Front and Rear Brake assembly Difference

[69-er]

Getting ready to do the brakes on this 67 F100. I'm gonna change out all the hardware while I'm changing out the cylinders and shoes.

I got some kits at AutoZone and they state the #H7144 kit fits both the front and rear. The kits at Advance shows the front and rear are different.

Besides the extra rectangular spring for the parking brake bracket, is there a difference in the hardware between the front and rear? They appear to be the same based on the part numbers in the brake diagrams here.

I also noticed that there is a double spring that connects to both shoes. It's not on my truck or in the kits. It's #2035. Not sure what to do about that.

brakes-front_01.jpg

[sargentrs]

The hardware kits I've used have been the same. Most of the components are the same except for maybe a spring or two. You'll be able to tell when you get the drums/hubs off. The retainers are the most prone to breakage and those are the same. As for that spring #2035, I don't have that on my truck. Instead I have the same bar #2A642 and springs #2A601 on my front, same as the rear. That spring, however, is on my '64 Fairlane. It's not remade by anybody aftermarket or OEM anymore. I think it may have been on the earlier models but at some time they changed to the spreader bar style for both front and rear.

[71Fe2O3]

I did the brakes on my 71 last summer, and, if I remember correctly, the hardware is the same or very similar back and front, as sargentrs indicated. The rear brakes have some additional hardware associated with the emergency brake. I think the hardware packs are designed to have broad fitment, as I recall having some pieces left over, and I know that I did it properly.

Because my modern cars are all disk, I don't get to work with drum brakes very often. My trick for avoiding confusion is to take the drums off both sides of an axle and use one side as a reference for the other, walking back and forth several times to make sure I get everything on correctly. It is also a good idea, while you are in there, to replace the brake hoses, and, perhaps, if you feel ambitious, the metal lines. I did all that on mine and, though doing the lines were a challenge, I got rid of all the rusty fittings, and I know that I won't have to mess with my brakes for a long time.

If you go that route, consider copper-nickel-iron lines. They are more expensive, but a lot easier to flare and bend than steel. A 25 foot roll did all mine, with the exception of the section nearest the master cylinder, and allowed some room for the inevitable mistakes as well.