79 f250 brakes

[1986bronco2]

if you just read my previous post called ford trucks then you obviously know that i have a question about my newly acquired 79 f250. my question is this. what would cause the brake pedal to travel almost all the way to the floor before the brakes engage? i did a slow backwards and stomp and the same going forwards. when going backwards the front tires locked up(so i know i have front brakes) when i went forwards i did the same and the truck just stopped.so could this be a master cylinder issue or is this more of a rear brake issue? the only reason im asking is because i need to resolve this problem asap so that i have a way to work and back. and i need to know what the most likely cause of this problem is so that i can replace the nesessary parts first to either fix of eliminate the problem as the cause of this issue. i dont really know much about brakes other than how to replace the front rotors,pads,and calipers. also i checked the fluid level in the master cylinder and it was full. i pumped the brakes repeatedly to check for leaks and to see if the fluid level dropped any and i didnt see any leaks and saw no fluid loss. so that eliminates the brake line(s). so any info would be greatly appreciated. thanks,bill

 

[martin]

the rear brakes might need adjusting, the auto adjusters almost never work. It's easy to do, just pull off the drums and turn the adjusters until the drum only just goes on without jamming. Check the drums don't have a deep ridge on the edge which will interfere with the drums going on and off. There might be something in the tech library which might also help.

 

[FritzTKatt]

Are you sure that the drums are even grabbing? Drums wear 2-3x faster than pads. Go check the drum system. Does your parking brake engage? If the pbk doesn't work (excluding other faults in that system), the drums are either out of adjustment, are worn, or have failed.

If you have to do the drum job, buy new drums, shoes, hardware (springs, pins, clips, etc.), wheel cylinders, bolts to hold the wheel cylinders on, and enough brake line to go up to the next fitting you can actually get apart. I had a bad enough time on a 94, so a 79 will kick your ass. Better off ripping out the whole brake system and putting new lines in. The hard lines are minimal cost, and will save you a lot of trouble.

 

[PlumCrazy]

Are you sure that the drums are even grabbing? Drums wear 2-3x faster than pads. Go check the drum system. Does your parking brake engage? If the pbk doesn't work (excluding other faults in that system), the drums are either out of adjustment, are worn, or have failed.

If you have to do the drum job, buy new drums, shoes, hardware (springs, pins, clips, etc.), wheel cylinders, bolts to hold the wheel cylinders on, and enough brake line to go up to the next fitting you can actually get apart. I had a bad enough time on a 94, so a 79 will kick your ass. Better off ripping out the whole brake system and putting new lines in. The hard lines are minimal cost, and will save you a lot of trouble.

Drums wear faster my ass. Most vehicles require front brake service 2 or 3 times before the rear needs touched on a typical disc front/drum rear.

Why do semis use drums all the way around....because they last forever.

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[FritzTKatt]

I've had to replace the shoes on my truck twice, and on the 2nd time I did the pads just because. The pads were still good. Maybe it's just me, but I've heard other people say this too.

Why use drums on a semi? Truly I don't know. Maybe because of the air brake system, disk might not work with that in the event of a line failure.

 

[wizkid00104]

Drums wear faster my ass. Most vehicles require front brake service 2 or 3 times before the rear needs touched on a typical disc front/drum rear.

Why do semis use drums all the way around....because they last forever.

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I have had my Ranger since 2005. I have replaced 1 pair of pads and still have the factory rotors. I have replaced 3 sets of shoes, 1 pair of drums, the spring kit probably 5 times, both wheel cylinders (drivers side twice), both self adjuster screws, e-brake cables 3 times...

I hate Ranger drum brakes.

 

[straycat]

Just take off the wheels and look at the front disk and take off the drums and look at the wear. It is an old truck and it might need a booster or master cylinder replaced and the brakes bleed, new rear brakes etc, etc. If you can't do the work take it to a shop or get a good friend who can do the work and do it well.

 

[97RangerXLT]

As a general rule, your drum brakes will outlast the disc brakes by twice as long if not more.

For the OP, check to make sure the adjusters in the rear brake aren't frozen, most of your disc/drum setups the rear drums are what will set the pedal travel. you should be able to put it in reverse and firmly hit the brakes and they *should* adjust. If they aren't adjusting, do as Fritz says and replace everything brake wise on the axle. If the hard lines are rusted do them too. hard lines are cheap, the only pain that you will have (other than dealing with rusted clips/connectors/ fasteners) will be bending the new line to match the old. the brake line bending tool can be had for about 5 bucks, and the flaring tool for about 20.

Good luck!

AJ

 

[PlumCrazy]

Drums on offroad trucks wear faster because they trap abrasive debris inside.....which is why I gave up on them.

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[1986bronco2]

i appreciate the advice greatly. i will definately take a good look at the rear brakes and try to figure out whats going on with them. once i get them fixed im planning on replacing everything on the brake system as time and money and the weather permit. i can handle everything except the drum and shoe assembly so its just a matter of time and money and this crazy weather. one day its 50+ degrees and the next therees 6" of snow and it stays cold for 3 days. the weather is crazier than a sh*t house rat. but thanks again and if you have anymore tips,pointers,and/or advice feel free to let me hear know thanks,bill

 

[Andy D]

I dont work on drum brakes often enough to remember the particulars. I get both drums off and then I work on one side at a time so I can use the other side as a reference. I don't think I would daily drive this beast without replacing all the lines and brake hoses.

 

[70roadrunner]

you dont need to remove the drums to adjust the brakes. on the inside of the backing plate is a slotted hole on the bottom. get a cheap brake spoon kit to make it easier. they can be adjusted with a flat blade screwdriver. if you shine a light in the hole you will see the star adjuster. when adjusting it, you should hear the auto adjuster clicking as the star rotates. i hope this helps

 

[FritzTKatt]

Personally I find it easier to adjust so the drum barely slides on, then let them auto adjust.

The trapping of offroad debris certainty expedites shoe wear, I experienced the wear on a 2wd streeter also though. Most of you have likely heard me speak of my other ranger...

Edit: my last drum job, even after adjustment took a few days to fully work properly. Maybe I just screwed it up, but everything was correct. Advance auto gives me the wrong part for shoes on the 94 4.0 4x4 10" drum, napa and auto zone have the correct parts. Check your hardware bags to make sure the new self adjusters are labeled left and right side. If not they won't work. Went through that one before...