71 F100 brake questions

[1293kyle]

I recently bought a 71 F100 with a 390 and the previous owner had said the brake lines were cut. So do what size or kind of brake lines do I need for this truck and where is it that I would find them?

[ultraranger]

The (hard) brake line diameter throughout the entire truck is 3/16" diameter tubing.

There are (2) flexible brake lines connecting the hard lines to each of the front wheels and (1) flexible brake line connecting the hard line to the rear brakes.

The flexible lines can be ordered through any local parts stores and straight lengths of 3/16" brake line tubing (up to 60" lengths) can also be bought from the parts stores.

You'll just have to look the entire brake plumbing over to assess what needs fixing/replacing.

I'm currently in the process of swapping from front drums, on my '69 F-100, to front discs from a '77 F-100. I'm fabricating all the lines for this swap. --from the new master cylinder to the new disc/drum brake valve.











I still have to make the lines from the brake valve out to the flexible lines going to the calipers.



....and, I have to run a line from the valve to tie into the existing (original) hard line going to the rear brakes.

[1293kyle]

Thanks that helps

[1293kyle]

What are better disc or drum brakes and why?

[ultraranger]

What are better disc or drum brakes and why?

If you're towing a load and are having to use the brakes frequently, drums are more susceptible to brake fade (drums become saturated with heat to the point they are ineffective at stopping the vehicle). --this can also happen when not pulling a load but, can happen more quickly with the loaded weight of a trailer added to the truck.

Discs can also experience brake fade but, it's not as prevalent with them. Drums are enclosed (takes them longer to dissipate the heat before normal braking action is restored to them). Discs are exposed to the air so, they cool off and recover faster than drums.

Discs are affected little by getting wet whereas drums are very sensitive to getting wet.

Discs apply more evenly so, the vehicle tracks straighter upon brake applications. If the shoes are a little out of adjustment on drums, it's very likely the front of the vehicle will dart to the left or right when the brakes are applied.

Drums are self-energizing (pull themselves into the friction surfaces of the drums when applied), discs are not self-energizing. However, self-energization is not an attribute when the drums have been saturated with heat.

Disc brakes have much better, linear, modulation and brake pedal feedback than drums.

Brake maintenance is far easier and less time consuming with discs than with drums.

....and just the simple fact that discs look a lot cooler on a vehicle than drums.

Before



(Mostly after --caliper not installed in this photo)



Which one looks better?

[duaneo]

Hey, that photo comparison isn't fair! Clearly you've done some painting of other parts under there!!!

You also forgot to mention that the effort involved in keeping drum brakes is zero, where the effort of installing disk brakes is at least more than zero! The same goes for cost come to think of it.

Seriously though, that's a nice looking setup.

Cheers,
Duane

[ultraranger]

Hey, that photo comparison isn't fair! Clearly you've done some painting of other parts under there!!!

You also forgot to mention that the effort involved in keeping drum brakes is zero, where the effort of installing disk brakes is at least more than zero! The same goes for cost come to think of it.

Seriously though, that's a nice looking setup.

Cheers,
Duane

Thanks, Duane.

Two days after I bought my '69 F -100 Ranger, in April 2011, the right rear wheel cylinder blew and I discovered the manual brake MC was leaking brake fluid down the inside of the firewall. I pulled all the drums off at all 4 corners and replace all the shoes, retracting springs, adjusters, wheel cylinders, hoses, MC, bearings, etc.

I had something north of $500.00 invested in all the new drum brake parts. A little over three years after replacing all that, I'm removing half the components (the front) to replace them with front disc brakes from a '77 F-100.

I'm not sure of the current total of all the new parts (not sure I really want know) but, it's probably in the neighborhood of $1,500.00. However, that not only includes the disc brake parts but, I'm also installing a tilt column from a '78 F-150, power steering pump and brackets from an '82 Ford pickup that had a 300 in it and adding a front sway bar from a '78 F-250 Camper Special.

