[bobneumann]

I have a crazy urge: when I stomp on my brake pedal, I want my tractor to slow down. At least a little.

SO I have this old non-running cub cadet, and it has brakes like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/CUB-CADET-128-K...527?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a1038602f

It seems like it shouldn't be rocket science to adapt them to my Case. I'd need to get the disks attached to the rear axles. I'd need to mount the calipers on the rear axle housing. (The cub has hex-shaped axle housings to mount the calipers on. I'd probably have to drill and tap my housing in order to stop the calipers from rotating/twisting) I'd need to join the linkage to the brake pedal.

In a cool world, I could add a pedal to give left and right brakes.

I saw someone doing something like it with motorcycle calipers, and this would be a lot lower-tech than that. But it would also be really close to free.

It's a dumb idea, isn't it.

Bob

 

[Hydriv]

No..... it is not a dumb idea. Just ask Grummy. He's been wanting to do this very thing for the past five years. When he reads this thread, he will stick his nose into the conversation, you can bank on it.

The big issue has to do with finding the rotors with the correct bolt pattern, diameter, offset and thickness. The 400's use a 6 on 6 bolt pattern that is almost exclusive to the agricultural community. I don't know of any cars or trucks that use 6 on 6. Of course, if you have a machine shop at your disposal, then anything is possible. The only reason to do this would be to get "turning brakes". If you just want the tractor to stop better, then converting the existing drum brake to a hydraulic disc brake is much simpler.

 

[CASE 220/4]

Bob, have you got to this point before or after you properly adjusted the brake you have on their now? Have you inspected the brake band at all to see if it is all worn out?

I wouldnt go and jump the gun just yet.

 

[stevebgr]

After a bit of fiddling Iv got the case brake workin so well I can easily skid the rear wheels when I apply them so stops very well

I like the idea of disks though would be good to have right and left brakes

 

[Nutcase446]

One advantage to this would be that you would actually have brakes on both wheels. Because the brakes are before the differential you usually only get the wheel with the least traction to lock. Unfortunately this wheel that has the least stopping power.

 

[99flhr]

I`m confused, in my short C/I ownership the only time I`ve had my foot on the brake pedal was to park on a grade with a heavy trailer attached. With no load I simply turn the front wheels opposite the grade and shut off the key. During actual operation the hydraulics seem capable of slowing loads which might overcome friction brakes on other makes. IIRC those giant mining dump trucks use a form of hyd. reversal to slow/stop. My understanding has always been that the load is so heavy that it would cause a brake of practical size to fade to the point of worthlessness. Yes, they do have conventional brakes for light load conditions.
Again, I`m asking a ? Not throwing rocks.

 

[f350ctd]

Having grown up on a farm and driving tractors since I was about 6, I know how handy independant rear brakes can be when it comes to helping change course when the front wheels are scootin' or maybe aren't even in contact with the ground. When I get the spare time (est. January 2026 :lol: ) I plan to try to fabricate something in this regard.

 

[KBear]

Correct me if I'm wrong here guys but the rear ends on these hydraulically driven transaxles are NOT independent. One single drive motor drives a continuous fluid flow for both axles. If you were to have duel brakes when you slow one axle down by pressing on the brake won't it effect the opposite drive axle in the same manner (not independently) - there's no independent reaction between axles that's why these machines have a single drum and a single brake band in one location - right? As 99flhr stated I'm asking not throwing rocks! :think:

Reading the OM tells me I should use the travel control lever to slow and stop the tractor, the brake peddle is to be used for placing the tractor in park.

Kenneth

 

[Bill.H]

One single drive motor drives a continuous fluid flow for both axles.

But you have a differential in between the motor and axles. Sort of like a RWD car has one single driveshaft. Brake one wheel and the other goes.
And yes, the brake is only designed for parking. It's not needed otherwise.

 

[mikebramel]

Get over a patch of ice on one tire and them you will udnerstand

 

[grummy]

H'mm old post resurrected about DUAL BRAKES ! YA !!!! I need them too !

Just didn't get back to working on the project tractor yet.

A poster that goes by bbpitts wins the trophy for "getting' it done". He used rear rotors from a 1999 Ford Explorer because they DO fit right over the top of the existing wheel hub plate. That small piece of detailed information is the gem all of us were looking for. We all knew there would be a rotor with a large enough diameter and deep enough "hat", but how to find it without owning an auto brake repair business ?

Bill has detailed his experience VERY well in another Case forum:

http://www.case-ingersoll-tractors.com/ ... =124&t=112

I truly believe these tractors SHOULD have had dual brakes from the factory. They certainly presented themselves as a large, very capable garden tractor. One can be easily led to attempt things you could regret. Traversing down a hill with any loss of traction can be deadly. Use of the existing brake, retard position or even a holding valve will not even begin to slow you down if wet grass, snow or ice, or even a load pushing from behind causes one wheel or the other to lose traction. One wheel will spin backwards while you scream to a halt.

