1950 Model M brakes

[petestorm]

Hi all,

New guy here who just managed to find a 1950 Model M for what I consider a steal. Turns out she's been owned by the same gentleman for the past 25 years who is retired from govt work and now has a pretty good automotive business on the side so he's kept it in pretty great shape. Unfortunately he's been using it on some pretty flat land and the brakes are pretty useless if you find a slope. Of course, he's never really needed them!

So, my question is are there any external adjustments I can make to try to get a little more power out of them? If not, tough job to replace? I've seen plenty of parts places out there selling brakes packs, etc. so seems the parts are there.

Any tips?

P.S.

My mom's family was a Deere family through and through and just hearing my cousin say "Your mom would want you to have a Deere; a Johnny Popper" made me feel this one was the one for me. She's been gone 3 years now and I could feel her smiling still.

 

[Tx Jim]

I'll suggest removing brake assemblies and clean the operating parts.

 

[flusher]

Hi all,

New guy here who just managed to find a 1950 Model M for what I consider a steal. Turns out she's been owned by the same gentleman for the past 25 years who is retired from govt work and now has a pretty good automotive business on the side so he's kept it in pretty great shape. Unfortunately he's been using it on some pretty flat land and the brakes are pretty useless if you find a slope. Of course, he's never really needed them!

So, my question is are there any external adjustments I can make to try to get a little more power out of them? If not, tough job to replace? I've seen plenty of parts places out there selling brakes packs, etc. so seems the parts are there.

Any tips?

P.S.

My mom's family was a Deere family through and through and just hearing my cousin say "Your mom would want you to have a Deere; a Johnny Popper" made me feel this one was the one for me. She's been gone 3 years now and I could feel her smiling still.

There are adjusting nuts on the linkage between the brake pedals and the brakes themselves to take play out of the pedals. I'd do this first. If that doesn't solve the problem, you'll have to do a brake job since there are no other adjustments. The brakes are pressure plate-single disc configuration. You can google "deere M tractor brakes" to find parts suppliers.

Good luck.

 

[petestorm]

There are adjusting nuts on the linkage between the brake pedals and the brakes themselves to take play out of the pedals. I'd do this first. If that doesn't solve the problem, you'll have to do a brake job since there are no other adjustments. The brakes are pressure plate-single disc configuration. You can google "deere M tractor brakes" to find parts suppliers.

Good luck.

Ya, took note of those nuts. Will give that a shot first. Thanks much!

 

[zman8537]

Ya, took note of those nuts. Will give that a shot first. Thanks much!

Pete did you ever get your brakes taken care of? I just recently purchased a house with 20 acres and the owner threw in a 1949 John Deere Model M but their are little to no brakes on it. Any info would be greatly appreciated. I will take a look at the adjusting nuts that you are speaking of too but I am curious as to what you may have found. Thanks

 

[petestorm]

Pete did you ever get your brakes taken care of? I just recently purchased a house with 20 acres and the owner threw in a 1949 John Deere Model M but their are little to no brakes on it. Any info would be greatly appreciated. I will take a look at the adjusting nuts that you are speaking of too but I am curious as to what you may have found. Thanks

Turns out the adjusting nuts were already at their adjustment limit. Since I'm not currently down there full-time I've yet to do the brake job as it's a bear. Whoever designed inboard brakes should be shot. It's not just taking the wheel and hub off and getting access to them. Seems ridiculous that you'd have to pull the final drives just to work on the brakes. Just been living dangerously at this point.

 

[zman8537]

That is what I have been doing as well. I have hills and I have to downshift prior to going down the hills. I have looked a little without pulling off the wheels or anything but I did not see anything simple. I figured being a 1949 tractor it would be something simple or a simple adjustment, but no such luck. I looked through a repair manual and it looks like a pretty complicated endeavor. I need to crawl under the tractor and find the adjusters and see if they can be adjusted at all. I am planning on getting another tractor and then when I retire plan on restoring the the old thing. Thanks for the quick reply! I appreciate it.