[AT] Now Ralph Video -- disc brakes

Grant Brians sales at heirloom-organic.com
Sat Dec 29 04:29:20 PST 2012


I have both Disc and Drum Brake installations on my Oliver 77s. Oliver
changed from Drum to Disc in about 1952 and because it was a bolt in swap,
many owners chose to swap. When properly adjusted the Disc Brakes don't fade
and are the same actuating force. I can't see any additional braking power
though. Having operated them for quite a few years I find that at top speed
(depending on the gearing and wheel size it is 10-13mph) they will stop
fast, but it is very tricky to apply force evenly both because of the two
sides and the connection mechanism. Both setups are phenomenally easy to
perform SHARP turns with - my tricycles can literally lock the appropriate
wheel and spin a 180 degree turn such that depending on conditions the
tractor either has not moved the placement of the braked wheel or it has
only shifted over 2-3 inches. A 360 degree turn returns the tractor to the
same wheel placement.
     The system on the Olivers sounds similar to the IH system of disc
brakes, but I have never seen wear on the steel surfaces, only the multiple
discs used on each side. At this moment (4AM) I cannot remember how many
lined and unlined plates are on each side, but I vaguely remember that it
may be 6 per side. The Oliver system is a 100% mechanically operated one.
     Having described the Oliver 66, 77 and 88 setup and performance, I also
have an AC model C and I believe that to convert it to disc brakes would be
nearly impossible and think it would be harder to use. But as I cannot see a
way to do so without immense modifications to the tractor, perhaps I am
wrong.
     Also, I have one of my Studebakers that have disc brakes (the first
production US model to do so). It uses the UK designed and produced Girling
system that requires a power brake booster to operate as it requires much
more force than the drum brakes. This is the same brakes that Jaguar used in
the 1950s and  1960s. My opinion is that again they have less fade by far,
but they do not give any benefits for normal operation. The rotors do last
MUCH longer than the newer systems in cars that use the non-asbestos pads
and the discs are of much better quality too, but the pads last a shorter
time.
     I hope this is informative.
           Grant Brians
           Hollister,California vegetable, nuts and fruit farmer - it is WET
here and that is hampering our current production!

-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com]On Behalf Of Jim & Lyn
Evans
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2012 6:23 PM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] Now Ralph Video -- disc brakes


Older LA cases had drum brakes on the axles.  Some were mechanical, most
were hydraulic actuated with a master cylinder.    I don't think any
worked very well.   My 52 LA has dual disk brakes on a countershaft.
It actually stops fairly well by Case terms. (Cases were made to go, not
stop)  This would be the same type of brakes used in all the Case
tractors from 52- 67 or so.


On 12/27/2012 6:51 PM, charlie hill wrote:
> I've toyed with the idea of retrofitting my AC tractors with Disc brakes.
> It seems to me that
> the rotors could be located inside the wheel just like they are on a car
or
> pickup truck.  The
> trick would be to find a rotor of a diameter that could clear and that
could
> be modified to fit the
> AC wheel bolt pattern.  Then I would need two master cylinders that could
be
> actuated by the factory
> brake rods, some steel brake lines and some short steel braded brake hoses
> for the connection from the steel
> line to the rotor assembly.  It might even be possible to use the tractor
> hydraulics to actuate the brakes.  They
> wouldn't be in a high heat situation like car or truck brakes.
>
> Anyone got any thoughts on it?
>
> Charlie Hill
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ralph Goff
> Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2012 7:36 PM
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> Subject: Re: [AT] Now Ralph Video -- disc brakes
>
> On 12/27/2012 4:21 PM, Dean Vinson wrote:
>> Ralph, thanks for yet another interesting video.
>>
>> How do those disc brakes on your 40 actually work?  Is there a caliper
and
>> brake pads that press against the disc?  Or does the disc get pressed
>> against the outer housing?  And how did the old brake shoe type work,
>> before
>> you put the disc brakes on?
>>
> Dean , the original style Cockshutt drum and shoe brakes had an internal
> and external shoe that squeezed the open drum when the pedal was
> pressed. I guess when they were in new condition they might have been an
> adequate brake but I liked the newer style double disk brake that the
> newer series 50s had. And it was such an easy bolt on switch, nothing to
> change internally, just buy the drum housings and disks. Maybe I had to
> buy the spline extensions off the bull gears as well. It is so long ago
> that I forget. The local wrecker had a Co-op E5 (Cockshutt 50) in the
> yard and I just took the pieces I needed from that one.
> Another advantage to the disk brakes, they took the same size
> replaceable lining as the Case 30 series tractors so I could get the new
> (rivet on) linings from the Case dealer.
>
> Ralph in Sask.
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>

_______________________________________________
AT mailing list
http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at




More information about the AT mailing list