The question is will you still be able to scream once you stop ?

Weight, Ag tires and or chains will help avoid traction loss, but there are those who have taken a "ride for their life" who already had those things. REAL BRAKES would have been beneficial.

 

[dweber85rc]

If you had a 200 series this would be a "fairly" easy mannor to swap the cub external brake set up over since they share the same lug bolt pattern. I have 2 of these types of cub transmissions in my shed at the moment. Wouldn't be hard to rig up either. However the 400 series with the different bolt pattern will make the cub set up unuseable. I would try and find motorcyle or ATV calipers and disk and then redrill the disks to fit your lug pattern. Making brakets for mounting the calipers shouldn't be too hard then it is just deciding if you want a hand brake or a foot brake and converting from there.

 

[ByCo]

If I ever get around to doing something like this I would put the pedals on the right hand side and leave the factory brake setup in place and functional. All of the farm tractors that I have operated have the brakes on the right and the clutch on the left.

ByCo

 

[Rockdog]

After hearing Bob M's story I say putting any foundation brake on these is SMART. I'd love to have actual brakes on mine and would love to put a set of drums on.

 

[ras101]

Here's an alternative to putting brake disks/drums on the wheels. I found this on the Case yahoo site a couple of years ago. The guy mounted a disk to the brake drum on the transaxle and used a caliper and master cylinder from a motor bike. He then coupled this to the existing brake linkage.

View attachment Brake Conversion Guide.pdf

Ray

 

[GEP]

This i would install like the link shows if i had a lot of steep hills to mowe, but for most uses i would leave the brake a parking brake just like it is.

 

[Ray_Wilson_KC]

FWIW,

I've done the mockup of the cub brakes on a 200 series rear end (and have it shelved for now) and the greater challenge I have identified was placement of two pedals that suited my clodhoppers (tennies don't work for me on a GT) permitting me to use EITHER pedal and didn't restrict ingress/egress. I have a set of JD 31x pedals that i was toying with since it has an easy "flip" lever to lock both pedals for full braking vs. steering brakes.

Mounting those discs - no problem on small wheel
bracket for caliper - no problem
(also modify activation lever for pull from center of tractor vs. front pull on cub)
routing of cables to right side - no problem

I may resurrect this next year, but not sure. Candidly, in my use on hills in the woods, I've enjoyed the holding valve more than I ever expected.

Ray W

 

[50cal]

H'mm old post resurrected about DUAL BRAKES ! YA !!!! I need them too !

Just didn't get back to working on the project tractor yet.

A poster that goes by bbpitts wins the trophy for "getting' it done". He used rear rotors from a 1999 Ford Explorer because they DO fit right over the top of the existing wheel hub plate. That small piece of detailed information is the gem all of us were looking for. We all knew there would be a rotor with a large enough diameter and deep enough "hat", but how to find it without owning an auto brake repair business ?

Bill has detailed his experience VERY well in another Case forum:

http://www.case-ingersoll-tractors.com/ ... =124&t=112

I truly believe these tractors SHOULD have had dual brakes from the factory. They certainly presented themselves as a large, very capable garden tractor. One can be easily led to attempt things you could regret. Traversing down a hill with any loss of traction can be deadly. Use of the existing brake, retard position or even a holding valve will not even begin to slow you down if wet grass, snow or ice, or even a load pushing from behind causes one wheel or the other to lose traction. One wheel will spin backwards while you scream to a halt.

The question is will you still be able to scream once you stop ?

Weight, Ag tires and or chains will help avoid traction loss, but there are those who have taken a "ride for their life" who already had those things. REAL BRAKES would have been beneficial.

Anyone have link that works for the mentioned disc brake write up?

 

[Ben L.]

I replaced the brake band on my 224 last summer and after adjusting it properly it worked awesome. Not sure why anyone would want to reinvent that.

 

[Vigo]

The open differential problem is valid, but so far i haven't had problems actually stopping. For me it's that if i installed brakes at the wheels/hubs i'd be able to have steering brakes, and that's the big appeal.

Until i build an FEL for my Case i dont think im realistically ever going to have enough weight on the front to have all the steering traction I want. I put a much lighter engine in it, don't have the clutch system, don't run a mower deck, dont have the mid lift cylinder installed anymore, AND i built longer 3pt arms to run cat 1 attachments so i could share with my slightly larger Kubotas. So i have a huge dearth of front end weight/traction and while that FEL is the longer term plan, I still want steering brakes and would get along just fine with the current light front end if i already had them. My .02