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How well are brakes supposed to work?

RedMF40

RedMF40

Well-known Member
On my Massey Ferguson F40 with FEL I feel that going downhill requires significant braking--I basically have to stand on the brake pedals. If I don't do that, it's happy to keep going. This is typically in a coasting situation, maybe 10 mph or less and yes--I can limit speed by creeping down in low/low gear--but sometimes I want to get the last hundred feet or so covered a bit more quickly. Since this is my only tractor and the previous owner represented that the brakes were recently replaced, is this basically the performance I can expect? And, no--I don;t know if he actually replaced the brakes. The tractor stops, and I've never let it get away from me, but I do have hills where I live. Will also post in the MF section. Thanks for any input.

Gary
 
I hear you. I don't even know why my MF 231 came with brakes. They are worthless. My biggest problem is stopping part up a hill, and starting back down with no brakes backwards. I have changed the shoes with no success. I hear there is a lining that is real aggressive, a little hard on drums, but at least I will have brakes. Stan
 
I had a pair of 2400 Massey Ferguson forklifts which I think is similar. They had disc brakes and seldom worked right.
 
I think the brakes should work well. I have a UTB
350 and it's brakes work perfect and it is over 35
yrs old. My cat 416 backhoes brakes work much
less effectively. If the hill is quite steep, I start slow
in a lower gear and apply brakes as required. The
parking brake works well. The Farmall cubs brakes
work well too. Ed Will oliver bc
 
The self energizing dry drum brakes will lock the wheels when traveling forward on all of my vintage Ford tractors but are less effective when traveling backwards.

Similar dry drum brakes on previously owned MF35, FE35 and 533 tractors, all with new shoes and good drums, were less effective.

Dean
 
The Ferguson F40 should have drum brakes which aren't that hard to service, take the tire wheel off, then the brake drum. Pretty much the same drum brakes on the rear of most older cars, and trucks except on the F40 they are mechanically activated. The slightest amount of contamination like oil from the rear axle housing will reduce how effective they are. Another thing is how the brake pedals are you have to push down which is hard to do. If it had swinging pedals like a car where you could just push the pedals forward, and or if the brakes were hydraulically activated it would be a lot easier to stop. The 135 I have has the same style of brakes, and brake pedals. I can get the rear wheels to lock up, and slide the tires, I weigh 180 lbs, and have to stand on the brake pedals to lock the brakes up. The design of the pedals/linkage for the brakes don't give you a mechanical advantage against the brakes.
 
I don't know your tractor, but Ive never used brakes to slow down, I throttle down my tractors first and once its slow I may tap the brakes a little to make my turn, but I hardly ever touch the brake pedal.
 
you hardly ever used brakes? you must not run them much lol I know what you mean but depending on what you are doing, he says going downhill, you do need brakes,, brake should be able to lock up a wheel if you need to,
 
There is probably oil leaking around the seals getting on the shoes. I had that problem with my Case. I replaced the seals, the shoes were good so I tried to wash the oil out of them but it didn't work completely. I need to replace the oil soaked shoes.
 
Yup, hardly ever use them to slow down in road gear. I dont run wide open, either. But I just throttle all the way down, maybe tap the brakes a little while turning in the drive, and thats usually slow enough for me to make my turn safely. I do the same at stop signs, but yes I do have to use the brakes to completely stop.
 

Chances are the brakes were either never adjusted after replacement or not replaced at all or they're oil soaked/dirt encrusted. The only way to find out is to look and fix the problem.

I would also note that in a world of power brakes, it seems few people can remember how straight hydraulic brakes, or worse yet as in this case, mechanical brakes acted. Unless they were in tip top shape it was often a struggle to get things stopped and even then they were nothing like todays huge brakes with all sorts of power assist.
 
I had a TO30 that had no brakes. Turns out the problem was in the shaft that the pedal activates. Had to have it taken out and things cleaned up good and then I had good brakes, just too much rust. Think I might have linings replaced then as well but being back in 1968 memory is fuzzy. Still interested in the cover?
 
Before you worry about your brakes you need to stop allowing the tractor to coast. Even with good brakes its extremely dangerous. You say its only 10 MPH but I believe top speed for your tractor in road gear is about 15 MPH - and that's on a road. 10 MPH on grassy hill with the brakes slightly uneven in their adjustment could easily result in a roll over.
 
That is not normal brake performance. I expect your Massey could lock up the wheels when the brakes were new and in good condition. I have
a Super 90 that has the same problem and I have learned to live without brakes on it. I did not want to tear the tractor apart and have it
sitting a long time waiting for parts. It had some braking power when we got the tractor 20 years ago but at some point they failed to
release properly, overheated and became pretty much useless. I think they are a "wet brake" but I could be wrong.
 
First I would check and see if your brakes are properly adjusted. We had to back the brakes off all the way on my 450 when we got ready to replace them.
I'll admit that I do I not to use my brakes very often on my tractor, usually just when making a sharp turn or bringing it to a stop after I've idled it down, just the way I was taught I guess. I do know that every time I've tried to let a tractor Coast down a grade it's always ended up badly for me.
 
I have a 245D with drum brakes and only one of them work. It's been that way for as long as I can remember. The other brake has oil contamination, one of those "round-to-it" deals that I will fix when I get around to it :) I can lock up one wheel with moderate effort. My dad's 255 has disc brakes and will easily lock up both wheels when needed. My dad's old 50 had good brakes but needed more effort. When you compare the 200 series MF tractors with the 50/150 series you will note that the brakes on the 50/150 have to be pushed "down" while the 200 series you push "forward". For me I have more leg strength pushing my leg forward than I do pushing down and it seems easier to me to use the forward acting drum brakes. You probably need to check your brakes as previously mentioned to see what needs attention. Your leg strength and mileage may vary ;-)
 

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. I've carefully read all of them and now believe my brakes are about as good as they're going to be for the moment. Taking off the wheel/tire assy. is a pretty big job for me. I can do it, just don't want to. Will have to block out some time to tackle that. Also, the rods on each side look to be welded where there should be some kind of means for adjustment. Have no idea why that would be. But the pedal travel is pretty minimal before brakes engage--maybe an inch--so I feel the linings may be good but as some have suggested may be contaminated with dirt or oil. Again, thanks for the advice--safe tractoring, all.
 
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