What did your friend do?
 

I'm having the same issue, soft brakes. I've done everything except the "hop under the car and adjust something on the rear brakes".

Any help would be appreciated.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...ting-tool.html

This might be helpful. I'm sorry I didn't crawl under the car and watch them do what they did. They just said "we adjusted your back brakes."

There seems to be a method that involves braking hard while in reverse... sorry I can't be of more assistance.

The rear drum brakes have a screw adjuster operated automatically. Four methods:

1. Normal usage, when reversing the self-adjuster should take up any slack.

2. Deliberately drive in reverse and brake several times, the self-adjuster should take up any slack. If you have a long pedal travel problem then this likely won't work, the adjuster have stuck/seized/frozen, if it worked easily then (1) above would be working...

3. On the brake back plate there is a small rectangular rubber plug above and to the rear of the drive shaft, remove the plug and you can manually adjust the star-wheel adjuster with the tip of a screwdriver.

4. Pull the drums off and manually adjust up - chances are you can't take out all the play before the drum won't fit back on but you can then see the star-wheel and rubber plug, you can see what you need to do easily when the drum is back on.

If manually adjusting you should only adjust until you hear/feel drag, then back the adjuster off until no drag heard/felt.

There <will> still be more movement in the brake pedal than with an all-disk brake setup.

Haynes manual covers the procedure with pics.

I'm fairly certain my friend did #3 on simonsi's very helpful list.