1972 F250 12"x2.5" Bendix rear drum brake rebuild: advice?

[fordman]

•Now that I have the RH adjuster screw area assembled with new parts, I can see that the lever's supposed to be in contact with the teeth on the sprocket, as shown here: IMG_9174x.JPG. Yet on the LH side, they're not in contact, as you can see here: IMG_8830x.JPG. Would it be prudent to pull the LH side apart again? And should I try to re-bend the adjuster lever to come in contact with the teeth, or just install a whole new adjusting part kit, as I did on the RH side?

i wonder if the left hand side spring is too strong and is holding it away from contacting the star wheel. and or something else i thought of is the star wheel the same size as the other side? probably not but it came to mind.

•Are the 2A601 springs installed incorrectly on my parking brake lever assemblies? You can see that the LH side 2A601's installed in front of the lever (and the RH side's the same), while the diagram on 12-02-6 shows 2A601 installed behind the lever!

check out this diagram on the site. this is the way mine was put together when i stripped it for parts. it was the same as your diagram but the bolts were in backwards than yours. i do think the diagram is correct with how the diagrams shows it. http://www.fordification.com/tech/image ... akes01.jpg however get confirmation on this before taking my advice on the spring location and bolt direction. maybe th ebolt goes in one way on one side and the other way an the other side. that may have been how the one i took apart was.

[71PA_Highboy]

OK.. In order...

•Now that I have the RH adjuster screw area assembled with new parts, I can see that the lever's supposed to be in contact with the teeth on the sprocket, as shown here: IMG_9174x.JPG. Yet on the LH side, they're not in contact, as you can see here: IMG_8830x.JPG. Would it be prudent to pull the LH side apart again? And should I try to re-bend the adjuster lever to come in contact with the teeth, or just install a whole new adjusting part kit, as I did on the RH side?


Nope... it is fine. When you get the cable adjusters installed they will be up where they need to be.

•Are the 2A601 springs installed incorrectly on my parking brake lever assemblies? You can see that the LH side 2A601's installed in front of the lever (and the RH side's the same), while the diagram on 12-02-6 shows 2A601 installed behind the lever!

I would do it so the spring is on the inside (NOT as pictured). You need the e-brake arm to be free of riding on the shoes, and the spring on the outside MAY cause there to be minor interference. (JMO - I am not sure it matters as I think it is just there to reduce the potential for rattles).

•Will the brake shoe push-rods/links automatically center themselves in the wheel cylinder when braking force is applied? Here's a photo that shows them looking somewhat crooked, as shown with the purple arrow: IMG_9173x.JPG.

Yep... They will self center, and when you get the adjusters 'Adjusted' you will find the alignment is much better. As it sits now the shoes are narrower at the bottom than at the top.

•Did I get the surface rust on the axle housing area cleaned up sufficiently? Here's as it appeared before my effort: IMG_9142x.JPG, and here's how it appeared after my effort: IMG_9144x.JPG.

Not in my opinion. But then I would speedy sleeve it if I were you... with a little green locktite. See my post on the top of page 3 of this thread. You really don't want any leaks... I will even mail you my installation tool that fits over the spindle, if you would like...

Now you have my $0.02 ... about a bolt's worth....

Regards/

[robroy]

Good afternoon RJewkes, Fordman, and Eric, thanks for your marvelous replies!

Didn't realize #50 was an F250.

Indeed! #50's an F250, and an 8,100lb GVW model at that.

So on those the rear drum is bolted on like the front hubs/drums on an F100 or atleast bolted on like in the sense they both have a bolt holding the outer bearing and hub/drum to everytrhing else.

I believe the outer bearing and the brake hub+drum's held in place by a very large nut that threads on to the axle shaft; perhaps we're using different words for the same thing?

IIRC those axles are full floating aren't they?

That they are! Yet right now they're on vacation, fully floating around in the back of the pickup bed.

i wonder if the left hand side spring is too strong and is holding it away from contacting the star wheel. and or something else i thought of is the star wheel the same size as the other side? probably not but it came to mind.

Both excellent thoughts Fordman--thanks. As it turned out, both adjuster assemblies were somewhat loose by design and would flex around. The LH assembly just appeared to be aligned incorrectly, but when I messed around with it it was easy to push it in to position. And Eric's right about them both being held in the right spot once tension's applied by the adjuster cable!

