1948 Farmall M Brakes

Bookman

Member
I drove an acquaintance's Farmall M tractor yesterday. He said it was a 1948. The brakes were BAD. Now I have worked on disc brakes for Farmall 400 and Super Cs, and not too bad a job. I could not tell for sure what kind of brakes this tractor has. Looked like it had three bolts holding the cover one and did not look too unlike the cover of disc brakes, but I do not know. Anyway, how big a job is it to fix the brakes...whether they be disc or band brakes on a 1948 Farmall M? Asking for a friend (really!!).
 

A 48 M will have band brakes.

It's not too bad to change the band brakes, but the issue is usually that the brake bands are soaked in gear oil and that is why they aren't working. This is due to a bad seal, which is a pain to get out, but the seal could also be bad due a bad bearing.
The bands their self are very easy to change and it will be obvious once you remove the cover. The issue becomes repairing what is causing the brakes to be faulty.
 
That's add on disc brakes shown in the last printing of IH M parts books. Find parts break down on line at Case IH parts look up or search for ASCO Lambert type disc brakes.
 
(quoted from post at 08:40:45 06/04/18) That's add on disc brakes shown in the last printing of IH M parts books. Find parts break down on line at Case IH parts look up or search for ASCO Lambert type disc brakes.

Yes. Ausco-Lambert. No parts available. I own an H that did have those. I changed it back to the original band style. MUCH better.
 
Either kind, I hope you got a good slide hammer puller, to help get out the old seal's.chances are their needing replacing !!
 
I was afraid of that. Working on old tractors can be like working on old houses. Go to replace a rotten step off the back porch and discover termites and end up
replacing the back porch. Thanks much to everyone.
 
If you have a good clutch shop, they can reline them. Have only dealt with those once, and the local shop relined them since parts were available.
 
Have the discs relined with clutch lining, not brake lining. That's a trick I've read in several places when fixing the IH disc brakes. Makes them stop better and not lock up.
 
Disk brakes had a heavy cast iron cover, the outer surface was a swept surface on the inside, the center expander pressed the outside brake disk HARD against the cover, and most tractors you see have the paint burned black they get so hot.

Straight M's and H's with drum brakes have thin steel stamped covers over the drum & band. Tinny sound when you tap it. There is an adjustment to the operating rod that pulls the lever down sticking out of the top front corner of the cover to shorten up the rod, loosen jam nut, tighten rod, tighten jam nut. Would only tighten a full turn at a time or less until you get good brakes. I would not mess with the small setscrew on the bottom of the cover, that just raises the brake band so it doesn't drag on the drum when not braking.
 

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