replaced the stock 15" wheels with 16" Alloy wheels and used 245/75R16 Load E rated tires. I've run all kinds of 15" tires, but the load rated 16" tires changed everything. The stiffer side walls stopped body sway, improved cornering, straight line stability. Today's 15" tires are built for today's lighter trucks. These trucks are heavy by comparison. Run Load E tires.
My truck only came with the single 19 gallon fuel tank which is terrible considering less than 10 mpg . Spectra makes a 38 gallon rear tank, that bolts in with the same straps, filler hookup. It takes some modification, and you lose the spare tire, but well worth it. You can actually drive somewhere.
I replaced the stock Radiator and fan shroud with a super duty cooling radiator and fan shroud for the same year truck. It was a direct bolt in application and really helps in stop and go city traffic.
Timbren makes a load leveling booster kit for the rear. You replace the rubber blocks that prevent the axle from bottoming out into the frame, with essentially, larger rubber blocks that assist only when the the springs sag under load. My truck is so loaded that they contact all the time and leveled out the vehicle, but what also happened is the truck really stabilized in the corners. I used to have a lot of body roll, and these acted like a rear sway bar to keep the body in line with the axle. I tried booster shocks. They just caused all kids of funny rear tire wear and ride.
I upgraded to Bilstein shocks. Best ever. Tires wear very evenly now. The ride is stiff and controlled.
After rebuilding my original multiple times, I finally purchased a brand new carburetor from national carbs. Like magic, my truck idled creamy smooth, had more power, started cold with the auto choke, started hot without vapor lock. Well worth it if you like a slow rolling V8 idle.
I added an electrical relay to control the headlights. Now the lights turn off with the ignition. No more dead batteries.
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