•Are the 2A601 springs installed incorrectly on my parking brake lever assemblies?

check out this diagram on the site. this is the way mine was put together when i stripped it for parts. it was the same as your diagram but the bolts were in backwards than yours. i do think the diagram is correct with how the diagrams shows it. http://www.fordification.com/tech/image ... akes01.jpg however get confirmation on this before taking my advice on the spring location and bolt direction. maybe th ebolt goes in one way on one side and the other way an the other side. that may have been how the one i took apart was.

Okay! Thanks for referencing that diagram again; I'd forgotten about it. Regarding the bolt going in from the inside or the outside, I've actually seen it shown both ways in different diagrams, yet the 2A601 spring's shown consistently as it appears in this diagram. So that's the way I installed both 2A601's! I'll include detailed photos of that in the update, later on in this post.

And should I try to re-bend the adjuster lever to come in contact with the teeth, or just install a whole new adjusting part kit, as I did on the RH side?

Nope... it is fine. When you get the cable adjusters installed they will be up where they need to be.

You're absolutely right Eric! I gave this a whirl and it worked exactly as you've described.

Are the 2A601 springs installed incorrectly on my parking brake lever assemblies?

I would do it so the spring is on the inside (NOT as pictured). You need the e-brake arm to be free of riding on the shoes, and the spring on the outside MAY cause there to be minor interference. (JMO - I am not sure it matters as I think it is just there to reduce the potential for rattles).

I see what you mean, and wondered about that also. In the end though, I went ahead and put it together as pictured in the various diagrams. I saw the spring installed on the inside (closer to the backing plate) in three different diagrams: the one Fordman posted, the one in the 1972 Ford Truck Shop Manual, and the one in the 1971 Ford Truck Shop Manual. Since the diagrams were perfectly consistent about the placement of this 2A601 spring, I decided to follow them.

I made an observation that may be evidence supporting the position shown in the diagrams: the larger washers installed under the heads of the parking brake lever bolts had been bent/warped. I believe they were bent due to the spring being installed directly under them, which didn't support them with the large surface area of the parking brake levers themselves. This said, they could also have been bent simply due to over-tightening of the nuts holding the parking brake lever bolts.

Will the brake shoe push-rods/links automatically center themselves in the wheel cylinder when braking force is applied?

Yep... They will self center, and when you get the adjusters 'Adjusted' you will find the alignment is much better. As it sits now the shoes are narrower at the bottom than at the top.

Perfect, thanks Eric!

Did I get the surface rust on the axle housing area cleaned up sufficiently?

Not in my opinion. But then I would speedy sleeve it if I were you... with a little green locktite. See my post on the top of page 3 of this thread. You really don't want any leaks... I will even mail you my installation tool that fits over the spindle, if you would like...

Thanks for reminding me of that Speedy Sleeve link you provided on page 3! I reviewed it and it does seem like a nice product. In this case, I have a sense that the rusty spindle surface begins significantly closer to the backing plate than the depth at which the seal rests. It looks like the surface the seal rests upon is nice and clean--I could be wrong about this though. Perhaps I should pull the drum off and take a closer look, possibly measuring to be sure.

Thanks also for offering to mail me the tool; that's very kind of you! I'll re-consider the Speedy Sleeve product and take special care with the seal surface, and I'll let you know if I decide to accept your generous offer on the tool loan!

Now you have my $0.02 ... about a bolt's worth....

I believe you've underestimated the value of your advice!

To avoid risking the loss of this reply in my browser's buffer, I'll commit it now and post my update next! Stand by for more photos.

RJewkes, Fordman, and Eric, thanks again for your super helpful replies!
Robroy

[robroy]

Good afternoon!

This Afternoon's Update:

Yesterday I dissected both parking brake lever assemblies to make sure they were put together in the same order as shown in the various diagrams. As y'all may have gathered by now, the photos that aren't marked feature LH-side parts, while the photos showing RH-side parts tend to be marked, "RH." (Just to keep you guessing, a few of the LH-side photos are marked "LH.")

Here's the LH parking brake assembly bolt. All of the diagrams I've seen so far show a hex head on this bolt, while you can see that mine has a round head. Perhaps they made it this way to keep folks from over-tightening the nut that holds it to the backing plate?




