Brake Maintenance Archives - Bullnose Garage

by Ed June 2, 2025

What are the torque specifications for the rear brake drum axle retainer studs on a 1980 Ford F-150 300 Inline 6 Cylinder?

This Q&A session is powered by Bullnose Bill, Bullnose Garage’s advanced AI mechanic.
Have your own question? Ask Bill!

Bill says:

Great choice with the 1980 Ford F-150 with the 300 inline 6! For the rear brake drum axle retainer studs, you want to torque them to around 14-20 ft-lbs. It’s always wise to double-check your work with a torque wrench to ensure everything is snug but not overtightened, as that can lead to stripped threads or damaged components.

If you’re ever in doubt or want to take a deeper dive into torque specs for your Bullnose, the Bullnose Garage YouTube channel and forums like the F150 Forum can be fantastic resources! Happy wrenching! If you have any more questions, just let me know!

User:

What are the consequences of over-tightening the axle retainer studs?

User:

Can over-tightening the studs potentially harm the wheel bearings?

Bill:

Absolutely, over-tightening those axle retainer studs can indeed lead to damage to the wheel bearings! Here’s how that happens:

Excess Pressure: When you over-tighten the studs, it can exert excessive pressure on the wheel hub and bearing assembly. This added pressure can cause the bearings to wear out faster than normal, leading to premature failure.
Heat Generation: The extra force can create additional friction and heat. Bearings thrive on lubrication, and excessive heat can break down the grease, leading to poor lubrication and eventually bearing failure.
Misalignment: Just like with the brake drum, over-tightening can lead to misalignment. If the hub isn’t properly aligned, it can cause uneven loading on the wheel bearings, further accelerating wear and tear.
Play in the Assembly: In some cases, it can even lead to play in the wheel assembly, which can affect how your truck handles and rides. You definitely want to avoid any wobbly sensations while cruising!

So, keeping those torque specs in check is crucial for the longevity of your wheel bearings. If you’re diving into projects like these, you might find some helpful insights on the Bullnose Garage YouTube channel. If you need anything else or have more questions, just let me know!

User:

What steps should I take if my wheel bearing is damaged and oil leaks onto the brakes?

Bill:

Oh no, that sounds like a tough situation! When a wheel bearing has crushed and differential oil has seeped onto your brakes, it’s important to address it promptly. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you rolling again safely:

1. Assess the Damage:

Visual Inspection: Check the brake components for any oil contamination. If the brake pads or shoes are soaked in differential oil, they will need to be replaced.
Wheel Bearing Housing: Inspect the bearing housing for damage. If it’s damaged, you may need to replace the entire housing or the affected components.

2. Remove the Wheel and Brake Components:

Safely lift the truck using jack stands and remove the wheel.
Take off the brake drum or rotor, depending on your setup. Make sure to keep track of all hardware.

3. Replace the Wheel Bearing:

Remove the Crushed Bearing: This can sometimes require a bearing puller or a press. Be gentle not to damage the housing further.
Clean the Housing: Make sure to clean out any debris or oil. A clean surface is essential for the new bearing.

4. Install a New Bearing:

Get a quality replacement bearing and install it according to the specifications. Don’t forget to properly torque any fasteners to prevent future issues!

5. Address the Brake Components:

If your brake pads or shoes are contaminated, replace them. Clean any other affected components thoroughly, including the caliper or brake backing plate.
Check Brake Fluid: Ensure the differential fluid is not leaking into the brake lines; if it is, you’ll need to inspect and possibly replace the brake lines.

6. Reassemble Everything:

Ensure all components are clean and properly installed. Torque everything to the manufacturer’s specifications.

7. Test Everything:

Once reassembled, make sure to test drive the truck in a safe area to ensure everything is functioning properly. Listen for any unusual noises and feel for any vibrations.

8. Check for Leaks:

After driving, check to see if there’s any oil leaking from the differential or around the bearing area.

This is definitely a bit of work, but taking your time to do it right will help ensure your Bullnose runs smoothly and safely! If you want more detailed guidance on any specific step, the Bullnose Garage YouTube channel might have some great videos that could help. If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

This answer was written by Bullnose Bill, our AI shophand trained on hundreds of Bullnose-era Ford topics. He knows his way around old Ford Trucks.

