'56 F-100 Brakes

[29abone]

:? The brakes on my 56 F 100 are hard to push and don't stop all that well.  I'm looking for the most reasonable way to correct this problem.  I don't drive daily, but I do want to be safe, and will spend what is necessary.
OPTIONS:
1.  Power drum brakes
2.  Power disc/drum brake
3.  Non power disc/drum with two, small bore
   master cylinders and a balance bar from Wilcap
                   
Opinions and advice requested.

Larry

[29abone]

:? The brakes on my 56 F 100 are hard to push and don't stop all that well.  I'm looking for the most reasonable way to correct this problem.  I don't drive daily, but I do want to be safe, and will spend what is necessary.
OPTIONS:
1.  Power drum brakes
2.  Power disc/drum brake
3.  Non power disc/drum with two, small bore
   master cylinders and a balance bar from WILWOOD
Opinions and advice requested.

Larry

CORRECTED VERSION

[Charlie Chops 1940]

Larry,

Has this been a long term problem or something sort of new? Have you adjusted the brakes yet? I don't think the F100 has self adjusting brakes. How are the shoes?

We need more input as to whether something has changed or not.

Charlie

[Grandadeo]

Could it be the old collapsing back hose syndrome?  Sometimes with age the hoses start to shrink up (if that's putting it correctly) internally, restricting the fluid pressure to the brakes.

Lee

[enjenjo]

29Abone has a problem with arthritis, and I believe that is the cause.

I just did power brakes on a 53 F100, the same chassis, using a kit from No Limit Engineering. It uses a custom bracket, with the stock pedal, and a Mustang Booster and dual master cylinder. It gave him better brakes, but still not what he wanted. So I installed disc brakes on the front using another kit from No Limit, that used later F100 rotors, and chevy pickup calipers. I used a remote fill from a Mazda 323, as the master cylinder ends up under the seat. Then he was happy. Each kit was in the $120 range. The kits do not include booster, master cylinder, rotors, calipers, or bearings, but they do have kits that do include these parts for more $$$. I also added self adjusters to the rear brakes while I was in there.