Here's the LH-side 2A601 spring.



Here's the LH-side 2A142 "chicken head bracket" resting on the parking brake lever, and 2A142 all by itself below. Note that "L" is stamped on; "R" appears on the RH side part. These photos aren't illustrative of anything strategic yet I thought I'd include them on general principles.




Here's the cable anchor fitting (2A178) with the odd spacer, "2028," that fits inside of it. It's a mystery that this odd "2028" spacer doesn't appear in either of the 1970 or 1972 Ford Truck Shop Manuals (as far as I can see). Yet it does appear in this diagram referenced by Fordman.



Here's more or less how the "chicken head bracket," 2A142, sits on top of the cable anchor fitting (2A178) and the 2028 spacer (left). On the right, I've added in 2A601. I'll show how these parts fit together in better context with additional photos later in this post (of the actual build-up), yet perhaps these individual photos will be helpful as well.



Here's how the parking brake lever stacks on top of the parts shown so far (left). You can see that when it's pressed down, it compresses the 2A601 spring and 2028, the odd spacer, sticks all the way through (right). Below these two photos is a side view of the sandwich, including the lettuce, pickles, and tomatoes.




Here's the large washer that sits under the head of the parking brake assembly bolt. It was bent on both the LH and RH sides, which suggests that the placement of the 2A601 spring was probably incorrect before! I used a large hammer and a flat metal place to smash it out flat again.



Here's the LH-side adjuster assembly after I'd pushed it in to place. It seems to be able to "float" around before it's put under tension by the cable that terminates at it, as suggested by Eric! Below this photo, you can see that when the cable's attached, it's kept in perfect order.




Returning to the parking brake lever, these photos illustrate the (I think) proper build-up of its constituents. You'll see this illustrated again for the RH side later in this post.

In the beginning nothing's there (left). The first step's to slide the odd spacer (2028) in to the cable anchor fitting (2A178) as shown, and hold it up nearby the top of the backing plate (right). I left the bottom part (with the spring) loose at this phase.



Next the "chicken head bracket," 2A142, goes over the odd 2028 spacer as shown (left). Note that the stamped in letter indicating its side (L or R) faces outwards, and the bracket's "beak" faces the front of the truck. With that in place, I set the 2A601 spring over the 2A142 bracket, centered on the odd 2028 spacer (right).



With the spring in place, I set the larger washer over its center, and carefully taped the parking brake assembly bolt through the center of everything. During this tapping process, you'll observe all the parts settle in to place naturally, or they'll bind up. I had to fiddle around with it to get the parts to go together harmoniously.

With the parking brake assembly bolt tapped through, I replaced the tiny locknut on the back of the backing plate that secures it, and torqued it to about 10 ft/lbs. I used a torque wrench for that; it wasn't a guess!



These two photos show the LH side complete and ready for the initial brake drum fitting process.



Next I dissected the RH parking brake lever assembly. This first photo shows how it was put together previously. As stated in my previous post, I believe the 2A601 spring was installed incorrectly.



I found that because of the 2A601 spring being springy, the only way to take this assembly apart was to hold it still, and smack the parking brake assembly bolt right on its end! That worked wonders for the LH side. The RH side was more stubborn; here I'm failing at that technique.



Since I don't own a vice, I came up with this funny makeshift setup to hold the lever still. The bolt responded to a couple of sharp smacks on its face this time! You can see it resting on the ground.



With the RH parking brake lever assembly busted apart, I took a few photos of the individual parts therein. Here's 2A142, the "chicken head bracket."



Here's 2028, the odd spacer. Note that this spacer actually has a spline in its center that mates to the spline on the parking brake assembly bolt.



The 2A601 spring.



The parking brake assembly bolt--you can see the spline on its shaft.



And the large washer; it was bent, just like on the LH side. I smashed it back in to shape.



After looking at those individual parts, I went to test fit the cable to the adjusting lever, and realized that I'd installed the lower retracting spring backwards (in the red circle)!



I reversed the lower retracting spring and then had plenty of room (light blue circle).



