Seriously is my brake system messed up or does it really take a scary amount of pressure to stop going downhill? Also I’m 6ft. I can’t adjust the seat to go back any further. Is this truck not designed for tall people?
WHY IS IT HARD AS BALLS TO STOP ON STOCK Fj40 DRUM BRAKES?? (9 Viewers)
- Thread starter Javadca20
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Indestructible 47
SILVER Star
Front discs and new brake lines are a must on a 40. Also, a dual diaphragm booster does wonders. I converted my drums to 60 series discs, heavy duty rotors of the best quality, and rebuilt the calipers. Installed braided brake lines and a dual diaphragm booster and i had brakes that were insane and very reliable. I also put a brand new oem master cylinder in as well, all in all cost me less than 1k. Do it right the first time and be done with it, half efforts and sloppy brakes are not satisfying and don'tcut the mustard, imo. Cheers
- Thread starter
- #4
Yes absolutely, the front drums have got to go. 1k isn’t bad, What’s the difficulty level in doing this myself? Kinda unrelated but I am kinda in the ballpark that a 3 on the tree gear shifter is kinda dangerous and akward. What are your thoughts ?
Indestructible 47
SILVER Star
I did this to my cruiser when i was about 15yo mate so difficulty wise easy but totally depends what year 40 it is. If it's the early ones, pre 75 or 73 i think, you will probably be best off sourcing a later axle entirely. I'm not too familiar with dates and 40 series, but there are many here that are. The reason bieng that the early 40 axle shafts are course spline, later ones fine spline which is the same as the 60. The course spline axles never had disc brakes on them.
Depends on what you are doing with your truck in regards to the 3 speed. If it is not going to be completely original or already has a 2f or v8 conversion, i would swap in a 4-speed h44f or a 5-speed h55f (more complicated swap than the 4 speed). Personally i have no experience with colum shifts, but they don't appeal to me at all.
It shouldn't be crazy hard to stop. I use equipment at work with manual drums that get weight down with a lot of stuff,they stop fine if everything is in good condition. If you have oil on the shoes, worn shoes or seized cylinders they don't work right.
If you have the time, money and know how get disks ASAP.
Disks were always something I thought about but never got around to.
I have been driving the same FJ40 for 45 years and never had issues with stopping it on drum brakes, no power assist.
I guess that is why I never got around to swapping.
If you are having a hard time stopping check for oil or leaky brake fluid on the shoes and that shoes are not warn out.
Then make sure the hydraulic system, Master cylinder and all slaves are in good condition then a good adjustment.
The only up grade I have done is a duel reservoir, not for brake problems but piece of mind.
Disks were always something I thought about but never got around to.
I have been driving the same FJ40 for 45 years and never had issues with stopping it on drum brakes, no power assist.
I guess that is why I never got around to swapping.
If you are having a hard time stopping check for oil or leaky brake fluid on the shoes and that shoes are not warn out.
Then make sure the hydraulic system, Master cylinder and all slaves are in good condition then a good adjustment.
The only up grade I have done is a duel reservoir, not for brake problems but piece of mind.
Hold your horses brother...........ask yourself first, what has been done to the brakes. New hoses? new shoes? new brake cylinders?
Any leaks? These vehicles are old, that requires one to step back and contemplate.
If it is any consolation, vintage Broncos with non power brakes and factory drums on all corners don't stop that well either.
Those were the days one needed to think ahead while driving.
As for the seat location, I understand completely.
Did you mention the year of the vehicle?
Any leaks? These vehicles are old, that requires one to step back and contemplate.
If it is any consolation, vintage Broncos with non power brakes and factory drums on all corners don't stop that well either.
Those were the days one needed to think ahead while driving.
As for the seat location, I understand completely.
Did you mention the year of the vehicle?
Good potential that some of the brake 'slave cylinders' are rusted and are not working properly. I had the same problem then with a few new brake cylinders, they freed up, now I am on to the adjustment portion of the drum brakes. There are a number of options to resolve that issue, fairly straight forward, and yes I agree disk is the best solution, but I wanted to find out other issue prior to the $1K investment, and a huge learning curve on my part. Engine performance and rust will far outweigh brake problems IMO. Pictures please.
Welcome
Welcome
John McVicker
SILVER Star
Obviously disk will preform better than 4 wheel drum brakes, but if everything is in proper order, drums can/do function quite well.
We have a whole bunch of drum brake information at the FAQ (frequently asked questions) right here in the 40's section. No one has mentioned that you might want to verify your brake adjustment. Admittedly these drum brakes can be a bear to adjust but it can be done and you will be amazed at how well they can work.
Again, check out the FAQ.
We have a whole bunch of drum brake information at the FAQ (frequently asked questions) right here in the 40's section. No one has mentioned that you might want to verify your brake adjustment. Admittedly these drum brakes can be a bear to adjust but it can be done and you will be amazed at how well they can work.
Again, check out the FAQ.
- Thread starter
- #11
Here are some pics of the engine.there are no Toyota markings on the top of the engine or the oil cap. No idea what engine this is. Is it an original Toyota F ?
