When I am finished with killin' all the electrical system "Gremlins", next project for the '66 Slick is the brake upgrade to front discs along with total rebuild of brake system and rebuild of front suspension. So in regard to the brake part, got parts needed and I believe, a pretty good grasp on what will be required. However, there are a couple of things I'd like to throw out there for ya'll.
Number 1: What master cylinder to use? The truck was upgraded in this department by the "Previous Owner" with new power brake booster and master cylinder. However, the MC is not the same type that most of ya'll seem to be using, the Mustang or early 70's truck unit with the split reservoir. I can't find a part# on it, so ain't sure just what I have or if it's REALLY ok to use. It looks a lot like the one on my '92 Ranger daily driver and that I have seen on later F-150s, 'cept the lines come out the engine side. Anybody know what MC this? Would/could this be the cause of the truck pulling to the left when braking firmly, but not panic stoppng? Lines are correct at MC, etc.
Number 2: Dumb#$% question, as I've been doing brake jobs all my life and never really thought about it...Are the loops in the brake lines at the MC necessary for some mechanical reason. Seen it done both with and without them, truck currently don't have the loops. Thanks in advance, ya'll....
Brake Upgrade Info Needed
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William-in-St. George
- Posts: 42
- Joined: July 18, 2006, 3:55 pm
- Location: Saint George, Utah
Brake Upgrade
If I had a truck with a new booster and MC, I'd solve the problem with brake pull and call it good. I am guessing you have a dual chamber MC with Drum/Drum brakes? Just work on the pulling problem and enjoy your old truck. Boosted drum/drum systems are good for street driven trucks and with the dual chamber MC are as safe as a disk/drum system. You need a couple coils in the lines from the MC to allow flexing between the cab and frame.
When you have 90% of what you want, think twice about insisting on the other 10%! Thomas Sowell
Brake upgrade
FreeBird,
I took the entire brake system from a 75 F-150 front to rear and upgraded my entire system. That included MC, booster, proportioning valve, rear brake backing plates, drums etc. The front and rear upgrades are outlined in the "technical" section. I even went to all the trouble of replacing all the lines. The hoops between the MC and prop valve allow for flex and give you a little wiggle room when doing the plumbing. It all works great and is worth the trouble to me. My truck is a daily driver and I drive on interstate 95 in Virginia south of DC hwhere you go from 70+ to zero at the blink of an eye....don't blink. Good luck and budget for new replacement parts. If you don't have a kingpin bushing reamer you can find the on Escam...I got mine for $40.
I took the entire brake system from a 75 F-150 front to rear and upgraded my entire system. That included MC, booster, proportioning valve, rear brake backing plates, drums etc. The front and rear upgrades are outlined in the "technical" section. I even went to all the trouble of replacing all the lines. The hoops between the MC and prop valve allow for flex and give you a little wiggle room when doing the plumbing. It all works great and is worth the trouble to me. My truck is a daily driver and I drive on interstate 95 in Virginia south of DC hwhere you go from 70+ to zero at the blink of an eye....don't blink. Good luck and budget for new replacement parts. If you don't have a kingpin bushing reamer you can find the on Escam...I got mine for $40.
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FORDBOYpete
- Posts: 850
- Joined: July 21, 2006, 8:30 am
- Location: East Central Florida USA
I concur with Biker Dude, especially if you are in the Charlotte- Mooresville - area around I-85. Disc brakes are superior in the extremes. In the extremes is when ya count on them because ya really need them. 
Changing the type or style of master cylinder on a drum brake system is NOT AN UPGRADE it is misfitting a system with inordinate parts, so it then is NO LONGER is a SYSTEM, it is a Mismatch of parts trying to act like a system!
I hate to disagree with my friend William, but I know the essence of good braking under any circumstance is a balanced and functionally operating SYSTEM of matched components, & not a bunch of Add on parts, installed on a guess or a hunch.
FBp
Changing the type or style of master cylinder on a drum brake system is NOT AN UPGRADE it is misfitting a system with inordinate parts, so it then is NO LONGER is a SYSTEM, it is a Mismatch of parts trying to act like a system!
I hate to disagree with my friend William, but I know the essence of good braking under any circumstance is a balanced and functionally operating SYSTEM of matched components, & not a bunch of Add on parts, installed on a guess or a hunch.
