i just bought a 68 f-100 for my daughter and i to fix up together for her.
the exterior is in perfect shape with no flaws and perfect paint. the trim on the sides and the grille are straight but faded looking and needs a complete interior.
i would like to put power brakes and front disc's on it. any suggestions on these things? i've restored lots of old trucks, but never a ford. any parts suggestions would be great and i want to get rid of the behind the seat gas tank (for safety) and put buckets with a floor shifter in it.
thanks in advance for your help!

 

If you do a search on disc brakes, there's lots of info to be found, but I'll give you basics. Find a '73-'79 donor truck, and unbolt the entire front end, rebuild as necessary, and bolt it into your '68. Everything bolts right in. I don't like to 'mix and match', as Ford had a habit of changing stuff along the way. There are after-market disc brake kits, but I just swap everything over. Power brakes is just a matter of adding the correct booster. It also bolts right in. When I did my '70, I didn't even disturb the brake lines- I just unbolted the master cylinder, pulled it away from the firewall, bolted up the booster, and bolted the master cylinder on to it. It's worth studying them at the local junkyard to get an idea how it all goes together. BTW, you'll need a disc brake proportioning valve if you go to disc. Get it from the donor truck also. It's a rectangular thingie that all the brake lines go in and out of, usually inside the frame rail under the driver's side. Gas tank? There's been lots of debate about that on this forum. Some say the in-cab tank is perfectly safe; it gives me the creeps. There is a thread somewhere (maybe 61-66 forum) about putting a Mustang tank under the bed in the rear. I had one custom made out of aluminum. Be careful w/ bucket seats; I've had a couple trucks w/ them, and for some reason there's never enough leg room. Floor shifters are widely available for both standard and automatic. You can get a basic one at a local parts store or JC Whitney. Good luck!

 

thanks! wow. i didn't know that the 73-79 front end bolted on!do i need a proportioning valve for one of those years, or will a universal do?
also what is the lug pattern for the wheels? i was thinking about a set of 20" harley wheels if they will fit. i have a friend who has a set of take offs. i was thinking about a in-bed fuel cell or maybe and under bed if i can find one to fit. thanks for the advice.

 

Bolt pattern is 5 on 5.5". All light Ford trucks up to '95, and some Dodge trucks as well. I've seen some nice in-bed tanks, including putting the old tank in there, turned around, w/ the filler on the passenger side. If you put it under the bed, you have to create some kind of trap door for the filler. I know there are adjustable proportioning valves, from places like Summit and Jegs. I don't know how you know when they are set right, though.

 

To add power brakes all you need is the booster and somewhere to attach the vacuum line. You don't need to go through all the trouble of doing the disc swap. Power drums work great.

 

I totally agree with the front axel out of a newer Ford truck. We stole the axel out of a '78 F250 and it bolted right in (after rebuilding the diff). I went with hydraboost brakes and power steering at the same time. It all works great. Truck stops on a dime and steers as straight as it did when new (even though I was only 9 at the time).

Peter

 

Just A quick guide for your rim choices
Rims All have the same bolt patten

All 1965 thru 1996 FORD F-150 Pickup Truck (2wd & *4wd)
All 1985 thru 2005 FORD E-150 Econoline Van
All 1985 thru 2001 DODGE Ram 1500 Series Pickup Truck (2wd & *4wd)
All 1985 thru 2004 DODGE Ram 1500 Series Van
• All 2004 thru 2005 DODGE Durango (2wd & *4wd)

 

That's true. There is very little in performance gains with disc brakes. I belive that folks change over to disk and power at the same time and assume that the improved braking they feel comes from the discs. Try the switch to power first and you'll be impressed.
Not that there's anything wrong with disc brakes, they are easier to work on and don't react as badly to puddles of water the way drums do. It's just a matter of do you want to spend the money on a small return and how much your time is worth.

 

You are only good for about 4" if you just flip it. If you move the mounts and redrill the holes you can get 6"