F350 brake question

[71 LONG BED]

Did all F350s come with power brakes? I thought they did.

[Leadfoot]

sadly no, try stopping one of these wonder trucks loaded I'll tell ya theres no more fun or excitement, you would be better off dragging a stick out you window Ie my old truck got brake fade plus a rock hard pedal coming down out of Port . And Ill say the sparks were flying from the side of the 65 f350 truck as I tried to slow down on the cement barricades. and yes it was a fruit jar master to And in 67/68
it was common for non power brakes on base modal f350s.

[71 LONG BED]

I guess I'm lucky I have power brakes on my '67. I saw a truck that was advertised as a '67 F350 with power steering, but no power brakes!
My F100 has manual brakes, after driving that, I couldn't imagine stopping a 10,000 pound truck without power brakes.

[ICEMAN6166]

i either have a strong leg for being a not real big person or possibly since all my rigs are manual brakes used to it but i never had any problem stopping my 65 f350 with single m.c. or any other of my non-power trucks.
is it because when i get a truck i am going to drive the first thing i do is fix the brakes the way they are supposed to be ?
i sure do hear lots of groans on all the forums about this and dont understand it.
drove 5K miles here with the axle severely overloaded riding on the spring perches, shocks fully collapsed in a 82 cab on a 67 f250 4x4 frame no power brakes and we never had any issues and the alcan is not a smooth flat road.my wife drove the truck and i was driving the bus and she never complained about brake fade or not being able to stop and theres 12% grades.

[Leadfoot]

[

quote="ICEMAN6166"]i either have a strong leg for being a not real big person or possibly since all my rigs are manual brakes used to it but i never had any problem stopping my 65 f350 with single m.c. or any other of my non-power trucks.
is it because when i get a truck i am going to drive the first thing i do is fix the brakes the way they are supposed to be ?
i sure do hear lots of groans on all the forums about this and dont understand it.
drove 5K miles here with the axle severely overloaded riding on the spring perches, shocks fully collapsed in a 82 cab on a 67 f250 4x4 frame no power brakes and we never had any issues and the alcan is not a smooth flat road.my wife drove the truck and i was driving the bus and she never complained about brake fade or not being able to stop and theres 12% grades.

[/quote]
what? I would like to add what ever, they suck bad, and a single fruit jar master has no place in any road vehicle really and in a one tonne that is foolish I think and know. and none power brakes suck to, drums on the one tonne are crap specially with a auto trans, I drive scrap cars & metal mostly up and down the mountains and a 12% is fine but try it with nasty blind harpin corners, and tourist stopping for every dam tree that is bigger than 4 feet across. or try driving the port switch backs I don't know the grade but I know the loads on most trucks shift even when strapped every 2 feet with 4" load binders. and you'll think much diffrently I am sure.

[averagef250]

Yes, I have to agree those complaining about how terrible thier manual brakes probably haven't done what's needed to get them working right. I've owned many rigs with manual drum brakes and they all stopped fine. My '70 F-100 2wd is manual brake. It has front discs now, but even before switching to the discs it would easily lock up all four and stop straight. I've had that truck sitting around 10K with a trailer and front drum brakes and, while it didn't stop on a dime, it stopped fine. That's 10K on F-100 brakes! F-350 brakes are HUGE in comparision.

[Leadfoot]

Yes, I have to agree those complaining about how terrible thier manual brakes probably haven't done what's needed to get them working right. I've owned many rigs with manual drum brakes and they all stopped fine. My '70 F-100 2wd is manual brake. It has front discs now, but even before switching to the discs it would easily lock up all four and stop straight. I've had that truck sitting around 10K with a trailer and front drum brakes and, while it didn't stop on a dime, it stopped fine. That's 10K on F-100 brakes! F-350 brakes are HUGE in comparision.

