Big Blue's Transformation

[salans7]

UPS just told me there's one at your door.

I'd just gotten one delivery so was surprised that there was another. But, here's the first thing that greeted me upon opening the package:

Then I found this:

Followed by this:

So, coupled with this stuff that I've collected lately the scanners will have a lot to do:

But, I also found this along the way, and some of those pages are applicable to our trucks:

Notice how the paper is randomly cut for no apparent reason?

I'm glad everything made it there safe.

[Gary Lewis]

Notice how the paper is randomly cut for no apparent reason?

I'm glad everything made it there safe.

LOL!!!!! Yes, I did but I didn't "twig" as the Brits would say. That's FUNNY!

Yes, everything looks good. Thanks.

[grumpin]

Notice how the paper is randomly cut for no apparent reason?

I'm glad everything made it there safe.

LOL!!!!! Yes, I did but I didn't "twig" as the Brits would say. That's FUNNY!

Yes, everything looks good. Thanks.

That’s funny!

[Gary Lewis]

Notice how the paper is randomly cut for no apparent reason?

I'm glad everything made it there safe.

LOL!!!!! Yes, I did but I didn't "twig" as the Brits would say. That's FUNNY!

Yes, everything looks good. Thanks.

Ok guys, I need some help. I got the longer braided hoses on the front and took the matching hose to the back. But, it is the wrong hose because Big Blue has the Brake Load Sensor Proportioning valve, as shown below, and that takes a different hose. However, in Vernon fashion I have the correct hose as well, albeit not braided.

So the question to y'all is whether to:

• Order the braided hose to use the Brake Load Sensor Proportioning valve

• Use the rubber hose and the BLSP valve

• Delete the BLSP valve and use the braided hose, that will connect nicely, I think, to it.

You may be thinking "Why would you delete the valve????" But, I ask you to read TSB 89-25-16 BRAKE RIDE HEIGHT PROPORTIONING VALVE wherein Ford effectively says that if the suspension has or will be modified then the tech should remove the linkage and return it to the customer, set the valve at a specific position, and cinch it down so it can't turn.

Having said that, I don't know what position that puts the valve in, so it might improperly proportion the brakes. But, I do know that I had the trailer on one day when the trailer brakes weren't working and Big Blue did NOT want to stop it. We almost slid through an intersection. So I'm fairly sure that the something is/was wrong with the braking system. And everything looks good.

Hoses, with the braided hose being the one that won't connect to the BLSP valve and the black rubber one will.

[Nothing Special]

.... So the question to y'all is whether to:

• Order the braided hose to use the Brake Load Sensor Proportioning valve

• Use the rubber hose and the BLSP valve

• Delete the BLSP valve and use the braided hose, that will connect nicely, I think, to it.

....

I think I'd delete the load sensing proportioning valve. It seems like I hear that it doesn't work well for people any more. Knowing what it does (dial in or out more braking depending on how much the truck is squatting under a load) and realizing that the amount of squat for a load won't be the same with a modified suspension it makes sense that it wouldn't work like it did when new.

That said I think I'd probably put an adjustable proportioning valve on becvause otherwise you are likely to lock the rear tires too easily. So dial them back manually for normal driving. Then you can dial them up when loaded if you want to (and if you remember).

And THAT said, this is probably less in line with your goal of, in the end, having a truck your non-mechanically-inclined kids can easily use. So maybe you should put more effort into getting the load-sensing valve working. (But if it were me I wouldn't). For what it's worth (not much right here...) a few years later Ford went to rear wheel ABS to manage this. That works really slick (I had it on my '95 and again now on my '97).

As to the braided hose or not, if you don't use the BLSP it's a non-issue. If you do, I'd use the hose i had that worked. I don't think there's enough benefit to braided hose to worry about it, and almost no one will ever see it to notice it's different. On the other hand, you'll know it's different. Is it worth the cost and wait for you to know it's the same? It wouldn't be for me, but I'm not you (and that's OK )

[salans7]

.... So the question to y'all is whether to:

• Order the braided hose to use the Brake Load Sensor Proportioning valve

• Use the rubber hose and the BLSP valve

• Delete the BLSP valve and use the braided hose, that will connect nicely, I think, to it.

....

I think I'd delete the load sensing proportioning valve. It seems like I hear that it doesn't work well for people any more. Knowing what it does (dial in or out more braking depending on how much the truck is squatting under a load) and realizing that the amount of squat for a load won't be the same with a modified suspension it makes sense that it wouldn't work like it did when new.

That said I think I'd probably put an adjustable proportioning valve on becvause otherwise you are likely to lock the rear tires too easily. So dial them back manually for normal driving. Then you can dial them up when loaded if you want to (and if you remember).

And THAT said, this is probably less in line with your goal of, in the end, having a truck your non-mechanically-inclined kids can easily use. So maybe you should put more effort into getting the load-sensing valve working. (But if it were me I wouldn't). For what it's worth (not much right here...) a few years later Ford went to rear wheel ABS to manage this. That works really slick (I had it on my '95 and again now on my '97).

