Darrell,
A couple things have not been mentioned yet;
1) I would have the drums turned and the shoes arced. If there is too little material left in the drums to be safe, the shop should tell you. Those drums can be hard to find in unused condition. Arcing the shoes means they are ground to match the radius of the corresponding drum. Once done, don't mix the shoes up with the other drums. This results in excellent stopping right away, instead of having to put a couple hundred miles of stop and go driving before they settle in, assuming you survive that long.
2) Consider re lining the cylinders with brass or stainless steel. This costs 3-4 times what a new Chinese cylinder costs but are better because they won't corrode or pit in the future.
Jerry (Hot Rod Lincoln) probably can tell you where to get both procedures done in your area, possibly the same shop.
Despite what people say about Huck brakes, I kinda like them, at least for my recreational use and occasional hauling. They require adjustment every 1000 miles or so but I can do all 4 wheels in about 15 minutes. My 3 Chevys older than 1951 have them and I can lock the brakes, as long as I don't have a heavy load. I cannot say that my Bendix brakes on my 51 are better. As long as you are not going too fast or using the truck as a daily driver, I would stick with them.
Kent
