B Brakes

On the top of the final drives, there are two pins on each side that hold the brake bands in.  Although they are easy to get at and work on, it might be a good idea to put some PB blaster or Kroil penetrating oil on each end of them to help aid in loosening them up.  If I remember right, you have to take the fender braces off also to get the brake bands out.  Hope yours are better then mine.  I haven't taken a B or C apart yet, that the brake bands weren't all rusted out on the bottom side where there is a pin to let the two halves pivot. 

Edited by ChuckLuedtkeSEWI - 04 Apr 2010 at 7:41am

So you don't need to pull the final drive off?

I ordered a service manual....

Thanks for the link!

The video would be filled with some bad words, most likely......

Sometimes you can have a heck of a time getting both (each side) of the .5" dia pins out. I think I remember using 4.5" angle grinder with a thin cut offf wheel to cut the pins.

sounds like more fun!

Thanks for the tips

A fellow brought his final drive to because he couldn't get the pins out and heard I could. He had his old brake bands an pins in his hand and final drive loaded back up in his truck in about a half hour. and we chatted for while I took them out. He already had the clips out so I drilled the two 3/8" holes close to the center of the pins, took my air hammer with a punch and pushed the punch in the hole,  pulled the trigger and the pins pushed out. Took a long screwdriver and chipped the crap loose around the brake band and pulled the brake band out the transmission end of the final drive.  On that one the band hinge was rusted solid and would have been a chore pulling out the top. I have pulled most out with a small chain or wire and a pry bar. Most of the time with a cheater pipe on the pry bar.
I pounded the pins out with a punch and hammer before I decided to try the air
hammer.








  
I like to drill the small 3/8" punch hole out from the other side to make them look even.

You have the right idea. Just keep working it. Usually the hinge at the bottom is rusted solid and the 2nd half has to be inched out with a bar. When installing the new ones, I use a heavy wire and bend it so you can feed it around the drum. Then attach it to 1 end of the brake band and pull and push at the same time until it is through. Good luck. Bob

My grandad used to jack one tire up and start the tractor to let it turn the drum so he could clean it up. I don't think I would recommend that. Maybe if you had both rims and tires off, with the tractor securely blocked and chocked. Still a good way to get your hand messed up at least. I don't think i'm gonna do mine that way. If the drums are really bad, i'll pull the finals and have a machine shop true 'em up. Better to take extra time and be safe than try to short cut and get hurt. Waste a lot more time being hurt, or worse. 

I was so excited when the pins came right out and thought this is a piece of cake! I think the mice goo is compounding the clearance issue, I will dig it out more and try again. 

The first B brake job I thought I would reline the old brake bands.  (I was young and stupid)  But with the many years of Mouse leftovers & Muddubbers the bands & hinges were damaged beyond reuse once i got them out.  I did find one of the missing spring clips in the debris that came out.  

You know, the worst I ever had to work with in the 40's and 50's was a CA or B that had pulled a orchard sprayer.  The sprayer liquid got all over the metal and rusted all fast.  Took us time to get the band out.