Ok, quick update before Jim chimes in
I got the brakes bled well using a home made pressure bleeder. All the stories are true that you cant get a decent pedal with pump bleeding. Ask my 7 year old and my 11 year old......they tried! Due to the crazy price of Dot 5 silicone fluid, I flushed out and went with DOT 3 for the system. Yes it holds water and yes the military got away from it back in the 80s. But, it cost me 16 bucks for a gallon so for now at least, its the solution!
On the mid axle, pass side I noticed the inner wheel was completely caked in funky thick black paste. Clearly it was gear oil or brake fluid with loads of dirt in it. I pulled the hub apart last night assuming the magic little cork insert that seals the keyway would be missing. Wrong. When I pulled the hub, there was not one drop of bearing grease left in the inner or outer bearing. Just a bunch of nasty gear oil and loose bearings. The stupid keyway cork was there, but the outer oil seal looked like someone chewed on it before installation. This truck got a full depot rebuild 190 running hours ago. I can only assume that installation of this seal was an error on some poor soldiers part. Anyway, I need to get the new seal kit before I reinstall it all.
I also got 12v lighting to work in the rear box so now I have some light! The only rust on the truck is in the floor under the wood decking. A 2x3 section is soft and I want to fix it before I start installing camper gear. That means pulling the whole floors up and doing it right. I wish I could leave well enough alone but I hate rust and now that I know its there, it must be eradicated!
After lots of easy starts, the batteries seem to have dies off on me. THey charge to full within 20 mins on a 4 amp charge, yet they don't turn the motor over. The amp guage reads green until after I try to start it. It wont turn over and then the amp gauge reads yellow/red. 2 new wallyworld batteries are in my trunk right now waiting to be tossed in the deuce when I get home from work.
Finally, I am rebuilding the battery box/tray tonight. The original steel one is all rotted out and I want to fix it before I install my fancy walmart batteries. SOme angle iron, flat steel and the welder should make it good as new!
tl:dr - brakes are good with a pressure bleed to remove DOT 5 fluid/air, I have a bad hub seal on the mid axle, batteries gave up and I am re-welding the battery box floor and the camper floor.