FBp
Change is the Only Constant
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bigtrip460
- Posts: 305
- Joined: February 4, 2007, 7:34 pm
- Location: OHIO!
- Contact:
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FORDBOYpete
- Posts: 850
- Joined: July 21, 2006, 8:30 am
- Location: East Central Florida USA
BigTrip 460
Take the whole set up from a 73-79 donor & don't look back they work great. In fact if you get a F-150 Donor with FE, 351M/ 400 or 460 powertrain you should get the 11" x 3" rear drums, plus correct M-Cyl & proportioning valve for that setup.
I took mine off a 79 F-150 Trailer Special. My front discs = 14"D X 1.125" thk, with double piston calipers, like a F-250 has, hellacious scoops in backing plates, and they are 5 on 5.5 Bolt pattern just like the 11" X 3" rear drums.
I stop great after a 125+ mph pass. In fact I get off at 1st turn out after traps on the return road. I also do very well in traffic thank you very much. Don't think ya ever experienced anything like I-4 traffic in Orlando, unless y'all drive in Houston near U@SS. I drove Houstons I-10 X I-35 interchange system.
If I had to ride I-4 in Florida or Interstates thru Houston & Lone Star, in Charlotte, or anywhere north of North Carolina on the east Coast without Disc brakes I believe I'd stay home first. 
Traffic, People/ Drivers & Roads now a days just aren't what they used to be back in the day when drum brakes ruled the roads. 
Now Disc Brakes rule, ESPECIALLY IF YA DRAG RACE, which I do.
FBp
Take the whole set up from a 73-79 donor & don't look back they work great. In fact if you get a F-150 Donor with FE, 351M/ 400 or 460 powertrain you should get the 11" x 3" rear drums, plus correct M-Cyl & proportioning valve for that setup.
I took mine off a 79 F-150 Trailer Special. My front discs = 14"D X 1.125" thk, with double piston calipers, like a F-250 has, hellacious scoops in backing plates, and they are 5 on 5.5 Bolt pattern just like the 11" X 3" rear drums.
I stop great after a 125+ mph pass. In fact I get off at 1st turn out after traps on the return road. I also do very well in traffic thank you very much. Don't think ya ever experienced anything like I-4 traffic in Orlando, unless y'all drive in Houston near U@SS. I drove Houstons I-10 X I-35 interchange system.
If I had to ride I-4 in Florida or Interstates thru Houston & Lone Star, in Charlotte, or anywhere north of North Carolina on the east Coast without Disc brakes I believe I'd stay home first. Traffic, People/ Drivers & Roads now a days just aren't what they used to be back in the day when drum brakes ruled the roads.
Now Disc Brakes rule, ESPECIALLY IF YA DRAG RACE, which I do.
FBp
Change is the Only Constant
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bigtrip460
- Posts: 305
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- Location: OHIO!
- Contact:
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FORDBOYpete
- Posts: 850
- Joined: July 21, 2006, 8:30 am
- Location: East Central Florida USA
"BT"
If your time is like my time you can't spend a week guessing what's what then figuring out who dunnit to what. Then discover that isn't 'zactly right?
What I'm saying is get a system from something like I said I used. AND write it down in a Journal too for later reference sake. It beats going along trying to mix & match up stuff you have no Idea what it is or where it's from.
I discovered that if you have a journal with diagrams & parts/ components lists, wiring schematics and stuff like that, it'a worth another $1K tot $1.5K if/ when you go to turn your vehicle for something else or even just to sell it outright.
I used to insist my clients either pay me to give them a Job Journal, or to keep a Job Journal themself so when work needed to be done later, it wouldn't be "Guess Work" long before repair work, ya know?
FBp
If your time is like my time you can't spend a week guessing what's what then figuring out who dunnit to what. Then discover that isn't 'zactly right?
What I'm saying is get a system from something like I said I used. AND write it down in a Journal too for later reference sake. It beats going along trying to mix & match up stuff you have no Idea what it is or where it's from.
I discovered that if you have a journal with diagrams & parts/ components lists, wiring schematics and stuff like that, it'a worth another $1K tot $1.5K if/ when you go to turn your vehicle for something else or even just to sell it outright.
I used to insist my clients either pay me to give them a Job Journal, or to keep a Job Journal themself so when work needed to be done later, it wouldn't be "Guess Work" long before repair work, ya know?
