# Farmall 460 - Brakes



## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

I've done brake jobs on cars and pickups since my teens, but I've never had the opportunity to do a brake job on a tractor.....I now have that opportunity! I have a Farmall 460 that needs brakes bad. I have to stand on the brake pedals to get the durn thing to stop.

My questions are:
How big a deal is it to swap brakes in this tractor?
Where do I begin?
Where are the brakes anyhow?
DO I have to remove the tires (I hope not!)
Should I even attempt this without a manual?


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## uncle Will in In. (May 11, 2002)

I don't want to go out to the barn to look at my 560, but I think you'll find a drum about 3 or 4 inches deep on either side of the rear end gear housing. They are in there. Take one off and take a peak. I'm certain you will see how they work. No hydraulics involved.


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## Ozarks_1 (Jan 11, 2003)

I don't have any experience with a Farmall, but have done brakes on the Ford N-series and a Ferguson TO20.

Generally speaking:
Since you've done brake jobs since your teens, you've already got the basic knowledge and experience. Most tractor brake systems are actually simpler than cars and pickups, just larger sized and heavier parts (and probably not as many) is all.

Is it a big deal?
Not usually.

Do you need a manual?
It will definitely make the job a lot easier.

Where are the brakes located and where to begin?
The brakes are most likely located in the typical location: behinf the brake drums ... which means, yes, you're going to have to have to remove the tires.
DON'T be intimidated by the size of the tires! 

Of course, you'll need the equipment necessary to handle the job. Unless you have a location or equipment where you can pick the rear of the tractor off the ground, you'll have to do it "the old-fashioned way" ... with a good heavy-duty jack. I recommend using a heavy-duty bottle jack (I used bottle jacks when changing/repairing tires on backhoes and tractor-trailers before I retired.). You'll need plenty of solid wood blocks ... for blocking the tractor so it doesn't move, propping up the rear axle, probably raising the jack higher. 

Removing the rear tires is ALWAYS an experience, but not so difficult as it would seem. Except for being larger and heavier than car and pickup tires, they're the same. You WILL need a large socket or tire iron for removing the lug nuts ... probably a can of WD-40 and a "cheater pipe" as well ... unless you have an air compressor and impact wrench. (NOTE: the commonly found 1/2" impact wrench may not budge the lug nuts.) 

Take care not to get the tires too far off the ground ... you're going to have to get those heavy things back ON! (More on that later.) You really only need an inch or so clearance.

Now that you've got the lug nuts off, it's probably time for more WD-40 ... especially if the tires haven't been off the tractor for a while. If the wheels are rusted to the brake drum, then it's heavy duty hammer time. If/when they're loose, then ease the wheel off the lug nuts. You can do this with a gentle side-to-side rocking motion ... similar to "walking" a refrigerator into place. 
Since the tire's is only an inch or so off the ground, it won't be too hard to handle when it finally clears the lug nuts.

Brake drum removal and changing brake hardware is similar to cars and pickups. (Believe it or not, most tractors and heavy-duty truck brakes are simpler to work on that cars or pickups.) Caution: the brake drums are heavy!

It's probably best to change one side at a time ... and make ABSOLUTELY sure the tractor is solidly propped up when you're working on it! 
(I once had a "road service" call where the guy tried to change both sides at the same time and used some small automotive jack stands to hold up his tractor:the jack stands held ... for a little while. Fortunately, he wasn't underneath it when they collapsed. Picking his tractor up off the ground wasn't too hard with the wrecker... after I quit laughing.) 
When you go to put the wheels back oin the tractor, the easiest way is to get the wheel into position and then lift it onto the lug nuts using leverage and something like a 5' crowbar. It's going to be a little bit tricky because most likely the wheel will want to spin somewhat.

Doing a brake job on a tractor isn't all that hard; just don't be intimidated by it.
Easy for me to say because I've done it?
Perhaps, but ... I changed the brakes on my '48 Ferguson TO20 "the old-fashioned way" a couple months ago ... in spite of having 2 strokes and a major heart attack last year, plus still having a trach tube in my throat.


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## Tractorman (Jun 8, 2004)

I'm with uncle will I never had a 460 but I did have an "M" I think you will see a large round housing in front of the axle on both sides the "M" had a large brake band if I remember right pretty simple I think. Parts maybe expensive I have heard you can have them relined a lot cheaper but you are without a tractor for a while. Good Luck!


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## uncle Will in In. (May 11, 2002)

Now you done it. You made me make a special trip out to the barn to look. My 560 has plenty of room to reach in from the front and take the housings off to get into the brake bands. There will be a drum inside with a brake band around it. The brake pedal pulls the ends of the band together to draw it up on the drum. The brake drum runs off the gears that drive the individual wheel gears. The differental is ahead of that. You may find the lining is glazed and don't create enough friction to be effective. In that case let your pocketbook be your guide.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

So Uncle Will, are you saying that I don't have to take the tires off....just remove the rear end gear housing to get at the brake bands?


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## Guest (Jun 18, 2004)

Cabin Fever said:


> So Uncle Will, are you saying that I don't have to take the tires off....just remove the rear end gear housing to get at the brake bands?


On most IHC tractors of that age (or a little older), the brake drums (or discs) are round plates that would be just under your feet as you sit on the tractor, one on each side. The whole brake mechinism is inside this metal plate, and is quite easy to get at & work on. There is very little you need to take off or in your way, as the first thing off is the actual brake drum. They do _not_ circle the wheel or axle.

Now, I'm not exactly familiar with a 460, so just my (and your) luck it would be different on this model!  But, have you located the brake drums yet on your tractor? You should not need to remove a gear housing, that would be a major task!

You might want to consider a shop manual, either from Case (spendier) or from IT (~$20), which will show you all the parts of your tractor & explain how to work on different components. Makes these projects a lot less intimidating.

--->Paul


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## uncle Will in In. (May 11, 2002)

Cabin, did you find the little round dog food dishes bolted to the outside of the big cast iron rear end housing? It will have 
large cap screws around the outer edge that you need to take out to get right into the brake bands. Unless your wheels are set really close together you should be able to get right at them. Have you looked for these round housings that have the brake pedal rods going into the front of them. That's what you take off to get right at the brake bands. Nothing is inside the rear end case you have to mess with.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Here ya go direct from EBay IH 460 shop manual I've been picking up factory shop and owners manuals for everything I was missing off EBay. Haven't bought from this guy but he has impressive feedback. He's selling an IT manual which is OK too.


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## tooltime (Nov 16, 2003)

Cabin, Your 460 should be like the 560. You won't need to take the wheels off. Uncle Will's description should get you there. 

If you want to get a manual, I'd recommend www.binderbooks.com. Their reprint manuals are much better, especially for the farmer-mechanic, than are IT. IT manuals are good if you pretty much know what you're doing -- they are more for the repair shop mechanic. A 460 manual will probably be about $20.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

Unk, you are perzackly right! THANKS!!

And guys, thanks for the links to the manuals. I'm gonna get one from Binderbooks on accounta they sell it for the same price as the minimum bid price as the one on E-bay (but thanks Ross, I woulda bought the E-bay one if it had been the only one available). 

This is gonna be a piece of cake....now to find the brake bands...hummmmm?!??!!

Ross, maybe I should try selling my 25 year old Jonserud SP49 chainsaw manual on E-Bay. I don't need it anymore after some polecat stole the saw last year!


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## uncle Will in In. (May 11, 2002)

Cabin, I'd wager that a Case International dealer would have the brake bands. Our old Farmalls aren't obsolete yet. Most of the ones ever made are still chuggin away. Besides being 50 years old is kinda young from where I sit.


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