I just acquired my Grandfather's '71 Custom F100, nice clean rust free truck, kept in shed since new, 89k miles, 302, 3 on tree. It's been sitting for 8 years now and I am getting ready for a couple upgrades. It will be getting PS thanks to Flashback F100's for the column. The next upgrade I want to do is PB. Should I go with just a booster and bracket and keep the drums or go for the '73-'79 front disc swap? What would you do? It won't be a daily driver but I am going to use it.

Thanks,
Mike

 

What would I do?... It's what I already did and that is to go with discs ('78) and booster and bracket from a '75. Threads in the Tech Info Compilation for your information.

Discs are less prone to fade after heavy use, less prone to fading in the wet, and don't need a whole lot of heat to take a bite. Been there and done that... I'm not going back.

 

What would I do if it was my truck? I would leave it as is. Of course I would want it mechanically sound and safe. When someone asks about your "old" truck (and they will), you can say that it is original. My two cents....

 

Here's my "original" '70... Can you tell it has EFI and a five-speed?

Hence the light bulb plate.... because I had better ideas.

 

Well, I am probably going to use discs, the PS column I am having rebuilt is a rare original 3 on tree PS column. Unless somebody crawls underneath to see the discs, it will appear as factory as they come.

 

I converted my '69 F100 short bed Ranger to '77 front discs/I-beams. I had installed a factory dual-diaphragm brake booster from a '75 F350 several years before I swapped in the disc brake front suspension .

This is bolt-on stuff and not a permanent installation, once done. --if for some reason a person ever wanted to change back to drums, unbolt the components and reverse the process.

 

Would that be a barn find or a shed find?

 

Well, actually it's a car/tractor shed. Not really a "find" since I have known this truck since I was a kid. I was born in '71 so it's kinda cool to have Grandpa's '71. Lot of memories here, first straight drive I ever drove. I will be moving it out from that shed this week. Needs a bath but that's the original Wimbledon white paint. Sorry Grandpa but the tool box on the back is the first thing that has to go!

 

Aw but your Light Bulb front Lic. Plate can bag you up a ticket here in California since two plates are required here in the Your Golden State.

I understand Jerry Brown needs money for funding the Bullet Supper Train.

Orich

 

Ha! The bulb plate is mounted over the required front plate. It's possible I could still get pulled over but could have it letter-legal in under one minute.

... and I work with a bunch of cops so getting a fix-it ticket is only a phone call away.

BAM!

 

Might be a little bit late on input, but hopefully this can help in some way.

I currently am running my 1967 F100 4x4 with drums all the way around. No brake booster / power brakes and no discs. As long as I take care of them and keep them maintained and fix any wheel cylinder leaks I ever run into they do there job perfectly fine. Yes, I may have to put a little more effort into stopping the truck, but if I needed to stop in an emergency I easily could, and have. I would think of power brakes / brake boosters / discs as more of a luxury than a necessity. I personally am a big fan of drums and don't plan on changing them ever. (This truck is my daily driver.) I may add a brake booster some day in the future.

A buddy of mine with a 69' F100 added a brake booster as well as discs in the front and it has caused nothing but issues with his truck. He has had to make adjustments to his master cylinder multiple times just to get his brakes to the point where they would work efficiently. A little bit off and you barely touch the brake and you come to a complete stop, and another slight adjustment and your brakes hardly work.

If money is not an option and you are looking for strictly luxury then I would recommend following a guide or purchasing a kit for adding front discs as it will save you a lot of trouble. Disc brake kits can run about $600-$700, but you could find a donor truck and probably cut your costs in half.

I personally would not go through the whole disc brake swap as it is not nearly worth it in my opinion. My buddy's 69' does stop EASIER than mine, but not enough to go through the trouble of adding discs / brake boosters. Note that I said easier, not better. They can both stop equally as well, one just takes a bit more leg strength.

As DAV1972 said, you will lose originality.

If you are dead set on making an adjustment, just overhaul your drums are purchase a brake booster. With drums in good condition + brake booster you will be set. Disc conversions are not nearly worth the time + money in my honest opinion, although, I'm sure many others will disagree.

I believe in 1968 Ford increased the pickups drum brakes by about 45%. (Don't quote me on it.) If this is true, I am running on the lowest end brakes you could have on a 5th generation pickup, and they do there job perfectly fine.

 

Mike buy a 73-79 F100/150 donor with 302 3spd and get all the needed parts at once, including nonechentual. As long as you don't run an open slot wheel no one will know.

You might want to resolve that the O has been around the block once or twice. Take the 89k subtract the 8 years sitting and you have a very low yearly average, barely an oil change. That truck most likely was used more than 2500 miles per year. Think about it.


John

 

I won't say the upgrade to power disc brakes from manual drum brakes was easy, but it was worth it in my book (with that said, I won't be doing it on my 69, it says intact as much as I can allow).
I honestly had zero issues once the install was completed. It was definitely an opportunity to get a feel for other things needing fixing and cleaning up.

 

Not that it really matters to anyone but me....but the 89k miles are absolutely original. When we went through the house I found a stack of receipts including every oil change, service records, inspections, etc. from 1973 until it was parked. I also grew up and lived right beside my Grandfather. I know how little the truck was used and how particular he was over it. He rarely drove the truck over 45mph too! It was brutal to get behind him.

Now, with all the talk about possible issues with the donor disc conversion and the possibility of having to change the pedal assembly too, I may leave it drums and just put a factory style power booster on it. My Father is a '67-72 Chevy guru and we have several of those trucks. I helped him restore quite a few over the years. He never swapped drums on a pre '71 for discs. His daily driver for 30 years was a '69 with power drums. He never complained and did a lot of hauling with it. Really, no more than I will drive this F100, the drum setup will probably be fine.

 

I swapped in a disc set up into my 72 F100. It was an easy, bolt in swap. I used an aftermarket dual diaphragm booster because I have tall valve covers. The only part that took a little time was bending new hard lines. Nothing needed to be adjusted after the initial install.
The result in a night and day difference. No more pull, no more brake fade.