As to the braided hose or not, if you don't use the BLSP it's a non-issue. If you do, I'd use the hose i had that worked. I don't think there's enough benefit to braided hose to worry about it, and almost no one will ever see it to notice it's different. On the other hand, you'll know it's different. Is it worth the cost and wait for you to know it's the same? It wouldn't be for me, but I'm not you (and that's OK )

I would verify that the load sensing valve is even working, although how to do that is beyond me. Mine was rusted solid and wouldn't move even under a hydraulic press, so I sent it to the scrapper and will run an adjustable unit as mentioned, if it's even necessary. I don't recall seeing them on anything older than 85.

[Gary Lewis]

.... So the question to y'all is whether to:

• Order the braided hose to use the Brake Load Sensor Proportioning valve

• Use the rubber hose and the BLSP valve

• Delete the BLSP valve and use the braided hose, that will connect nicely, I think, to it.

....

I think I'd delete the load sensing proportioning valve. It seems like I hear that it doesn't work well for people any more. Knowing what it does (dial in or out more braking depending on how much the truck is squatting under a load) and realizing that the amount of squat for a load won't be the same with a modified suspension it makes sense that it wouldn't work like it did when new.

That said I think I'd probably put an adjustable proportioning valve on becvause otherwise you are likely to lock the rear tires too easily. So dial them back manually for normal driving. Then you can dial them up when loaded if you want to (and if you remember).

And THAT said, this is probably less in line with your goal of, in the end, having a truck your non-mechanically-inclined kids can easily use. So maybe you should put more effort into getting the load-sensing valve working. (But if it were me I wouldn't). For what it's worth (not much right here...) a few years later Ford went to rear wheel ABS to manage this. That works really slick (I had it on my '95 and again now on my '97).

As to the braided hose or not, if you don't use the BLSP it's a non-issue. If you do, I'd use the hose i had that worked. I don't think there's enough benefit to braided hose to worry about it, and almost no one will ever see it to notice it's different. On the other hand, you'll know it's different. Is it worth the cost and wait for you to know it's the same? It wouldn't be for me, but I'm not you (and that's OK )

Bob - I'm planning to modify the rear suspension by removing leafs and adding air bags. So it wouldn't seem like the valve could know what the load is since I'm going to level it, regardless of the load. Given that, I'm thinking it has to go, which means we agree.

But, I think I'll wait and see how the brake system works to decide if I need an adjustable proportioning valve. And, I'll keep the BLSPV and linkage so I could put it back if I decided I needed to do so.

As for the hose, it is the braided hose that will work w/o the valve. At least I think it will as it looks like the brake line at the top of the valve will screw into the end of the line.

And, from my limited reading my understanding is that braided lines don't expand like the others do, so the pedal is firmer. Is that not true?

 

[Gary Lewis]

I would verify that the load sensing valve is even working, although how to do that is beyond me. Mine was rusted solid and wouldn't move even under a hydraulic press, so I sent it to the scrapper and will run an adjustable unit as mentioned, if it's even necessary. I don't recall seeing them on anything older than 85.

Shaun - I suspect mine will move as the suspension moves and it is hooked to it. But I really don't think it is working given the way the braking is. As said, that trailer just shoved the truck and some tires were sliding. But there was nothing I could do to make it stop faster, and it didn't sound like all 4 tires were sliding. In fact, the rear end didn't even offer to come around.

So that tells me the rear brakes aren't working properly, but the shoes are relatively new and there's no leakage. And the master cylinder is fairly new - although it was put on in Florida.

Anyway, I don't know how to test it, but if I remove it I won't tear it or any of its attachments up so it can all be put back should I need to do so.

[salans7]

Shaun - I suspect mine will move as the suspension moves and it is hooked to it. But I really don't think it is working given the way the braking is. As said, that trailer just shoved the truck and some tires were sliding. But there was nothing I could do to make it stop faster, and it didn't sound like all 4 tires were sliding. In fact, the rear end didn't even offer to come around.

So that tells me the rear brakes aren't working properly, but the shoes are relatively new and there's no leakage. And the master cylinder is fairly new - although it was put on in Florida.

Anyway, I don't know how to test it, but if I remove it I won't tear it or any of its attachments up so it can all be put back should I need to do so.

Best of luck on the removal, something stripped out on mine when I removed it, either the nut holding the assembly to the bracket, or the stud with the lever. I can't quite remember.

[ArdWrknTrk]

...., from my limited reading my understanding is that braided lines don't expand like the others do, so the pedal is firmer. Is that not true?

Abslutely NOT true.

The braid is just a straw basket or a Chinese finger trap. Of course it expands.

There are a few types of braided line available.

Usually for brakes it's a PTFE core with stainless overbraid.(more common now is aramid braid, like Kevlar)

What Teflon doesn't do is degrade, get soft and crack like rubber lines do.

It is one of the most inert structural materials known last century.

Stainless braid was used -dating back to WWII- because it was abrasion resistant, cut resistant, heat reflective, flexible and had a lot more tensile strength than the cotton reinforced rubber line it was protecting.

Now, it's mostly used as a fashion statement.