where to start with brakes?

my 52 f1 has the stock drums. the lines are in good shape except for the ebrake cable ( stripped). not sure about master cylinder ( what is a good way to test ?) havent taken apart the drums to look at shoes or springs or any internal parts yet. but after sitting for so long would it be wise to just replace the wheel cylinders,shoes,lines,etc. just to be on the safe side? sorry im new to this so i need to learn as much as possible. thanks for the help

 

Well, I am sort of in the same boat. Just starting on a 56 Dodge 1/2t. Brakes sort of work, but not well.

My plan is to upgrade to a dual drum/drum master (which requires going to swinging pedals from a59-60). Then check wheel cylinders and linings. If any wheel cylinders are leaking, do all of them on that axle. Clean up backing plates, check/pack bearings etc , if linings are questionable, or cylinders are not rebuildable, I may consider an upgrade to bigger drums or disks.

 

yeah mine dont work at all. disc conversion is too much dough for me right now. but i want the drum setup as safe as possible. so i figured new would be the best route. thanks for the help and good luck the dodge. those are some nice lookin trucks. dont see many around here. got a nice picture of a 36 i believe that i saw last week, super clean

 

Replace all the rubber hoses (2 front, 1 rear), use new wheel cylinders and master cylinder if possible, replace all steel lines if necessary. Replace brake show return springs if necessary. Buy relined brake shoes. Replace e-brake cables.
Have drums turned if not too thin, replace if bad.
Repack bearings and replace wheel seals in front hubs, check rear axle seals for leakage.

Don't low-buck or cheap john it on life saving systems, brakes and steering. The car has to steer and stop to keep you and yours alive.

 

I'd rebuild the master cylinder and get the drums turned, replace everything else with new.

 

Steel lines are cheap. Replace them all, especially on a single master system.

 

thanks for the help everyone. as far as the mc. new from Mac's auto- 85.00( US made, not foreign ). the rebuild kit is only 9.70. anyone know what a rebuild kit usually consists of for it to be so cheap? id rather get new since ive never rebuilt one just to be safe but im curious.

 

Check out JOBLOT for brake parts

 

hey brokenspoke thanks for the heads up on JOBLOT. best part is they are 27 minutes away from me. never even knew it. thanks again everyone

 

Quality can be horrible on some new parts. I'm a firm believer in rebuilding the parts that came on the car IF cylinders are not pitted. Replacing the rubber hoses is a must after 50+ years, & trucks are always in need of some attention in the pedal linkage & bushings.
On the Dodge, doing rear wheel bearing maintainance (seals, end play, repack bearings) while the drums are off will save a lot of work later.

 

dont trust brakes on old cars that have been sitting. thats how body shops, hospitals and insurance companys stay in busness! lol!

i start with a new master cylinder, then plumb new steel lines to the wheels. take appart the brakes at each wheel and put on new wheel cylinders new shoes and hardware. dismantle and clean the adjusters and re ***emble them with a light coat of white grease on the threads. have your drums turned or replace them if out of spec. add new ruber hoses and bleed the system. check for leaks, adjust the brakes at each wheel check again for leaks and get on the road safely.

 

Don't know your truck, but if it's not a dual master cylinder and you're going to buy a new one, might as well convert to a dual now. It's an easy conversion if you can find a compatible dual from a later model. Safer and will give you piece of mind.

 

its not a dual. funny you mention that too because earlier i spoke to my cousin who had one line go on a truck he used to have, right through the intersection he went. what am i looking at as far as parts are concerned for the conversion? anyone on the board done this?

 

In addition to the excellent replies might I add this tidbit: Go drive a similar truck that is in excellent working order and see if the brakes are acceptable to you. On my '47 I wasted a lot of time rebuilding everything only to be dissapointed with the end result. In the end I converted to dual m/c, big disc brakes and dual servo rear drums. OTOH I plan to TAX my brakes via some towing.

Food for thought anyways.

 

thanks for the suggestion, i never thought of that. only problem is not too many trucks around here. there is one guy "bones" who has a 49 or 50 ford in ok shape. not sure how is brakes are. all the other trucks ive seen are high dollar and i dont know the owner. ive got an 87 mustang donor car im pulling the 302/t5 out of. could i use the mc from that? its got disc front/drum rear. p.s. the brakes are a little spongy so i guess it could need a bleeding or the mc is shot. thanks again for the great help everyone