Newbie with the '63 pickup

[Trouhble]

Hello Everyone, I am hoping to use your expertise as I am not a gear head despite owning and trying to work on this new toy of mine. At every turn it seems to throw me a surprise curve ball, so for now I am hoping for assistance/advice on the following questions. Current back story is the brakes are working pretty good, but the parking brake is completely disconnected. In trying to determine why and if/how to address this (and also check the status on the current brakes) I was planning on encountering the infamous rear drums that need a puller to get off, and ordered the complete brake overall kit. I was pretty surprised when I took off the back tire and the drum just slide off with ease. Then I noticed the brake parts I was supplied with did not match what was on the truck. Upon further inspection, the front 4 wheel drive hubs also seem to have been switched/out upgraded. I also have a few other questions - so any and all advice, recommendations, knowledge about what I have, what to do about it, etc is greatly appreciated. Here are the current questions with starter pics posted:

1. The back brakes, is this just a newer model brake setup? a brake upgrade? How would I get new parts when they are needed?
2. Any knowledge about the front hubs like where they came from, what parts or instructions to follow if I do need to get inside for those brakes?
3. The parking brake front cable is literally just hanging out under the truck - is there a mounting spot or something it attaches to before the heavy duty swing plate that pulls on the back cable going to the back brakes?
4. In trying to get the passenger door to release easier, I took the insides apart - found them to be in pretty good working order, greased up the locking mechanism and put it all back. I managed to get the inner handle working MUCH better and the door releases much better - problem is that now the inner catch inside the outside door handle broke off. While I am waiting for the replacement to show up - any tips on how to get that part replaced? The only hint I found so far is something about a release pin inside that handle but I don't see anything yet?

again - any and all of your expertise is greatly appreciated =)

[5JeepsAz]

You are giving me a panic attack. First, all the others on here know actual facts. I do not. My experience is limited to my truck and if I turned a wrench in the resto I forgot it already. Having said that, brakes. My 2c. YMMV. I've seen that setup. My drums are now going to be a planter. Like for flowers. Why? Because although reports indicate fitted parts available, these never added up to working brakes despite national search, consult with respected experts, over the fence arguments with know-it-alls. Picture below is what I ended up with. And I am titillated! Best brake setup I've ever had the pleasure of misusing! Emergency brake? Thanks for the reminder, I need to throw the blocks back in the bed before I head out. It's some kind of triangular deal no amount of money can figure out a fix even if from the factory. So dudes modify it. Leaving the choice to install your own version. I have the original, it's the same triangle look of yours, although yours has obvious mods, and I told them to leave it tied up under there until I find a solution. Lots of posts say what's on the truck is what is on the truck. Do the hubs work? Go from there. Really hope this is helpful. These builds are so personal, no offense meant, and have fun. Did I miss a picture of your whole trucki?

[gmwillys]

The brakes look to be modified. The anchor pins look like a GM style, so it appears that the backing plates may have been installed to the Dana axle. A Jeep style backing plates utilized a centric bolts to adjust the bottom of the shoes. The parking brake on a Jeep is a single cable to a pivot at the end of the transfer case. The style that is shown adds to the theory that the backing plates are changed. The yoke where the single cable goes into two, then goes to the rear drums.

The hubs are your standard Warn manual lock out hubs. They are pretty well indestructible, while there are manuals available on the web for rebuild and removal.

[Trouhble]

5JeepsAZ

lol .. I get what you are saying, here is where I posted the main intro and truck pics

https://willysjeepforum.kaiserwillys.com/showthread.php?2516-New-63-Willys-Pickup-Owner

I just don't have the mechanical background to jump in without an idea of what I am in for, and so far this truck has needed alot of TLC - just trying to get to where I know everything is safe, trust that it will get me back and forth to where I want to be and be able to handle the issues as I can .. I still have quite a list of things I would LIKE to do on it, but still chasing several issues. Thanks for the feedback

[Trouhble]

gmwillys -

Thank you so much for you response .. every little bit helps me trying to figure out what I have and helps me work down my wish list =)

[gmwillys]

As far as figuring out exactly what you have, I would look to see if there are any part numbers stamped on any of the brake components. A quick Google search can usually track down what the part was originally intended for, then you can build up from there. Modifications were made along the way from a multitude of sources, either to what fit, or what was on hand. Junk yard builds are the norm on these Heeps.

You didn't need a puller to remove the drum because it had already had been removed previously. On most old Jeeps, the wheel studs are swedged to the drum, (material peened in against the stud on the drum). The drum is then essentially one piece with the hub. With the center nut removed, then the entire hub would most often have to be pulled off with the puller. If you had to replace the drums or studs, then you had to use a swedge cutter to remove the material that had been peened against the stud. This step is rarely done when installing new drums or studs because it was really overkill, as long as you torqued the lug nuts to prevent them from working loose.

[Trouhble]

As far as figuring out exactly what you have, I would look to see if there are any part numbers stamped on any of the brake components. A quick Google search can usually track down what the part was originally intended for, then you can build up from there. Modifications were made along the way from a multitude of sources, either to what fit, or what was on hand. Junk yard builds are the norm on these Heeps.

You didn't need a puller to remove the drum because it had already had been removed previously. On most old Jeeps, the wheel studs are swedged to the drum, (material peened in against the stud on the drum). The drum is then essentially one piece with the hub. With the center nut removed, then the entire hub would most often have to be pulled off with the puller. If you had to replace the drums or studs, then you had to use a swedge cutter to remove the material that had been peened against the stud. This step is rarely done when installing new drums or studs because it was really overkill, as long as you torqued the lug nuts to prevent them from working loose.

More excellent advice I didn't think to try - Thank you very much