Here's the documented build-up of the RH-side parking brake lever assembly. First, I inserted the odd 2028 spacer in to the cable anchor fitting (2A178) as shown, holding it up to the backing plate (left). Next, the "chicken head bracket," 2A142, fit on the 2028 spacer, with its "beak" facing the front of the truck (right).



The 2A601 spring's held on next, centered on the 2028 spacer (left), then the parking brake lever itself is layered on (right).



I set the large washer on top of the parking brake lever, doing my best to keep all the parts centered.



Then I shoved the parking brake assembly bolt through the whole mess, carefully tapping it through the assembly, allowing it to mate with the splines on the odd 2028 spacer. Of course the whole thing kept trying to come unglued so it took a couple of tries!



Here's the RH side, basically ready to begin the initial drum fitting process.




Following Fordman's advice, I put some brake cleaner on a clean towel and wiped off the brake shoes. You can see what came off! I think it was just dust from the shoes though, and not grease or oil, since there seemed to be no end to it.



Here's the drum I selected for installation on the RH side. During storage, I kept spraying WD-40 on the races to keep them from corroding. So thankfully they remained in perfect condition (left)! I packed the inner wheel bearing with high temperature grease and set it in place (right).



Here's the new seal resting over the inner bearing, ready to tap in to place. Thankfully it went in willingly with no special tools!



I then put an even, thin coat of grease over the spindle. It's probably not easy to see in this photo, yet it's there.



I used brake cleaner to make the inside of the drum immaculate, made sure the shoes were adjusted to their minimum travel, and arduously placed the drum in position--it went on with no interference whatsoever! So I pulled it off and increased the brake shoe travel several times before finding the sweet spot, where it was possible to slide on but definitely not a free fit.



I put this torque wrench together with the big KD socket and threaded the nut over the outer bearing, taking care to keep the drum turning during this process, presumably to prevent an unwanted bind. I was following GSequoia's great instructions! Yet I didn't put any kind of torque on the nut yet (more on this in the question section).



Following the same process, I got the LH drum tentatively installed, yet I didn't torque down the nut over its outer bearing yet either.



This Afternoon's Questions:

Beginning today, I'm putting a unique ID in front of each question. These IDs can be referenced later--this system should help to keep track of any questions that are revisited later on.

• ID 1: I read in GSequoia's great instructions that I should install a wheel on the hub, then while turning the wheel, torque the inner nut (that presses up against the outer bearing) to 50-80 ft/lbs before backing it off 1/3 of a turn. 50-80 ft/lbs intuitively seems like a lot of force to be putting on the side of that bearing, and I wasn't able to confirm this torque spec in the 1970 and 1972 Ford Truck Shop Manuals. Shall I really get the big nut that tight before backing it off 3/8 of a turn?
• ID 2: In the next step in GSequoia's great article, I read that with the inner nut in place, the outer nut should be torqued to 90-110 ft/lbs. Again, intuition tells me that this is pretty tight, and I'm not able to confirm that spec in the Ford manuals. Is this truly the best action to take?

Thanks very much for wading through my long update, and for all the superb guidance!
Robroy

[robroy]

Good evening!

With regard to the questions asked in my previous post (ID 1 and ID 2), I just sat down with my hard-copy 1971 Ford Truck Shop Manual and found the answers on page 11-14-03. In short, GSequoia's instructions are perfect.

Here's Part 11-14 of the 1971 Ford Truck Shop Manual: "Wheel Hubs and Bearings--Rear (Full Floating Axle)." As is the case with the majority of the images I've posted lately, y'all can click on these to see large resolution, high definition editions.

Pages 11-14-01 and 11-14-02


Pages 11-14-03 and 11-14-04


Thanks very much!
Robroy

[robroy]

Good morning!

This Morning's Update:

After eye-balling the installed drums (with both normal vision and my own brand of optimistic X-ray vision), I decided to let them be instead of pulling them again to improve the spindle seal surfaces. Eric, I really appreciate your advice on this and am sure that the improvement you've recommended is a good one; I just suspect that they're probably OK as-is. If one or both leak in the future I'll be sure to post in this thread again and document the improvement you recommended!

In order to assist with turning the drum while tightening down the adjusting nut, I put the wheels back on. Then while turning the wheel by hand, I torqued the adjusting nut to 65 ft/lbs, then backed it off 3/8 of a turn.