what? well round here we need inspections done on are one tonnes if commercial, its not farm country Im talking so your argument about not in proper order falls out the window. just because you can lock your brakes most times means nothing, around here with the hills and corners you lock your brakes your screwed, I mean a good 100 plus foot drop to your death. a person wants control in a corner not just rubber marks on pavement pointing off a cliff.

as for towing your trailer most every trailer has brakes if of any real size or capacity so whats your point? and loading your truck that way is very foolish and a real danger to the public. round here they would road side your truck, inspect it, fine the crap out of you. But I would like to know what tire you were using because at that weight even my 10 ply shows the weight, my bet your loading the side walls to the point of total failure in your 1/2 tonne.

also if manual drums where so great why do you think they stopped putting them on the vehicles fronts? I'll tell ya it was not because the were great performers at all. Can you say safety issues?

[averagef250]

No, don't twist my words around. I said the brakes worked great, that means they worked great, not that they lock up and the truck slides off the road.

The F-100 has the factory 16X4 steel wheels with load range E radials. I did not exceed the load of the tires. No, the trailer did not have brakes. It was a 50KW MQ generator on a tandem trailer with a 200 gallon diesel tank.

I broke no laws sitting at 10K GVW with an F-100. Even with 4 wheel drums the truck was very safe to drive on the street.

Drums are more maintenance than discs. Drums are still on every big rig made.

[ICEMAN6166]

No, don't twist my words around. I said the brakes worked great, that means they worked great, not that they lock up and the truck slides off the road.

The F-100 has the factory 16X4 steel wheels with load range E radials. I did not exceed the load of the tires. No, the trailer did not have brakes. It was a 50KW MQ generator on a tandem trailer with a 200 gallon diesel tank.

I broke no laws sitting at 10K GVW with an F-100. Even with 4 wheel drums the truck was very safe to drive on the street.

Drums are more maintenance than discs. Drums are still on every big rig made.

i agree with that and
plenty of hills and hairpin turns all the way thru BC, the Yukon and Alaska.to suggest that a truck with all its components in good shape is unsafe is wrong.im not someone who woke up yesterday and decided i know something about trucks and brakes. i am not going to list a long winded resume here of my qualifications either in truck driving or mechanics, but have been certified at both at various times in my life.
i wont drive something i dont think is road safe wheteher its a car or truck.
everything i put on the road is gone thru before.i dont need or want any surprises, and have not had any.

[FLATBEDFORD]

My F350 has drums. It will lock all four brakes, empty. With a good load it'll stop, not on a dime, but maybe somewhere between a nickle and a quarter. I will be upgrading to discs. Working drums should be good, but working discs should be better. Note that for safety, any brake system must be in good working order. As for no power brakes, no thanks, call me a wuss, but a one ton should have power brakes.

Hey leadfoot, couldn't stay away could you.

[fordman]

20 cents? or two dimes?

[Leadfoot]

Avenger what ever. I'll never agree with loading a truck to twice load capacity sorry, thats just down right wrong. as for twisting you words around? what? I read them yes , but I now think you may be just a little crazy,

but my point is with drums yes they can slow a truck, but after repeated hard braking the heat builds up, meaning they will not work at all well.

and locking you brakes right up dose not cause brake fade it causes flat spots on your tires :

how do you like me now

[FORDification]

Offering differing opinions and experiences is fine, guys...that's what the forum's all about. Let's just keep it friendly and relaxed.

[Jake11]

I was lucky!!!

I got to drive a 63 GMC 5ton with hydraulick brakes. Or no brakes.

Same Same. Had one of those neeto V6's too! Oh what a truck

[averagef250]

The screamin 305? I'm sorry, but of all the pile of junk trucks ever made the 60-66 chevies/jimmies have got to take the cake for being real champs in every respect. A friend owns a whole mess of those things and he's that guy that does the 30 case of milwaukee's best and a case of krylon restoration. He picked me up in one of his 65's the other day and the door actually fell off the truck as I opened it. I've never seen that happen with a truck that was on the road before. It was neat.