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140 Brakes

12K views 28 replies 10 participants last post by  Harryc 
#1 · (Edited)
I took a look at the brakes on the 140 today because it barely is able to hold on a hill, and unfortunately I live on a good sized one. In the pics below, the left pad/shoe is quite a bit more worn than the right, and in the 3rd pic, I am holding the brake lever in the position where the pads/shoes are just touching the rotor, and per the Service Manual that is where you adjust it to. As you can see there is no way I can adjust that clevis on the threaded rod to take up all that slack. So am I looking at new shoes? I wonder if there is a spec for the thickness of the rotor? It could be worn too I suppose.

Edit: Just checked Deere parts, both shoes and the rotor are NLA. Great ... such is life with a 43 year old machine.
 

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#2 ·
Harry

For some reason I am thinking that I read some where about relining the shoes... Sorry can not remember where or when. :banghead3 Hopefully I did not dream it. But maybe it is the best option. :dunno:

What do the other members think? Fellows?
 
#3 ·
I doubt the rotors are worn.

Check the condition of the lever at the point of contact to the back of the pad. Also, check this point on the back of the pad for wear.

Pads can be relined at a reputable brake shop, by someone who knows what the heck they're doing. Check with a truck repair/srvice shop for info on who relines brakes in your area.
 
#4 ·
Looking at your picture it appears the plate that your brake lever goes through is bent and it should be straight, it is common for those to bend on a hard brake application and these disc brakes never worked that well, that's why every tractor after the 140 and 120 had drum brakes instead of disc
.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Looking at your picture it appears the plate that your brake lever goes through is bent and it should be straight, it is common for those to bend ...
.
Wow, really? That is VERY thick steel plate. I'll see if I can find a pic of how it should look.
 
#5 ·
And see how the bolts are that hold the brake assembly together, it appears that those bolts need to be tightened down to hold the assembly tighter together to take out the excessive clearance.
 
#7 · (Edited)
I thought of that, but there are (2) things at play. First you need movement on those pins/bolts so that the shoes can move in and out. The second thing is that they are not threaded all the way through, and the nuts on the ends of the bolts are up against a stop and tight...I might be wrong though. I'll take another look. Thanks
 
#6 ·
Check where the lever rubs on the back of the brake pad, its probably worn a divit in the back of the pad and the end of the lever will have some wear as well as the pin that goes through the brake lever that is the pivot point for the lever, these points will wear out before the brake pads ever would because there is not a lubrication method for these parts and they are normally left dry which accelerates the wear
 
#9 · (Edited)
Check where the lever rubs on the back of the brake pad, its probably worn a divit in the back of the pad and the end of the lever will have some wear as well as the pin that goes through the brake lever that is the pivot point for the lever...
I'll take another look. The plate and the lever are also NLA though. Worst case is I weld a 1/4 or 3/8 small square piece of plate to the back of the shoe where the lever hits on each side. That would probably take care of the problem.
 
#10 ·
#17 ·
OK I think your miss understanding where I say to see if yours is bent, yes the top section of the plate that is curled over the full length is normal, that is the structure and strength of the plate, the amount of leverage the lever has on that plate is a lot especially with a leg pushing the pedals, usually the plate will get bent in half 1/8 of an inch out and it will reduce brake performance dramatically. It can bend each ear out at the end of the plate where your bolts go through
 
#13 ·
Gosh Harry, is that 140 falling apart on you-tell you what, just ship it down this way and I will take it off of your hands then no more brake problems.Dick
Falling apart? :). It never was together... LOL. It is a needy little guy, but no problem because progress is being made so it's all good. I'll post pics someday soon. :thThumbsU
 
#14 ·
I would start with taking the whole assembly apart and wire wheel the bolts,springs,spacers and clean the holes in the brake pads where it rides on the same.Also take the adj rod clevis apart and clean - lube the threaded area so it can be adjusted. I think when cleaned up so the brake shoes can slide more easily will probably help and if too much effort is needed to work the brake mechanism you might not be getting all of the range of motion on the whole system.On most disc brake systems on lawn & garden tractors the disc or rotor needs to slide back and forth on the shaft it rides on to function properly and that could be the cause of one pad being worn more than the other.I cant remember if the system you have works this way (its been awhile) but check that out also.I just did this job on Phils electrak different style same principal.
 
