[nkaminar]

Update:



I just finished installing the brake kit, the Flathead Ted kit, and doing the initial road tests and adjustments. It took a lot longer than I figured because of other things on my plate. I figure 8 hours actual installation time.



The brake shoes in the front are new but the back shoes have had some wear. The main difficulty was getting the hubs off the rear axle. They were glued on. It took a 4-foot wrench on the puller and my heat gun set at 1,200 F. I had to add split ring lock washers for the new wedge anchor bolts in the front because they were too long for the cotter pins to fit in the castle nut slots. Otherwise everything went together well.



The 5/8-18 tap is absolutely necessary. Ford must have had a different specification for their 5/8-18 tap. The new adjusters will not fit without tapping.



Adjustment is critical. It takes a few miles of gentle use of the brakes before they are operating properly. The instructions say to lock them up to see which front brake is pulling more. I fount the temperature method works better. The cooler brakes are not working as hard as the hotter ones. The rear brakes will be cooler because most of the braking will be on the front. The instructions say that they should be set up 60/40 front/back. I initially set the front adjusters about 45 degrees from lock and the backs about 180 degrees from lock. I have been adding in more rear brake action by turning in the adjusters there. It only takes a few degrees of adjustment to make a difference.



They work great. It is almost like having modern power brakes. The peddle pressure is about 1/3 that of stock brakes. The brakes start to work at about 1 inch deflection, as the instructions said they would. I can lock up the brakes without standing on them. I am very happy with the results. I think the shoe wear will be more uniform too. The rear shoes, which have been used for a while, are worn unevenly. The front brake shoes have not been used enough to see a wear difference.