['63GENIII]

Really nothing wrong with well maintained and adjusted drum fronts with the closed knuckles. You do have to be more alert especially when towing though. I used to tow my flat bottom with my '57 3/4 ton Napco. It was busy to say the least - even with the light boat. Eventually, the drivers side kingpin broke at freeway speed leaving me with no brakes or steering. Thank God I wasn't towing. The guy that stopped to help me said that the truck got up on the passenger side wheels a couple of times. Still don't know how I didn't hurt someone.
All that said, I was a kid (18 yr old) and had no idea how to maintain that truck.
These days, I tow our Sanger V drive which is about 3 -4 times heavier than the old flat (4,600 lbs). Add to that the 1,000 lbs of family stuff in the boat and at least another 1,000 in the bed. I tow with the '63. I swapped the stock front axle out for a '73 3/4 ton D44 and the rear for an '05 14 bolt. Discs all around. Maybe even overkill but Im not complaining. Drums had their place in my life of wrenching on cars and trucks. I'd like to think that I know a little better now. Every modern car on the freeway (that cuts me off when Im towing) has better brakes than the engineers that designed that '63 could have ever imagined. I guess if Im going to keep up with the newer stuff, I at least have to be able to stop as good if not better than them. Just my.02