81 F600 front drum brakes?

[Daniel Meyer]

I know we have some heavy wrenches here...

I bought a 1981 F-600 Bucket Truck back in December to work on several projects...



She's been hard used but is basically solid. Over the coming months I'll be cleaning her up and restoring everything to working order. In the mean time, the bucket rig works well so I can get one critical project done.

Almost.

Turns our the front right wheel-cylinder (brakes) is leaking. It managed to leak all the brake fluid over the last week...so a rebuild/replacement is in order.

Now, I've been servicing brakes and such for years...drum brakes are no mystery to me etc...but I've never taken a big hub apart like this.

Before I tackled the hub I was hoping for pointers/advice. Standard bearing hub/locknut kind of thing?

Ordered a service manual off ebay so I've got that covered...but whilst I'm waiting for that to show up...any advice? Diagrams? Warnings? Special tools?

Thanks in advance

[Dogg]

the drum is heavy. very heavy. small keyway in there. have a magnet. the rest you will know once its coming apart. just like smaller ones only bigger.

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Daniel ...VRCC member R Bowers ( Randy ) owns his own heavy truck repair business in Georgia he would be able to answer any questions you have and could be a good parts source. I looked in the member list and he has his e-mail hidden however you can PM him through the VRCC.

[Daniel Meyer]

Thanks guys!

[R J]

Hey Daniel.   it is just like a drum brake front wheel on a car, just a hell of a lot more bolts to remove............

1st one is scary, but once ya done it, it is a piece of cake.

PS:  Ya might want to go to the gym for a couple of months and add some muscles to your arms, or find a good jack to help roll the wheel and hub around...

Instead of knocking the hub cover off with a plastic hammer, ya got to take out a fistful of bolts.   Like maybe 5 or 6 of them.

Word to the wise, get yourself about 5 or 6 cartons.   Use one of each set of bolts , keys, and etc you remove.    Easier to reassemble that way.

No guessing if these bolts go in here or someplace else.

[Daniel Meyer]

Thanks RJ!