As directed by the 1971 Ford Truck Shop Manual, page 11-14-03, step #18, I coated the new lockwasher (NAPA 635-1100) with oil (I used this gear oil), then slipped it on the end of the spindle. The 'Manual also calls for installing it with the smooth side facing out. Both sides of this lockwasher looked similar, yet one had edges that were slightly smoother (presumably from being the side that the stamp pressed down on when it was made); I installed it with that side facing out.



With the lockwasher in place, the outer nut, or "lock nut," threaded on. I torqued it to 100 ft/lbs.



The next step was to bend two of the lockwasher ears inwards, and two outwards. These three photos show examples of the bends. I did the inward bends using a hammer and punch, while a large common screwdriver did the trick for the outward bends. Like many of the other photos in this thread, y'all can click on these to see the details.



Next the axles shafts were prepared for installation. They'd been living in the truck bed since being pulled in late April and needed a good bath. I made sure they were thoroughly dry and gave them a nice coat of fresh gear oil before installation. Here are the differential-side ends all cleaned up.



Both of the axle shafts had lots of old RTV on their inner flange surfaces, and one of them had a bonus: an old metal gasket, hiding under all the RTV!



Here are the cleaned up inner flange surfaces.



Here's one of the new NAPA FPG 55328 gaskets. Once I pulled it out of its package I could see that it was metal; I hadn't realized that before.



Here's another view of my goofy lifting method (left), and the truck back on its wheels (right).



This Morning's Question:

• ID 3: What shall I use on the axle flange bolts: high-temp grease, anti-seize, or thread-lock? Note that they'll be pulled out again in perhaps 5,000 or 10,000 miles for the installation of a limited slip differential.

Thanks very much for the superb guidance!
Robroy

[robroy]

Good afternoon!

This Afternoon's Update:

I've been adjusting the brakes, following GSequoia's Adjusting Instructions! Here's what I've done so far:

1. Loosened the parking brake cables under the truck (by putting some vice grips on the threaded rod and turning the parking brake adjusting nut).
2. Pulled the rubber plugs off of the backing plates.
3. Turned the RH adjuster's star wheel until I couldn't turn the wheel by hand (until it had locked up).
4. Used a thin machinist's pick tool with an end bent 90 degrees to push in on the RH adjusting lever, pushing it away from the star wheel.
5. Backed the RH adjuster's star wheel off about ten "clicks," although it wasn't clicking since the adjusting lever wasn't in contact with it.
6. Repeated steps #3 through #5 for the LH side.

With that complete, I can turn both wheels again! But not easily--there's moderate drag there.

This Afternoon's Question:

• ID 4: When the brakes are adjusted properly, how much drag should I feel when I turn the wheels by hand? Should there be just barely enough drag to notice it, or should there be moderate drag? Or no drag at all?

Thanks very much for all the superb help!
Robroy

[robroy]

Good evening!

This Evening's Update:

I began the final brake renewal task: replacing the brake lines that run from the rear end to the distribution block! Thankfully I happen to already have some pre-made stainless pieces from Inline Tube that are very similar (if not identical) to the OEM pieces on #50, so this should be a relatively short job.

Here's the worst brake line area of all. It's nearby the frame area directly under where the cab and bed join. This is also the worst rust area on the entire truck (that I've seen so far). This brake line's not exactly looking "Ship Shape" is it?



Coming up with replacement clips to hold the new lines in is one of the rare topics that I happen to have a little experience with! On the left are LK3/16 clips I ordered from Inline Tube. On the right are 1/4-20 stainless bolts and stainless nylocks that I'll use to fasten them to the frame. Here's the receipt for the LK3/16 clips: Robroy_InlineTube_Clips_Receipt.png



The frame holes occupied by the OEM clips are a nice size for a 1/4-20 bolt, yet the holes on the LK3/16 clips won't accommodate anything that large. So I used a 1/4" drill bit to enlarge the clip holes! Since I don't own a vice, I held the clips with vice grip pliers for the drilling.



Here I'm drilling. I actually wound up stomping on the vice grip pliers to hold them still (I didn't hold it still with my hand as shown in the photo).



Here's one of the updated LK3/16 clips.



While I was at it, I enlarged the holes in the rest of the clips.