FBp
Change is the Only Constant
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bigtrip460
- Posts: 305
- Joined: February 4, 2007, 7:34 pm
- Location: OHIO!
- Contact:
I put the front end of a 76 f250 crew cab under my 65 250.Has the extra big kingpins so I used the whole I beam assy.Has huge 2 piston calipers and I got the Saginaw power steering to boot.Its the best way to do it!
Biker dude,another northern Virginia slic owner here.I'm just outside of Leesburg.
Joe
Biker dude,another northern Virginia slic owner here.I'm just outside of Leesburg.
Joe
1965 250 Camper Special
390,650 double pumper,headers,410 gears,saginaw power steering,front power disc brakes and pertrinix ignition.
390,650 double pumper,headers,410 gears,saginaw power steering,front power disc brakes and pertrinix ignition.
Thanks ya'll. So, the MC should be OK to use I take it, as it would have been for a disc/drum setup originally. I do plan to swap the front brakes to discs, as I do drive in Charlotte every day as FBp alluded to.... in my Ranger. But I want to be able to drive in the Slick should I choose/need to do so. That means I need the ability to "stop on a dime AND get back 9 cents change".
I also have a disc brake setup from a '76 F100 which is currently under another '66 I have. Now this truck (courtesy of "Previous Owner") is a prime example of how NOT to do a disc swap....still had the old single pot MC, no proportoning valve, pressure type brake light switch, etc. In short, a real mess. Anyhow, the plan is to remove entire front suspension assembly complete with I-beams, from under this 'un, go through it piece at a time, brakes and all, with new caliphers, rotors, whatever is needed brake and suspension-wise. This appears to have already been done- all is tight, including the king pins, still has new part tags, is complete with a swaybar installed and re-install under my driver when complete. Does this sound like a plan or not to ya'll?
On the subject of the swaybar...while it too looks new, no rust, has tags, etc., I'm not sure it's mounted as it should be. Current mounting consists of saddle-type clamps mouted to the frame, with Grade 8 hardware; ends are mounted to the I-beams via fabbed-up 90 degree angle iron brackets which are bolted to the beams which have a hole drilled to provide a mount- is this acceptable? Seems OK to me-transfers force from one side to the other as intended, but I'm not sure.
So now ya'll know why I don't post more often...once I start, I don't know when to SHUTUP. As always, TIA.....FREEBIRD
I also have a disc brake setup from a '76 F100 which is currently under another '66 I have. Now this truck (courtesy of "Previous Owner") is a prime example of how NOT to do a disc swap....still had the old single pot MC, no proportoning valve, pressure type brake light switch, etc. In short, a real mess. Anyhow, the plan is to remove entire front suspension assembly complete with I-beams, from under this 'un, go through it piece at a time, brakes and all, with new caliphers, rotors, whatever is needed brake and suspension-wise. This appears to have already been done- all is tight, including the king pins, still has new part tags, is complete with a swaybar installed and re-install under my driver when complete. Does this sound like a plan or not to ya'll?
On the subject of the swaybar...while it too looks new, no rust, has tags, etc., I'm not sure it's mounted as it should be. Current mounting consists of saddle-type clamps mouted to the frame, with Grade 8 hardware; ends are mounted to the I-beams via fabbed-up 90 degree angle iron brackets which are bolted to the beams which have a hole drilled to provide a mount- is this acceptable? Seems OK to me-transfers force from one side to the other as intended, but I'm not sure.
So now ya'll know why I don't post more often...once I start, I don't know when to SHUTUP. As always, TIA.....FREEBIRD
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bigtrip460
- Posts: 305
- Joined: February 4, 2007, 7:34 pm
- Location: OHIO!
- Contact:
1 major issue I have is the brake booster. its huge in there. between the newer master cyl / booster and the steering box it is TIGHT on that side.
im thinking even if I did have a small block it would be bad to get to the plugs, header, and valvecover on that side.
I know the suggestion is to use everything from the other truck as a system, but if I could find a smaller one that would do the same job I would use it.
im thinking even if I did have a small block it would be bad to get to the plugs, header, and valvecover on that side.
I know the suggestion is to use everything from the other truck as a system, but if I could find a smaller one that would do the same job I would use it.