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Well, I finally started working on my brake issue. The rear brakes seemed non-existent and I had a wheel cylinder leaking on the drivers side.\nIt was a real pain to bust loose the lugnuts with the factory tire tools. It is definetely not a job for light weights. (pun intended... I weigh 230 lbs) I had to use my entire body weight to loosen those lugs. \nOnce I got the wheels off, it was apparent that the rear brakes haven't been making proper contact with the drums for some time. I pulled both wheel cylinders and took them down to my local NAPA. Mine are the 1 3/8" versions which cost $27 a piece. They had to order them from Houston and all parts will be here sometime this week. I also ordered a wheel bearing seal that turned out to cost $29 !\nWheel cylinder part numbers are:\nBendix\n33654 (1 3/8" Upper or Lower)\n33390 (1 1/2" Upper or Lower)\n -or-\nNAPA\nUP 37279 (1 3/8" Upper or Lower)\nUP 28661 (1 1/2" Upper or Lower)\n\nThe wheel seal that came out is part # 48811-C1 (NAPA part # 33136) This is for a Spicer 70HD rear axle in a M500 chassis.

The lugs on the drivers side are left hand thread on my '74 270. Your shoes don't look that bad to me and could probably be reused after a soaking in acetone. Be careful with the adjusters and try your best to clean and salvage them as they are very hard to find replacements for. Alretta has them but they will cost you big time as they seem to have some of the only ones left anywhere.

Good point! My driver side lugs are "left hand" thread as well. That could be a real pain for someone who didn't catch that! \nI got the parts in today but won't be able to tackle the brakes until this weekend.

I fixed my brakes!... for 2 miles.\nI got everything done to the driver side rear brakes and put it all back together Friday night. Loaded up the family Saturday and took it to the Kerrville state park 2 miles from my house. Brakes worked great and the "warning" light went away! When I was at the camp sight setting up I noticed that the passenger side is now leaking. \nWhen I drove it back home today the "warning" light came back on and the spongyness was back in the pedal.\n I must admit that I am not surprised. Now I get to do it all over again on the passenger side. Yay!

The good thing is that it will go twice as fast!

How did you bleed it ? With a powerbleeder or the old fashioned way ?

I started out with a hand held vacuum bleeder but that wasn't working fast enough for me. I then got my son up in the drivers seat while I laid under it and did it the old fashioned way. When I was done it felt great until the other side started leaking.

Sounds like a plan. I'm gonna try it the old fashioned way too.

When I got home after work last night I decided to start on the right side.\nI almost gave up getting the outer lug nuts loose... but then I moved the coach about a foot forward to better position 2 of them. I was on a ladder, standing and jumping on the tool bar to loosen them. It was not an easy job and I plan to re-install them by human strength so that I can change a flat, etc on the road.\nWhen I did the left side it took me an entire day just to get the wheels off. Last night I managed to get the whole right side apart and cleaned in just 2.5 hours. Yep, the other side always goes faster. Now I am just waiting for parts so I can go back together with it and bleed the system.\nMy tires were recently replaced and I guess the guy with the impact really squeezed the water out of those lug nuts. Now I am thinking that I will break loose the front lug nuts and retighten. I don't want to get stuck on the road and not be able to change a tire.

While you have your wheel off, can you get the diameter, length, stepdown, etc.. on those spindles?\n\nI'm actually surprised your studs didn't break. XD Glad they didn't. I've had to snap off lugnuts before. Took a 3/4 breaker bar and a 6 foot length of pipe. The couple lug nuts that came off, sizzled when they hit the ground