I've been gathering the new parts for about a year and a half to rebuild the components that needed going through and just accumulating all the other new associated parts required to install everything. My cost has been spread out over time so, it hasn't hurt me financially.

I've done numerous front disc brake, or all wheel disc brake, swaps before (mostly on vintage Mustangs). After all the expense and effort, it has always been worth it in the end, to me, to change from drums to discs.

[duaneo]

Well a brake update has definitely been on the list of things to do in the future. Currently my focus has been "get it running properly" since the brakes are (knock on wood) functional at this point.

What does the newer tilt column get you? Did it include a gearbox, and was that why you needed a more modern pump?

Cheers,
Duane

[ultraranger]

Well a brake update has definitely been on the list of things to do in the future. Currently my focus has been "get it running properly" since the brakes are (knock on wood) functional at this point.

What does the newer tilt column get you? Did it include a gearbox, and was that why you needed a more modern pump?

Cheers,
Duane

I bought the tilt column off ebay and I bought the tilt column rebuild parts through Bronco Graveyard and NPD. Its the shorter, automatic transmission tilt column version to fit the Saginaw box. My tilt column wasn't in real bad shape, which is good because a lot of the critical parts are not available for the tilt columns.

I got the Saginaw steering gear box through O'Reilly Auto Parts -- I couldn't buy the steering gear box through my local store. Had to buy it online through their website (??? that makes good business sense). I would have preferred a Saginaw box from Redhead but, I've already spent a good chunk of change. If this steering gear box starts leaking, I'll send it to Redhead to have it rebuilt and the needle bearing modification made to the lower output shaft housing.

Any power steering pump will work if you can connect the lines from the pump to the power steering gear box. I didn't have to use the Ford C-2 pump. I just prefer the C-2 over the older Thompson pencil neck pumps. Every Ford vehicle I've driven with the Thompson pump was overly boosted and made the steering too twitchy going down the road. They also tend to whine a lot. I got the C-2 pump and mounting brackets off an '82 pickup that had a 300. I turned the pump in as a core for a newly rebuilt pump.

Momo 13.8" diameter leather steering wheel/aluminum spokes, cruise control switch mounting bracket from a 1989 Saleen Mustang, cruise control switches from an '87-'89 Mustang, tilt column from a '78 Ford F-150. --column wiring harness hasn't been connected up yet. I just have the wires pulled up out of the way.

[1293kyle]

What should be the first things I should work on?
A few thing to know
390 engine
Broken brake lines
Recent oil change
Gas tanks taken out
Hasn't been driven 8 years
Master cylinder booster is broken
3 on the tree
Also I got it running before but didn't try to move it

[ultraranger]

What should be the first things I should work on?
A few thing to know
390 engine
Broken brake lines
Recent oil change
Gas tanks taken out
Hasn't been driven 8 years
Master cylinder booster is broken
3 on the tree
Also I got it running before but didn't try to move it

The first thing to work on would be the most important system of any vehicle --the brakes. All the go in the world is worthless if you can't stop it. You'll just have to decide if you're going to install discs or, fix the drum brake system for now and install the discs later on.

After this, you'll just have to decide the order of priorities for the rest of the items.

[1293kyle]

What should be the first things I should work on?
A few thing to know
390 engine
Broken brake lines
Recent oil change
Gas tanks taken out
Hasn't been driven 8 years
Master cylinder booster is broken
3 on the tree
Also I got it running before but didn't try to move it

The first thing to work on would be the most important system of any vehicle --the brakes. All the go in the world is worthless if you can't stop it. You'll just have to decide if you're going to install discs or, fix the drum brake system for now and install the discs later
After this, you'll just have to decide the order of priorities for the rest of the items.

Thanks I'll get to work on fixing the brake lines then master cylinder then gas tank etc. I don't know if I'll switch to drum because I'm not very familiar with brakes. I'm gonna have to read up on that before I do anything though. One more question how much did you pay for your truck and what was wrong with (if anything was to start)?