And here's the finished product. The clip I'll wind up using's on the left, while the OEM, plastic clip's on the right. It's a nice upgrade isn't it?



Here are a couple of detailed photos that show off how bad the old lines were! By the time I got the lines outside where I could really see them, I found it comical that I'd wondered whether or not to bother with their replacement. Y'all will probably want to click on these to see the details.



Here's a blurry photo of the coupling I'll replace the corroded OEM coupling with: IMG_9547x.JPG

Thanks very much for all the excellent guidance!!!
Robroy

[70_F100]

With that complete, I can turn both wheels again! But not easily--there's moderate drag there.

This Afternoon's Question:

• ID 4: When the brakes are adjusted properly, how much drag should I feel when I turn the wheels by hand? Should there be just barely enough drag to notice it, or should there be moderate drag? Or no drag at all?

Robroy

Robroy, with new shoes and the drums having just been turned, the drag should be in the "moderate" category.

Since the drums have been turned, the radius of the shoe will not be exactly right, so the shoes have to wear to the same contour. This will happen in just a couple hundred miles of driving. You may notice the pedal applied height dropping slightly during the break-in period.

After you have driven thru the break-in period, I suggest following the brake adjustment procedure again, as the self-adjusters may or may not provide the proper adjustment during this "quick wear" time frame. Always remember, as stated in the procedure, to loosen the parking brake adjustment prior to adjusting the star wheel adjustment. Failing to do so can cause premature wear and lack of braking effect. Once the initial wear period has passed and the brake shoes have seated themselves to the drums, the self-adjusting mechanism will work just fine.

Keep up the good work!!!


Richard

[71PA_Highboy]

Read this too:

http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_bedintheory.shtml

http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_bedinstock.shtml

[robroy]

Good evening 70_F100 and Eric, thanks for your most excellent replies!

ID 4: When the brakes are adjusted properly, how much drag should I feel when I turn the wheels by hand? Should there be just barely enough drag to notice it, or should there be moderate drag? Or no drag at all?

Robroy, with new shoes and the drums having just been turned, the drag should be in the "moderate" category.

Okay, thanks! I realize that I could have conveyed the drag severity more effectively. By "moderate," I mean that it takes about 50% of my arm strength to turn the wheel. Does that still make sense? Or should it take more like 10% of my arm strength?

Perhaps compared to the engine, there's approximately zero difference between 10% and 50% of my arm strength!

Since the drums have been turned, the radius of the shoe will not be exactly right, so the shoes have to wear to the same contour. This will happen in just a couple hundred miles of driving. You may notice the pedal applied height dropping slightly during the break-in period.

Perfect! I'll pay attention the pedal height.

After you have driven thru the break-in period, I suggest following the brake adjustment procedure again, as the self-adjusters may or may not provide the proper adjustment during this "quick wear" time frame.

This I'll surely do!

Always remember, as stated in the procedure, to loosen the parking brake adjustment prior to adjusting the star wheel adjustment. Failing to do so can cause premature wear and lack of braking effect.

Thanks for reminding me! When I loosened the parking brake adjustment this time, I found that the cables weren't especially tight to begin with. I'm looking forward to a whole new parking brake experience after all of this!

Once the initial wear period has passed and the brake shoes have seated themselves to the drums, the self-adjusting mechanism will work just fine.

Great!

Keep up the good work!!!

With superb advice like yours, I'm sure I'll be able to!

http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_bedintheory.shtml
http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_bedinstock.shtml

That's quite interesting Eric; thanks for suggesting this article. This is the first time I've heard of these concepts!

This Evening's Update:

Although folks probably don't usually bother to torque lug nuts on steel wheels, I figured I may as well be thorough. In the 1971 Ford Truck Shop Manual, on page 11-10-05, I found this table:



I measured these lug nuts and they're the 1/2" variety, so I torqued them to around 93 ft/lbs. That actually felt a good deal less tight than I'm used to getting them with the lug wrench, so perhaps I've been making them too tight up until now.

I then used a small amount of anti-seize on the axle retaining bolts and torqued them to 45 ft/lbs.

Here are the completed wheel and axle assemblies!




