[Pilotdave]

Here's an update. Today I enlisted the aid of my spouse to help me with a static test. She sat in the car and worked the brake pedal while I was underneath checking clearances and connecting various combinations of brake rods. For the most part, I disconnected rods at the cross shaft. Keeping in mind that testing the degree of pedal hardness this way is somewhat subjective, here's what we found:

1. The cross shaft is clearing the torque tube and the floor with considerable room to spare.
2. With all brakes disconnected, the brake pedal and rod to the cross shaft move freely.
3. There's no "hard pedal" with only the rear brakes connected.
4. The hard pedal partially reappears with only the front brakes connected.
5. The hard pedal fully reappears with all four brakes connected.
6. There's some hardness with only the LF brake connected; this increases some with only the RF brake connected.
7. With the brake rods fully disconnected at both front brake units, there doesn't seem to be any resistance when I pull the brake levers by hand on either front brake.

We then repeated the tests with me in the driver's seat....same results.

I realize that these results are different from what I originally posted. My apology for it I got anyone down the wrong path. However, I am wondering whether this MIGHT be a brake rod length issue. [The rods were all replaced last week.] Or more precisely, caused by differences in their lengths.

The backing plates were not removed when the brakes were updated in 2017. I will check the orientation of the brake levers and report back.

Thanks again for everyone's help.

Dave