#16 ·
Look at the lever while an adult pushs on the brakes reasonably hard and you'll see that plate bend a little, and it doesn't always return back flat over all those applications, I have two tractors that had your problem and with straightening that plate just a little and filling in the groove and building up the end of the lever where it was worn it fixed my weak brakes problem
 
#18 ·
Hi,

imo, I would swap the brake pads so that that the thicker lining is on the same side as the actuator. This design is made to "float" the pads/caliper like most automotive style disc brakes with a single piston design. But with mechanical actuation there is not enough pressure to cause equal wear on both pads.

Good luck.

Chuck
 
#19 ·
Good ideas Chuckbob and TractormanDan. I did misunderstand what you were saying and it makes sense. I will check it out. What did you use to fill in the groove and build up the lever? I do not have access to welding equipment. Maybe this is a good excuse to get one. Would JB Weld work to fill in the groove?
 
#24 ·
I used a welder and just tacked up the worn area until filled up and ground smooth. That tool you found should work, it looks very similar to what I used to use to reline case 580 brakes, your tool is just on a smaller scale. Your rivets are the same style, apply some kind of epoxy before riveting the pads on.
 
#20 ·
If that tractor sat a long time the pads and disc might be glazed, so you might need too use sandpaper on it.
I don't have a 140 so I don't know if this is possible, but looking at pic 1, the gap on the left side of the plate that holds the disc brake pad, why don't you add a washer and also at the back to remove some of the gap. Then readjust the rod. Maybe 2 washers at the back so the pad hits even.
Not the right way to do it but it might work till you can find better pads.
 
#22 · (Edited)
I found a set of pads. Question for you tool guys out there, I have never messed with rivets before. What tool do I need to install these pads? Also for future reference, these are the same pads used on may older Cub models. The I/H part# is IH-544835-R91. Search for that part number on EBay and be patient. There is a guy who sells a set every few months for $53.30 shipped. If you google search that part# there are several places that sell the actual I/H part, but expect to pay $130 and up.
 

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#23 ·
After some careful research I think I am going to go with this tool. Apparently there's an art to riveting brake linings without cracking the pads, and this seems to be a decent tool for the job. It is held in a vise, and it is screw driven vs impact for more control. I'll let you know how it works out.
http://www.amazon.com/Aircraft-Tool-Supply-Relining-Threaded/dp/B005VR9YDQ
 
#25 · (Edited)
To finish up this thread, I replaced all (4) pads on both the right and left rears today. The tool I ordered worked very well, no glue needed. The pads were very tight. I also took Cementhead's advice and got all parts moving and lubed, including the adjusters and rails. The brakes work like new and there is plenty of room on the adjustment clevis's to adjust them for years. Having gone through this my comment on the earlier 140 brake shoe design is that it works well but you have to keep up with it with yearly maintenance and adjustments or else it will eventually look like what I had to deal with. Also wanted to mention that there was very little wear at the back of the shoes where the actuator lever hits and on the lever ends. I did not see any bent parts. Total cost including the rivet tool, $84.45.
P.S...If you restore an old machine do not paint (the threaded portion of) anything that is threaded, rods, bolts, nuts, etc. Someone will curse you in the future if you do. :thThumbsU
 

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#29 · (Edited)
...I had to cut the pull bar and shorten it up about 3/4 Inch
Good idea, but there's a reason why 'unmolested' machines are what collectors look for and pay more for. ;). I believe those pull bars are NLA from Deere. It's 43 years of service, not 35. :thThumbsU
 
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