With that complete, I took care of the brake lines between the distribution block and the rear brake hose. This was a lot easier than I thought it would be, primarily because the Inline Tube pieces made for an F100 were basically exact matches to the pieces used on this F250! It seems that unlike several of the other brake lines, these two are identical between the F100 and the F250.

I used a small amount of grease on the flare nut threads and tightened them down using the method described to me by Inline Tube. I heard from Inline Tube that to get a good seal with flares on stainless tubing, it's best to tighten the nut down, then back it off, then tighten it down again a few times. Each time this is done, the nut threads in more deeply, since the flare's making an increasingly significant imprint on the brass cone that it mates to.

According to Inline Tube, most leaks people have with stainless brake lines are caused by a failure to use this method while tightening them down.




These stainless brake and fuel lines look great--and they make my frame look like Freddy Krueger with poison ivy!



Here's how the brake clip fasteners look from behind (in this case, from the outside of the frame).



I was especially impressed that the Inline Tube piece that goes to the distribution block included a durable fabric sleeve in the exact same spot as the Ford piece! You can see how it's intended to keep the fuel and brake lines from fighting.



70_F100 and Eric, thanks again for your super helpful replies!
Robroy

[robroy]

Good evening!

This brake job is now 100%, and the brakes feel dramatically better than they ever have before! The brakes require minimal leg effort, and the pedal's remarkably firm--what an incredible upgrade!

I had a few more brake adjustment adventures over the past week that I'll be describing here in detail soon.

The first-ever test of these new brakes was caught on video by Kasie. Since I only had a few feet in front the house to play in, the test wasn't dramatic, but the results were certainly confidence inspiring. The brakes feel superb!

High Quality H.264 (32MB) Medium Quality WMV (17MB)


Thanks so much for all the outstanding help with this, and I'll post again soon regarding the brake adjustments!
Robroy

[thebannister8]

you should feel very little drag...basically if you can hear or feal resistance that's where to leave it...your shoes need room to seat and not be subjected to constant heat from moderate resistance...to get maximum life out of a new brake set up it needs to be broken in at as close to normal operating conditions as possible...seat the shoes too fast and you'll subject them to unnecessary glazing

[In FORD we trust]

Robroy, I just read this whole thread. You are very thorough. I complement your desire for excellence. I most of all wanted to comment on your wanting to use parts made in the USA. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! There are a lot of good people and products all over the world, that being said, we live here and work here and i think we should support our own as much as humanly possible! I go out of my way and pay more on a regular basis to do the same. My hats off to Robroy!!!!

[robroy]

Good morning TheBannister8 and In FORD we Trust, thanks for your splendid replies!

you should feel very little drag...basically if you can hear or feal resistance that's where to leave it...your shoes need room to seat and not be subjected to constant heat from moderate resistance...

I see what you mean, thanks!

to get maximum life out of a new brake set up it needs to be broken in at as close to normal operating conditions as possible...seat the shoes too fast and you'll subject them to unnecessary glazing

Okay!

I haven't been able to drive the truck for more than few feet at a time yet, but I think I got the shoes adjusted pretty well. I left the adjustment in a state where I could just hear a slight contact, and I can still roll the truck around by hand. Also, the brakes feel absolutely superb during operation--I think it's in a good state for breaking them in once I get the truck on the road!

Robroy, I just read this whole thread. You are very thorough. I complement your desire for excellence.

Thanks very much In FORD we Trust!!!

I most of all wanted to comment on your wanting to use parts made in the USA. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! There are a lot of good people and products all over the world, that being said, we live here and work here and i think we should support our own as much as humanly possible! I go out of my way and pay more on a regular basis to do the same. My hats off to Robroy!!!!

Thanks for commenting on this, and I agree completely! I strongly believe in considering the long-term impact of the actions we take, especially with regard to supporting products from countries that seem to have relatively high standards of living. Knowing that the majority of the parts in #50 were made by people with excellent living conditions (and even by people who took genuine pleasure in their work), gives me a great feeling!

Yesterday I rolled #50 out of the garage and hit the brakes to stop (without the engine running), and I must say, the brakes feel more solid and precise than on any other vehicle I've yet driven, including much more modern vehicles. Until now I wasn't aware that a Bumpside brake system was capable of feeling this perfect!!!

TheBannister8 and In FORD we Trust, thanks again for your fantastic replies!!!
Robroy