Fiat built tractor brakes

How involved is it to replace the brakes on a fiat built (445 long) tractor?i assume when the adjustment rod is maxed out to as long as possible that I’m out of brakes or is it opposite?

You have to pull the final drive housing off of the rear end. The drum comes out with the final drive and the brake band stays with the rear end housing. Not hard, just a little cumbersome because the final drives are a little lopsided. A lifting eye installed in a location around the bull gear housing is a big help to keep it stable as you remove and then try to reinstall. Ive replaced a couple of sets, there are 2 sizes of brake bands and you will have to measure yours to know for sure which to order.

The final drive near the wheel or the axle housing?I’m trying to understand why the linkages are under the rear end
itself?does the axle housing have to come off too?

Yes, you have to take the whole thing off, the brake bands are located on the outside edge of the rear end housing. You will need to remove what is in the picture in order to get to the brake bands on each side.

Well that’s not fair you had a helper!or is she the foreman?Lol ok got it.is there anything I have to be careful of when
it’s coming apart?

Yes, she is the boss, just ask her. Make sure you loosen the brake linkage ahead of time, that will make sure the brake band doesn't catch the brake drum and cause you difficulty during removal. I'd say the most important thing to pay attention to (other than not dropping the final drive on your toe) is making sure you pull it straight out until the axle has cleared the rear differential seal. You don't want those axle splines to ruin that seal because replacing that seal requires taking the differential supports off. That turns this job from a minor annoyance into an immediate PITA. Careful reassembly is just as important.

You can determine ahead of time if your rear axle housing seals are leaking by looking directly under the rear housing just below the axle. There is a hole in the bottom of the rear housing with a cotter pin sticking out of it, one on both sides. This is your tattle tail hole to let you know if your rear end differential seals are leaking and prevents oil from getting on the brake bands if they are. It is very disappointing to start the project with these holes dry and finish the project and find them leaking.

Once the final drive housings are off, you remove the little rectangular inspection cover off the rear housing near the brake linkage, then remove the setscrew that holds the break lever on and you can remove the brake bands.

Great,both holes are wet with oil, one wet the other dripping.the right one’s cotter key is missing.you sure explained
all that in detail.thanks that makes the job a lot easier knowing what to look for

One more question: what are you calling the differential supports?

The differential supports are bolted on to the rear housing and locked with metal tabs. The supports hold the bearing race for the differential bearings as well as the oil seals that the axles go through. You will be able to see them once you have pulled the final drives out of the rear end. There are factory shims between supports and the housing which are used to provide proper pre-load on the differential bearings.

Ok thanks again