71 Parking brake cable replacement F250

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2500ak
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71 Parking brake cable replacement F250

Post by 2500ak »

I'm getting ready to pull my 71 F250 project out of storage for the summer.

It's a longbed, F250 with 4wd. The parking brake cables were snapped when I bought it, I've managed to find the obsolete replacement cables, and I've also got a new adjuster assembly.

It's a stickshift so it'll be really nice to have the parking brake work. My question is how hard is it to replace the cables? I have limited experience with brakes, and I've never worked with drum brakes.

Any thing I should watch out for? Best method of putting the new ones in?

Thanks
72BahamaBlue
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Re: 71 Parking brake cable replacement F250

Post by 72BahamaBlue »

All I can suggest is with the rear brake drum off, to remove the cable from the brake backing plate, use a small hose-clamp to collapse the 3 or 4 tabs on that ferrule holding the outer cable onto the backing plate. A little finesse and should push through.
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Re: 71 Parking brake cable replacement F250

Post by 2500ak »

Will I have to pull the shoes out to install the new cable, or can you get it in while leaving the shoes in place?
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Re: 71 Parking brake cable replacement F250

Post by 71PA_Highboy »

You can leave the shoes in place.
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2500ak
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Re: 71 Parking brake cable replacement F250

Post by 2500ak »

Well, I can't even seem to figure out how to get the rear brake drums off.

What is worse, there doesn't seem to be any kind of a hole on the backing plate to put the cable through. The cable doesn't quite reach the equalizer, though it might if I loosened the adjustment nut, looking at the diagram

http://www.fordification.com/tech/image ... rake01.jpg

It seems like it might need connectors 2A790 and extensions 2793

How do I get the drum off, and please tell me it doesn't involving removing the axle shaft?

The axle code is B4, which is: 4.10 - 5200# Dana 60 Limited Slip according to the reference.

Here are some pictures:

Image

Image


Image

Not sure where to go from here. The truck definitely came with a rear parking brake. The old snapped off ends of the cables were still attached to the equalizer and routed through the cross-member. They'd been snipped a few inches past that.

All I can think is that maybe when the previous owner couldn't find the replacement cables he switched the backing plates to those of a Dana 60 that had no parking brake.

That or this isn't the original axle, and it's not capable of accepting and paring brake, and that's why the original ones were snipped.

Any ideas? I'd really like this truck to have a parking brake.
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Re: 71 Parking brake cable replacement F250

Post by 2500ak »

Or maybe I'm just not seeing the port in the backing plate.
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Re: 71 Parking brake cable replacement F250

Post by 2500ak »

Wait, this might be it:

Image

There's a hole that looks to be riveted, or capped with a flat metal piece that I hadn't noticed before. Is this it?
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Re: 71 Parking brake cable replacement F250

Post by 72BahamaBlue »

Only a guess, but the rearend might be from an earlier F250 that used a driveline type parking brake.
Can't see the holes for cables in your photos.
Here's what my Dana 60 has, was from a '68 or '69 Camper special.
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Last edited by 72BahamaBlue on Thu May 17, 2012 9:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
2500ak
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Re: 71 Parking brake cable replacement F250

Post by 2500ak »

Mystery solved. I attacked that area with a wire brush and some WD40. The previous owner pumped the holes full of RTV sealant and the mud had caked over it camouflaging it completely.

Man, if it had been an older axle incapable of accepting a parking break I'd have been pretty unhappy considering how hard the obsolete cables were to find.
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Re: 71 Parking brake cable replacement F250

Post by 72BahamaBlue »

Good news!

To remove the rear drums, a 2-9/16" socket is needed. Mine's an OTC #1928, and with a 3/4' to 1/2" socket wrench adapter should do the trick.
http://www.amazon.com/OTC-1928-6-point- ... B000KSPC1Y



Robroy has a most detailed Dana 60 service thread, worth a look!
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Re: 71 Parking brake cable replacement F250

Post by 2500ak »

72BahamaBlue wrote: Robroy has a most detailed Dana 60 service thread, worth a look!
I couldn't find it, do you have a link?
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Re: 71 Parking brake cable replacement F250

Post by 1970 Hi-Boy »

Not sure about the socket size, could the 2-9/16" be for the heavier 7700 pound GVW rear axle? My truck has a 2-1/16" nut and I get by with a 2-3/32" socket I purchased from NAPA, number 2430. You can check your VIN tag on your door for your trucks GVW. Most High-Boys have the lighter axles in them, 6800 pound GVW. If you can get your hands on a Chilton manual it helps tremendously on projects like these as well. First off put an oil catch pan under the axle hub, and loosen the retaining bolts(where you have the the socket placed on the picture) and pull the axle shaft out, this is when the oil comes out. Now bend the little tab away from the bearing locking nut and remove the lock nut, lock washer, bearing adjusting nut and outer bearing. Now unless the brake shoes need to be backed off, the drum or "wheel" is ready to pull off. If the brakes are holding the drum from coming off you will have to take out the little rubber plug on the bottom of the backing plate and using an adjusting tool(looks like a bent screwdriver) back off the self adjuster inside. Keep your oil pan ready as a little more oil will come out of the back side of the drum, and have some brake cleaner handy to clean off any oil that gets on your braking system. Pull the seal and remove the inner bearing clean both and inspect, keep track of which bearing came from where as you do NOT want to switch positions if they are to be re-used. Now you can finally hook your new parking brake cable up, which is pretty straight forward, put the cable in the hole and hook the end up to the parking brake arm. On to reassembly. Pack both bearings with grease (new or old)(they need grease for initial use until such time when oil will eventually take over) and place a new wheel seal on the hub(do not re-use old one). Install(cleaned of oil etc.) wheel assembly onto axle housing and put on the adjusting nut. This will need to be torqued down to between 50 and 80 foot pounds while rotating the wheel assembly simultaneously, then back off 3/8 of one turn. Apply axle lube to preferably a new locking washer and put on smooth side facing out. Install locking nut and torque to 90-110 foot pounds. Bend locking tabs over both adjusting nut and locking nut. Install the axle shaft with a new gasket and tighten bolts to 40-50 foot pounds of torque. Re-adjust the brake shoes if necessary. Top off axle housing with gear oil as well. The only other thing I can think of to help with this procedure, is to keep everything good and clean throughout the process, as dirt contamination will undo all your best efforts. I hope this of some help to you on your project, good luck.
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Re: 71 Parking brake cable replacement F250

Post by 2500ak »

1970 Hi-Boy wrote:Not sure about the socket size, could the 2-9/16" be for the heavier 7700 pound GVW rear axle? My truck has a 2-1/16" nut and I get by with a 2-3/32" socket I purchased from NAPA, number 2430. You can check your VIN tag on your door for your trucks GVW. Most High-Boys have the lighter axles in them, 6800 pound GVW.
I haven't gotten around to pulling the drums off yet, but thanks for the walk-through that clears up a lot.

The axle code is B4, which is listed as a 4.10 geared 5200# Dana 60 Limited Slip, and the front axle is a small knuckle Dana 44.
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Re: 71 Parking brake cable replacement F250

Post by 1970 Hi-Boy »

You have the exact same axles as my truck, go ahead and pull a axle shaft and measure the nut across the flats, if you want to be sure before tooling up. But I'm pretty dog gone sure, I gave you the straight dope on the size.
1970 F250 Sport Custom 4x4 360 V8, otherwise known as the Hi Boy, and a Harley-Davidson.

1953 Lincoln SA200 portable welder with a 4 cylinder 1941 Continental F162 engine.

"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." Henry Ford
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