Adjust yer brakes.

[ripsnorter]

I've been having troubles with the brakes on my 62 ever since I bought it. first it pulled HARD to the right when I would hit the brakes even slightly. Because of this I never really noticed all the other squeals and screams and shouts of horror from my truck and passengers. (mainly cus I was busy holding on for dear life)

So, I put new shoes on the front, rebuilt the cylinders etc best as I could, adjusted them, and lo and behold, no more pull.

Now that I could brake without shrieking and scaring my girlfriend, (my shrieks, not the trucks) I noticed that whenever I backed up, there was a loud squeal, (trucks, not mine) and the backend would lock up. If I had to hit the brakes hard going forward, the backend locked up as well, with lots of skidding and sliding and the stopping point being about 300 yards beyond whatever point I was originally aiming at. (or vehicle)

So, while in town the other day, I picked up a set of shoes for the rear drums, with the intention of settling down what I figured was metal on metal on the rear shoes/drums. When I finally popped the drums off however:

Lo and behold, the shoes were in as good of shape as the brand new ones in my hand! I think they probably had a little more meat on them than new actually

So, I tossed the new shoes back in the box, set to with my screwdriver on the adjustment, put 'er all back together, and lo and behold..... No shrieks, shimmies, crying, (passengers, truck or myself) and no lockups either!

In fact I'd confidently say that this rig now stops a good 300% better than it did before. I can actually drive around traffic without my eye constantly on good escape routes in case the brakes failed, and am amazed at what just a few minutes adjusting your brakes will do.

Morale of the story? Adjust yer brakes folks.

[ICEMAN6166]

rip, were there self adjusters or like on my 4x4 where you have to manually adjust them?

[mikecarson]

62 didn't have self adjuster. Mine was the same way, glad my 5th wheel had good brakes!

[ripsnorter]

all manual, at least on my 62 F100, I havent checked the 63 F250 I have, but I believe the 63 F100 I have is manual as well.

[66fordtrucknut]

Funny you said that because I was going to ask what would make the back brakes lock up in reverse. When I was pushing in my newly aquired 66' mustang, that happened, haven't checked it out yet.
Charlie

[jeffw]

thats a funny story! mine did the same too, except the backing up part,,

[winr]

My 65 F-100 doesnt have self adjusters either.


Richard.

[Max]

I just finished rebuilding both rear brake drums with new shoes, cylinders, drums, springs and everything. Had to even hit the junkyard for some little spring clip washer dealio thingies so that both sides had everything.

Now I can rebuild these damn things blindfolded, one hand tied behind my back and the other missing 2 fingers. Well anyway, that's how I probably looked putting them back together.

[bobenhotep]

does it take 2 screwdrivers or one to adjust the brakes ? i probably need to do mine here soon...

[ripsnorter]

just one.

easiest if you have a hoist or something where you dont have to sprain your neck getting around the axles, but you can do it on the ground. or just drive it up on some boards if nothing else.

Theres a small oval rubber plug on the backside of each drum, pop it out, and adjust the little wheel with a screwdriver.

Up is loose, down is tight.

[cdherman]

winr or Richard

Your 65 F-100 *should* have self adjusters. You sure about that?

I am not sure -- I think the brakes would work w/o the adjusters, but they sure are handy. Every decent parts place has them. Remember, the self adjusters work only when you brake while in reverse. I tested it once to see just how tight I could get them -- in reverse for about 1/8 mile and intermittantly pumping the brakes. Got a little too tight, and smelled a little for a while........

If they are confused when you ask for brake parts for your 65, just ask for parts for a 67.

[MattsIASlickShop]

A little tip here based on first hand experience:
CHANGE THE BRAKE LINES WHEN YOU ARE CHANGING THE REST OF THE BRAKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you know they have not been completely changed out in the last 10 years or so, they could be partially blocked, or rusted to the point of eminent failure.
I decided that I might as well do the lines when I was changing my brakes on a '64 ford since I was changing all the rest of the brakes. Inside the lines there was a nasty looking brake fluid goo that was kinda brown and sludgy, and there were places in the steel lines that looked decent on the outside, but folded easily due to rot weakness when I went to discard them. I was VERY glad I changed the hard lines.
I also changed the rubber lines because they were cracked looking, even though they held fluid. When I checked them, they were hard and had that funky sludge inside.
I am of the opinion that the brakes would have still worked for a while, but looking back at it, I am glad I didn't just change the wheel cylinders, shoes and turn the drums.
Thinking about all that crud inside the lines being pushed into the new brakes and clogging up the bleeders makes me believe that it could have been all for nothing.

[ICEMAN6166]

i 2nd the above.
if you dont change the lines, you are asking for trouble.
AND
when doing the rear brake lines, you also need to take out the tee on the rear axle and clean out the vent, this will prevent pressure from building up in the axle and causing leaks.no point in putting new shoes on only to get them oil filled when you start driving because you blow an axle seal from pressure.

[How About Them Apples]

i 2nd the above.
if you dont change the lines, you are asking for trouble.
AND
when doing the rear brake lines, you also need to take out the tee on the rear axle and clean out the vent, this will prevent pressure from building up in the axle and causing leaks.no point in putting new shoes on only to get them oil filled when you start driving because you blow an axle seal from pressure.

well said iceman...