our 78 f600 flat bed is seldom used - some ranch work only. has dual rear tires on a single axle. the brakes grab. no slow down. you are either moving or stopped. i have never worked on one of these guys and am not a mechanic. i heard that there is a good way and and difficult way to remove the rear tires for inspection and brake work. anyone have any info on this? thanks all.

 

The Yellow Pages, my friend.

You have leaking wheel cylinders. This causes the brake fluid to contaminate the brake shoes, and makes them grab badly. Eventually, you will lose enough fluid to lose the brakes altogether.

To remove the drums:

"easy": remove the rear tire/wheel assembly first. It makes for smaller things to fall over and hurt you.

With or without the tire/wheels attached, jack and secure the axle.
Remove the stub axle.
Go buy the $100+ hub nut wrench. (or make one, my old man did...)
Remove the hub retaining nut.
Pull the rear hub/brake drum assembly.
Call EPA to help with oil spill.
Do the brake work, including resurfacing the drum if need be.

You might be able to get the drum off the hub without pulling it. I never saw a drum off the hub, but it has to come off somehow. My dad just pulled the whole thing to fix wheel cylinders. Then he cleaned the shoes with carbon tetrachloride. Wonder if that contributed to his leukemia...

Are you with me on the yellow pages?

 

thanks pal -
i would kinda like to tackle it just to see how the old truck are built, but i'm short on time, experience and tools. i'm looking for the phone book now.
thanks again.