Quote:
Originally Posted by RalphG
I agree. I see many comments about updating the brakes on these old Ford/Mercs but I don't see the need. My drums and shoes will lock up the wheels if I want to put enough foot pressure on it. What more could power brakes do? The only possible benefit I could see would be in changing to a dual circuit master cylinder so in the event of a line failure the car would still have some braking.
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Even that is not as simple as it sounds. It requires sizing the master cylinder correctly and possibly adding some proportioning valves. Dual master cylinders are not what they're cracked up to be. I lost a rear brake line on my '99 F150 and had some brakes. I changed all the brake lines (rust from Minnesota salt), and everything was fine, UNTIL I blew a front brake line a couple of years later. That time I had almost no brakes at all; certainly not enough to be of use except in the gentlest of conditions. After I replaced the front brake lines, everything was perfect again. After that experience, it is my opinion that good maintenance is more important than a dual master cylinder. Certainly not on a system assembled from miscellaneous parts.