touchy brakes

[awp_cruiser]

I am just about done with the first round of getting a '71 FJ40 back in action

At this point I am running drums on all four with a dual master cylinder and a booster from a mini truck. The brake are REALLY touchy. I was wondering if anyone has experienced this?

I was told that a metering valve or a combination valve would solve this problem??

 

[Poser]

Drum brakes, when properly adjusted and clean, WILL put you through the windshield if you are not seatbelted in....


Is the back end locking up on you?

Are you losing control of the truck when panic braking?

 

[peesalot]

I agree with Poser and would add that when wet you may see a little less stopping power , like none .
Important adjustment must be done with wheels torqued on . Trying it with out putting tires on is a waste of time and will cause them to be to tight .

 

[awp_cruiser]

About the ride...

It's driveable but not so comfortable. All of the cyclinders are clean and new, or rebuilt. And the shoes are new and drums turned. I am adjusted in pretty well, and stops evenly front to back. But yeah, not wearing a seatbelt will put you throught the windshield! At 35mph a VERY slight pressure on the brake pedal is enough to make a stoplight slow into a panic stop.

 

[awp_cruiser]

I found this at http://www.mpbrakes.com

for manual brakes that are converted to power and are extremely touchy.....

"There are two attachment points on the brake pedal. For power brakes you need to use the lower attachment hole. Using the upper hole will make the brakes too sensitive. "

I'll check to see if there is a lower hole and if this fixes it.

 

[Poser]

Not aware of the Land Cruiser peddal assmebly having more than one hole for the master cylinder acctuation rod to be attached...

 

[awp_cruiser]

I don't remember there being one either. The plan is to get this on the road until I can collect the parts to make the switch to disks ASAP. I don't want to sink a lot of $$$ or for a system that will go away. I might have to relearn how to drive with the ebrake lever at stop lights until I decide which way to go for the DB conversion.

 

[AlaskanWheeler]

It takes more than double the pressure to operate a disk brake than without. In a sense; drum brakes are some what self operating in a way, they tend to operate similar to a cam and wedge themselves angainst the drum requirering very little force to operate correctly.

 

[AlaskanWheeler]

You would have to take out the booster or put disks on the front.

 

[awp_cruiser]

Anyone mind repeating for the one millionth time which DB conversion is better? I can't decide. I don't think I can afford a whole new '76+ front end. And I am a stubborn cruiser guy who really wants to keep it cruiser simple with cruiser parts. I'd like to SOA and hi-steer in March. And I might as well put it back together with the disks on the front. So... minitruck and upgrade rotors and calipers to vented rotors and larger calipers. MAF kits are a lot of $$$ but seem to be the better rotors and calipers and a install. Going to the mini has better Birfs, but those are on the list to upgrade too. And on and on...