Definitely get rid of those drum brakes and get yourself a front disc setup.
The scariest car I ever drove was a 1971 Chevy pickup with drums front and rear...the owner told me not to even use them and just to downshift.
The scariest car I ever drove was a 1971 Chevy pickup with drums front and rear...the owner told me not to even use them and just to downshift.
Not looking to get blasted for my decision here... I know the pros and cons... I also know my budget.
I have wrestled with the drum brake "emergency lane change" braking issue, and whether to find a disc brake axle etc. I decided on all new HD brake drums (yes that is a thing), new cylinders, and shoes, all from Mark's Off Road, and a new extended brake hose and brake springs kit. All said and done it's about $500 shipped to me, which by my count is realistically about $1000 less than what I could do it for, and a lot less of a pain in the butt. I realize discs are better all the way around, but for me it was "good enough and stopping straight" vs "waiting quite a while to save the money and find an axle". I wasn't going to do the conversion with all the parts, was just going to look for a whole axle, and that would have been $700-800 just for an axle that needed new brake stuff and rebuilt, regardless. I will keep you posted as soon as I get it all installed, if interested.
I have wrestled with the drum brake "emergency lane change" braking issue, and whether to find a disc brake axle etc. I decided on all new HD brake drums (yes that is a thing), new cylinders, and shoes, all from Mark's Off Road, and a new extended brake hose and brake springs kit. All said and done it's about $500 shipped to me, which by my count is realistically about $1000 less than what I could do it for, and a lot less of a pain in the butt. I realize discs are better all the way around, but for me it was "good enough and stopping straight" vs "waiting quite a while to save the money and find an axle". I wasn't going to do the conversion with all the parts, was just going to look for a whole axle, and that would have been $700-800 just for an axle that needed new brake stuff and rebuilt, regardless. I will keep you posted as soon as I get it all installed, if interested.
hi,
i am in France, i'm 1.95m , i drive my BJ40 since 25 years with drums brakes , when this system is well adjusted cylinder by cylinder , with master cylinder and slave cylinder perfects ,and originals shoes or same quality the braking is excellent
FYI:
my drive seat is ajusted position rearward maximum , it's also important to drive with shoes with not huge outer sole
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thecrazygreek
A.K.A. TheCraftyGreek
In warm weather I drive barefoot and only put the heels on when I go into the store.
Drum brakes are never going to be up to par with those on a modern car; but, as others have said, if you're a defensive driver, the the original drum brakes should suit you just fine.
I just replaced my front wheel cylinders and rebuilt my rear ones. Adjusted the cylinders correctly, set the correct pedal height, and my 40 stops on a quarter and in a straight line. No complaints.
Prior to replacing my wheel cylinders, my 40 had one leaky cylinder on the front wheel and another leaky cylinder in the rear wheel. I still drove it on the highway and took it rock crawling. It wasn't the smartest and safest thing to do, but the cylinders still did there job and stopped the cruiser.
I say you should keep the cylinders (either rebuild them or get new ones) and keep your colum shift. Unless you're thinking of converting to a 4 speed, the colum shift is just old school cool.
If you're planning on getting rid of the wheel cylinders, i would be interested on buying them off of you if they are in good condition...... And I'm also interested in buying your colum shift if you get rid of it
I just replaced my front wheel cylinders and rebuilt my rear ones. Adjusted the cylinders correctly, set the correct pedal height, and my 40 stops on a quarter and in a straight line. No complaints.
Prior to replacing my wheel cylinders, my 40 had one leaky cylinder on the front wheel and another leaky cylinder in the rear wheel. I still drove it on the highway and took it rock crawling. It wasn't the smartest and safest thing to do, but the cylinders still did there job and stopped the cruiser.
I say you should keep the cylinders (either rebuild them or get new ones) and keep your colum shift. Unless you're thinking of converting to a 4 speed, the colum shift is just old school cool.
If you're planning on getting rid of the wheel cylinders, i would be interested on buying them off of you if they are in good condition...... And I'm also interested in buying your colum shift if you get rid of it
If you can’t stop, something is wrong with your brakes. I have no problem locking up all 4 tires on dry pavement with drums, so stopping power isn’t the issue.
I do agree disks are better all around for many other reasons, but a properly maintained and adjusted drum brake setup works fine. The problem is keeping them maintained and adjusted is a chore, it requires a lot more maintenance than a disk setup. I would have converted to disks years ago but the cost of doing that vs rebuilding (especially since I already had a bunch of spare parts) just didn’t make sense for something that’s not a daily driver.
I do agree disks are better all around for many other reasons, but a properly maintained and adjusted drum brake setup works fine. The problem is keeping them maintained and adjusted is a chore, it requires a lot more maintenance than a disk setup. I would have converted to disks years ago but the cost of doing that vs rebuilding (especially since I already had a bunch of spare parts) just didn’t make sense for something that’s not a daily driver.
Do you have a 5687 8000 lbs winch on your 40? Disks are the way to go. Axle probably needs rebuild anyways..
