Farmall Cub

Hi all,
Anyone ever changed the brake bands on a 154? The instructions say to split the tractor. Is this necessary? It doesn't seem like you should have to just to change the brakes. Any info would help. Thanks, Jim

Yes, you have to remove the trans./diff. to remove the final drives. The frame rails are in the way.

Wow! I got two different opinions. A guy from another site said no...Interesting!

I just finished doing this. I don't see how you could do this without splitting. They are just too heavy and cumbersome to deal with. There really isn't a lot to the split once the sheetmetal is out of the way. I think it took about 4-5 hours to split, change and reassemble along with changing the fluids.

Thanks Outdoors,
Well, either way, I'm diving into it headfirst this weekend. Thanks for the pep talk I'll keep you guys posted.
Jim

Jimmy,
Check your AOL mail for pictures of a brake job done on my son's 184 at Aspen Park two years ago.
I hope that they help you. You will need an engine lift or chain hoist and at least 2 car stands. Also - Most Important - Wedge two taper pieces of wood between the front axle and the frame to keep the engine section from "leaning over". Without the rear section to stabilize the vertical position of the engine section, due to the center pivot point on the front axle, the whole front section can pivot on that front axle center pivot pin. Kind of scary, it did it to me, but did not go over. Hope that this helps, NJDale

Thanks Dale,
I recieved the email and that does help. I read the part about the wedges in the book. Good advice! I assume the final drives are the same between the 154 and 184?

Yes, the Finals are exactly the same (except for paint color !!) - NJDale

Hi B52c130,
Just a couple more questions...first of all, just how tight are the new brake bands supposed to be on the drum. I just installed mine and they are extremely tight. I realize there is a breakin period and all that, but they just seem awful tight to me. The drums are really smooth also. I guess that's a good thing. The old bands weren't down to the rivets yet, but close. I can't turn the axle by hand with the new drums on them. Any advice would be appreciated.

Second question...Your I.D....B52C130. Is that just a coincidence or are you familiar with the two aircraft? I spent 20 years in the USAF and put in about 8 years on each of those old birds beginning in the Nam era...just curious

Do the brake cams look to be installed right? The bands are really, really tight. I seem to remember them being one pointing up and one pointing down when I took them apart. The drums were very smooth as some tranny fluid must have got on them sometime or other. The right band was soaked. Maybe that's why the darn tractor wouldn't stop even with the adjusters all the way in. Now I can't turn the axles by hand. Does that seem right? I got the bands from Hamilton bobs brand new. They had an "M" stamped on them. Don't know why.

Jimmy,
They look right - see attached "before" picture - the small "pin" on the actuator seems to be in the right place. They are probably just "tight" from being "new". The 2" metal ends of the new bands may also have to "bend in" when the pedals are attached. The cams look "right" so I would just continue on and adjust the pedals for the proper travel.

On the name, Yes - these were they two planes that I was a Jet Engine Mechanic on. The C130's in Taiwan and Viet Nam in 1967 and the B52's / KC135's in Portsmouth, NH in 1968 & 1969. Last year, I had fun showing my 9 year old grandson the B52 at the Denver Air Museum, even though you couldn't get up into it.

Thanks, NJDale

Be sure to clean all of the oil off the brake drum. The brakes do not work well if oil soaked. My brakes went on very tight. The orientation of the pins and sleeves make the difference. (Memory fuzzy here, but I thought one pointed up and the other pointed down) You should be able to turn the axle with the new brake bands. Be sure you adjust the brake linkage out to account for the new material.

Thanks Dale,
Believe it or not I worked for Beach Aerospace out at Lowry AFB about 20 years ago right after retirement. My partner and I had to paint that same B-52 and the F-100 and several more Air Force jets that are now out at Buckley AFB in Aurora. There is also a B-52 down at the USAF Academy on a pedestal that I used to work on. Can't remember now, but I think it's balls 5 or 7. If you could get up into the wheel wells you could find written messages in certain areas that my friends and I used to exchange when the aircraft was rotating between U-Tapao, Thailand, Guam and bases in the Conus. About half dozen of us were originally stationed at Seymour Johnson AFB in Goldsboro, N.C. and eventually got scattered all over the world (mostly somewhere in SEA) with the 52's and KC-135's. That's how we stayed in contact. Those were the days my friend and I miss them

Well guys, it's a done deal. The new brakes are on and the tractor is rolling again. I replaced the clutch disk and pressure plate springs while I was in there. I did end up with a small hyd leak from the pipe that screws into the bottom of the tranny. I taped it with teflon tape when I installed it. Not enough I guess. That will be a rainy day project. I took the tractor down the road at speed and hammered the brakes a few times, now it rolls pretty freely and isn't noisy. Thanks for all the help and support guys. .. especially NJDale with the pics. That was priceless
Jim

Jimmy,
I never liked Teflon Tape - always seem to have leaks and drips with it. Give me the good old non-harding Permatex. A little messy, but doesn't seem to leak as much. NJDale