Changing brake bands, Farmall A

[Mark M. Slavens]

While my 1947 Farmall A is apart, I would like to change the brake bands. I need a detailed description of the procedure from this forum's experts.
Thanks for your help.

 

[gene bender]

Just what do you mean detailed. You say the tractor is apart. Apart where and how many pieces. Right brake is replaced by removing final drive. Left is replaced by removing differental housing at the tranny. Usually seals are replaced at this time in the final and tranny.

 

[JRSutton]

exactly.

If you pull the final drives, it's really self explanatory. You can't go wrong.

Pull off the old brake band, put on the new ones.

the only hard part is lifting the final drives off and back on. They're pretty heavy. And the long drive axle can be a pain to align the splined end - but it eventually finds its way home.

I've done mine without a lift, but if you've got one available - you're back will thank you for using it. A cherry picker would be good.

It's one of those jobs that appears real complicated when all you've done is read about it, but when you actually get into it, it's pretty simple.

There's really only one way everything can go, and there's little to worry about.

One other issue if you haven't pulled the final drives yet is to be careful about the tractor flipping. It's not immediately obvious what it's going to do until you look at the front pivot pin on the front axle area - and realize the tipping point is to the side of the engine - not intuitive. Block the tractor up accordingly - the final drives have a huge effect on the balance.

 

[Rootsy]

Time to buy a service manual...

 

[Mark M. Slavens]

Thanks - I have multiple manuals inc service manual.

 

[Mark M. Slavens]

Thanks gents - I will attempt to post pics tomorrow of the tractor and how it is currently sitting.

 

[mkirsch]

Make up some wood wedges to drive in on top of the front axle to help prevent it from tipping.

Even if you block up the rear end it can still tip over to the left once you remove that right hand rear wheel and final drive.

They don't have to be anything exotic. Plain old 2x4 should do nicely.

 

[mkirsch]

BTW, there is a youtube video out there somewhere demonstrating a Farmall Cub, which is a smaller version of an A, tipping over with the right wheel removed.

It's obvious that they had really try to get the tractor to tip over, but you can see how unstable it is without that wheel and up on stands. Imagine wrenching on it and removing the final drive, and how much worse it would be.

 

[Mark Slavens]

Pics (hopefully) showing my A in its' current place of rest !

 

[Mark Slavens]