I've got a 1999 E350 Quigley 4x4 that I bought about 6 months ago. After we bought it we noticed the front brakes squealing a lot and smelling. We had them checked out and found that none of the correct parts were used as the front axle is from an 1986 Chevy K30 1 ton pickup. We bought rotors directly from Quigley and got the correct calipers and brake pads, but still have lots of erratic braking. I get lots of slipping in the brake pedal and sometimes when I step on the brakes it'll be firm for a second then give way and be spongy. They do seem to get better pumping the brakes but it doesn't last. We haven't replaced the hoses or master cylinder yet. It seems brake issues are common on these old Ford Quigleys, but no one has a definite answer how to fix them. I'm also not a mechanic and know nothing about brakes and can't do any work myself. Just hoping someone might have some ideas I can bounce off my mechanic.
I had a local shop rebuild the brakes on the front end of my 2000 SMB in May 2023. They purchased parts from SMB. One of the two new rotors was warped causing a lot of vibration and issues right after installation. It might be worth asking your shop to pull the rotor(s) and check them with a runout gauge.
Later I had some other work done, (Agile RIP kit, new front dif). In hindsight, buying a new front axle and suspension like the Ujoint Stage 2 might have made more sense.
The Agile Rip Kit did make a tremendous difference and was worth every penny.
We have the same van and had the same problem. Our mechanic put different breaks on and made a big difference. Im sorry to say he is retiring and I dont know he replaced the old brakes with. One other thing you will want to do it check your front suspension linkage for cracks. Quickgly had to redesign this part. The new design is a little better but if you know a metal fabricator he should be able to make you a better set