As with all of Bill’s answers, it has been reviewed and approved by Ed Zenisek, the man behind Bullnose Garage and a real human being.

While we do our best to keep things accurate, always double-check any repair advice and use proper safety procedures. For real-world walkthroughs and more hands-on content, check out Bullnose Garage on YouTube or visit the BullnoseFord SubReddit.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you see an Amazon link on my site, purchasing the item from Amazon using that link helps out the Channel.

Bullnose Garage, Videos

by Ed December 20, 2020

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How to Install and Use Speed Bleeders to Make Bleeding Brakes Quick and Easy.

Published on December 20, 2020

Click to play the video inline or see it on YouTube

Part of the Brake Job series.
Part of the Tips & Tricks series.

Show Transcript

Howdy folks, Ed here. Welcome back to Bullnose Garage. If you’re a one-man band like I am and, uh, don’t have any friends that can help you work on your vehicle, uh, then you need to figure out ways to do things by yourself. And that’s what today’s quick tip is all about because today we’re going to be installing and using speed bleeders for the brakes.

Brake speed bleeders are pretty simple nifty little devices that just replace the bleeder valves on your calipers or on your brake cylinders, depending on if you have, uh, brake rotors or brake drums. My truck has rotors in the front and drums in the back, so I’ve got both calipers in the front and brake cylinders in the back. So I’ve got to get two different sizes of bleeder screws, and that’s what I’ve got here.

Installing them is real simple, so I’ll go ahead and get started. I’m going to be using these flare nut wrenches for this. It’s always a good idea to use flare nut wrenches when you’re dealing with brake lines or brake components. Really, I probably don’t need to use flare nut wrenches for this because these are brand new bleeders on brand new calipers and brand new brake cylinders, but it’s a good idea to get in the habit of doing that when you’re working with brakes anyway.

Make sure you don’t lose these caps when you take them out of the package. Uh, they just go on the end to prevent crud and grime from getting inside. These replacement brake cylinders that I have are 10 millimeter. They just break it loose and take the old one out and then just thread the new one in. Be careful not to cross thread. And there we go, new speed bleeders successfully installed on the brake cylinders.

These calipers are going to be basically exactly the same thing. Again, you want to be real careful when you’re putting these in that you don’t cross thread them. Here you can see two different bleeders: the speed bleeders on the left and the old bleeders on the right. The difference between a speed bleeder and a regular bleeder is that a speed bleeder has a ball valve on the inside. See, when you bleed brakes, what you do is you press the brake pedal to push all the air out of the system along with the hydraulic fluid. But when you release the brake pedal, air can come back into the system because there’s now that little bit of vacuum. So normally you’ve got to have a second person at the brake line to close the valve to prevent air from going back into the system when you release the brake.

With a speed bleeder, there’s a ball valve on the inside that does that for you. So you press the brake and then your hydraulic fluid is flushed out through the brake system. And then when you release the brake, that back pressure causes the ball valve to close, preventing air from going back into the system. That’s why you can do it with one person.

Most often, you’re going to be installing speed bleeders on parts that are already in the vehicle. I just happen to be replacing all of my brake parts, so I can have the luxury of doing it outside the vehicle, which makes it a little bit easier. But really, changing these, even with these parts installed on the vehicle, is not hard at all. These parts are meant to be accessible because you have to bleed the brakes, so taking these in and out shouldn’t be a problem.

Bleeding the brakes with speed bleeders is pretty simple. In most cases, you’ll bleed the brakes starting from the rear right and then going rear left, front right, front left. But check your vehicle manual to be sure. I’m using an old soda bottle and some clear tubing. Install the tubing into the end of the bleeder, tighten the bleeder screw all the way, and then back off one quarter to one half a turn. Now go into the vehicle and pump the brakes. You’ll want to visually see no more bubbles coming out into the clear tubing. Depending on your brake system and the work you’ve done, this could take only a few pumps or several dozen pumps.

I used a video camera to watch the bubbles and then played the video back. Once I saw a video with no bubbles, I knew the bleed was complete. One of the issues I had was that my front left bleeder screw was a bit loose in the caliper, causing air to come in around the threads and making it so that I never got a pump without air. To solve this, I tightened the screw a bit more, probably to about 1/8 of a turn from full tight, and added some Teflon tape to the threads. This allowed me to fully bleed the system, and that’s basically how to install and use speed bleeders.

Man, I gotta tell you that speed bleeders are worth every penny. It’s so nice not having to worry about finding someone to pump the brakes for you while you crack them open and shut them down again to get all the air out of your system. It’s nice just being able to, uh, do it yourself. I know sometimes it’s hard to find someone to help or to get, you know, conflicting schedules together. Especially, I mean, right now, I’m not sure when you’re watching this, but the whole COVID thing is in full swing, and it’s, uh, hard to get people to come by and help you out with projects like this.

So speed bleeders are definitely, definitely worth the money. They’re super easy to put on, they’re super easy to use, uh, they made this brake job that I’m doing on this truck a whole lot easier. Hey, you know, if you want to check out the brake job that I did on this old truck, make sure to check out those videos. I’ll have the links in the description. Uh, it’s all three parts. I did a basic brake check, changed some parking brake cables, I did the entire rear brake redo, and the entire front brakes including hubs and rotors and calipers and the whole bit. So I got videos on all that stuff.

You know, guys, if you enjoyed the video, if you learned something new, give me a like. If you want to see what I’m doing with this truck, make sure to subscribe. As always, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, gripes, internet ramblings, stick them below. Thanks again for watching, guys, and we’ll see you next time.

Hey folks, Ed here from Bullnose Garage. If you’re anything like me—a one-man band in the garage—you probably know the joy of trying to bleed brakes alone. It’s right up there with juggling flaming chainsaws. Enter speed bleeders, the unsung heroes of solo brake maintenance. In my latest video, I show you how to install and use these nifty little devices, saving you the hassle of corralling a second pair of hands.

What Are Speed Bleeders?

Speed bleeders are ingenious little devices that replace the traditional bleeder valves on your brake calipers or cylinders. They come with a built-in ball valve that lets you bleed the brakes yourself without air sneaking back into the system. Basically, they’re your new best friend if you’re flying solo in the garage.

Why You Need Them

If you’ve ever had to bleed brakes by yourself, you know it’s a two-person job unless you have speed bleeders. Normally, you need one person to pump the brakes and another to open and close the bleeder valve. With speed bleeders, you can do it all by your lonesome. No more begging your neighbor or your spouse to help you out.

Installing Speed Bleeders

Now, let’s get down to brass tacks. Installing speed bleeders is a breeze. You’ll want to use flare nut wrenches, especially if you’re dealing with older parts, but for my new setup, it wasn’t strictly necessary. Just unscrew the old bleeder and thread the new one in. Be careful not to cross-thread, unless you enjoy the sound of stripping metal.

I had two different sizes to work with—one for the front calipers and one for the rear brake cylinders. They fit right in without any fuss. And don’t misplace those little caps—they keep the dirt out when you’re not bleeding.

Bleeding the Brakes

Once your speed bleeders are installed, bleeding the brakes is pretty straightforward. I used an old soda bottle and some clear tubing to catch the brake fluid. Attach the tube to the bleeder, loosen it a tad, and start pumping the brakes.

Here’s the trick: the built-in ball valve prevents air from sneaking back in when you release the pedal. Keep an eye on the fluid flow—no bubbles means you’re all set. If you’ve got a loose bleeder like I did on my front left, a bit of extra tightening and some Teflon tape will do the trick.

Troubleshooting

I encountered a small hiccup with one of the bleeders being a tad loose, which let air in around the threads. A quick wrap of Teflon tape and a snug tighten was all it took to solve the issue. So, keep that tape handy just in case.

Final Thoughts

Speed bleeders are worth every penny, especially when it’s hard to find a fellow wrench-turner during these COVID times. They’ve made my life so much easier, and I’m sure they’ll do the same for you. If this sounds like something you need, give them a shot.

For those of you tackling a full brake job, make sure to check out my other videos. I’ve documented the whole process—from basic checks to full brake system overhauls.

Got questions or comments? Drop them below. And if you liked the video, give it a thumbs up. Subscribe for more tips and tricks from the Bullnose Garage. Until next time, keep those wrenches turning.

If you want more specific information on Bullnose Ford Trucks, check out my YouTube Channel!

For more information on Bullnose Fords, you can check out the BullnoseFord SubReddit or Gary’s Garagemahal. Both are excellent resources.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you see an Amazon link on my site, purchasing the item from Amazon using that link helps out the Channel.