WD Brake Linkage Snapped Clean
Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=161684
Printed Date: 26 Aug 2025 at 12:38am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: WD Brake Linkage Snapped Clean
Posted By: SGTJ
Subject: WD Brake Linkage Snapped Clean
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2019 at 9:00am
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First -- Sorry for the lack of photos. I noticed the other day that my right side brake pedal was suddenly WAY easier to push in. So I shut down the ol WD and climb off. I immediately notice that the brake linkage is hanging from the pedal. Using a flashlight, I was able to see that the linkage had sheared off where it threads into the brake. Clean snap, flush inside the tractor. I'm trying to figure out what the appropriate course of action is to fix / replace the linkage. Since its a clean snap, and its flush with the brake inside the tractor, I'm a little afraid. I'd rather not have to disassemble the whole rear end, but the hole that the linkage goes into (which I'm sure many of you know) is quite small, so its not a practical opening to allow much work to be done. I've had to deal with the brakes on the ol gal before, so I'm pretty clueless. Thanks - J ------------- WD , CA |
Replies:
Posted By: SteveM C/IL
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2019 at 9:24am
| You will have to pull shoes out top to fix it. The bottom anchor pin will likely teach you new words. |
Posted By: TimCNY
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2019 at 12:03pm
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lol, so true... or make you remember words you wish had stayed forgotten. The brake pin can be a fill-in-the-blank project, BUT - no matter how bad, there's never going to be one that you can't remove. But what it takes to remove it is what makes every one of them so memorable. 
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Posted By: TimCNY
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2019 at 12:07pm
One thing to keep in mind, always adjust brakes according to the manual, which means never adjust by way of the brake rod. I don't have a manual handy but IIRC the rods are equally adjusted to 16-5/16"? From where yours broke off to the closest edge of the hole in the rod. Maybe someone in the past made adjustments by using the rod? It'd be interesting to see what the measured length is on the one that broke. Just a thought, doesn't mean any of it is that way. 
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Posted By: DougS
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2019 at 12:08pm
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The other brake is probably near its end life too. Why not do them both? Double your pleasure; double your fun. |
Posted By: garden_guy
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2019 at 12:57pm
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Yikes. Wonder what would make one snap off? Just stress? |
Posted By: SGTJ
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2019 at 1:09pm
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So the linkage is threaded , and from just a quick glance , it looks like it was just time for it to go. It has some decent amount of rust in the threads (probably from just sitting outside before I got her) Is there a way , with a long enough drill bit, that I can drill out the broken linkage and screw in a new one ? But I guess if I cant .... I might as well just do both the brakes  ------------- WD , CA |
Posted By: B26240
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2019 at 1:57pm
| You need to take the shoes out to fix it, brake rod screws into what they call a toggle bolt and it will be next to impossible to drill out the broken piece while it is in the tractor. As far as the bottom pin if it was taken out before and put in using never seize it may come out easy. I have done several and the ones I did all came out HARD. I recommend tourching them out, some will say to drill them out, your choice. Tim is right about following directions as to the length of the rod. Can be one of the most difficult jobs you will ever do on a WD/WD45 but you will have a great feeling after getting it done !! |
Posted By: TimCNY
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2019 at 4:29pm
| Very true, once done and the brakes are like new, definitely a great feeling. But even then you'll still be scratching your head as to why it had to be so hard in the first place! |
Posted By: DougS
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2019 at 7:40pm
| Pshawww. I changed the brakes on a WD back in 1963. The pins came right out. :) |
Posted By: Lon(MN)
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2019 at 6:18am
| I have lots of brake parts on the shelf if you need any. |
Posted By: Sugarmaker
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2019 at 6:32am
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J, In theory you could drill and reptap through the casting hole. But in reality probably not going to happen! Not much room, blind work area, and hard to hold the part that needs the thread. Options are to go without brakes on that side, or take the lower shoe pivot pin out and pull the shoes and the part that needs fixed. Just did my first brake job on a 45 and one lower pin was easy and the other had to be torched out in pieces. Good idea to check your brake drums for cracks too. Yea had one of those bad also! Fun stuff that only needs to be done about every 50 years!  Also might want to plan on replacing the pads while its is apart too. Wished the news was better. I do have some pictures in my thread if that helps. Regards, Chris ------------- D17 1958 (NFE), WD45 1954 (NFE), WD 1952 (NFE), WD 1950 (WFE), Allis F-40 forklift, Allis CA, Allis D14, Ford Jubilee, Many IH Cub Cadets, 32 Ford Dump, 65 Comet. |
Posted By: DaveKamp
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2019 at 10:36am
 I had a neighbor with a Farmall 656... it hadn't run in over 10 years, but he let me borrow it to shuffle stuff with it's (stout) 3point, if I could get it started, so I gave it a carb job, battery, oil change, and other misc, and as I was getting ready to back it out, he warned me "Beware... one of the brakes doesn't work to well". My answer was... "So you're saying ONE of the brakes actually WORKS??" Took him a moment, then a glint-eye'd smile "Heh... yes... beware... ONE of the brakes actually probably mebbie works... " Ah, tractors... ain't they fun? ------------- Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest. |
DougS wrote:Posted By: captaindana
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2019 at 5:41am
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These are fun but not so much as brakes on 170/175/185's lol. Prolly at some time someone tried to adjust these brakes by turning the connecting rod and it wouldn't budge and it started to shear when they stopped. That's my theory. ------------- Blue Skies and Tail Winds Dana |
Posted By: DaveKamp
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2019 at 8:17am
I'll second that- they got that 'uh-oh' feeling in their wrench-hands...  ------------- Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest. |
Posted By: Jacob (WI,ND)
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2019 at 10:10am
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I recently went through a break job on a WD for the first time. Not fun, but if the pins come out relatively easy ,not too bad. One side was stuck bad so it was a fight. I had to do the broken rod deal too. Check out my thread for more info and pics of the process: http://www.allischalmers.com/forum/topic71925.html" rel="nofollow - http://www.allischalmers.com/forum/topic71925.html ------------- Jacob Swanson 1920 6-12; 1925,1926 20-35 longfenders; 1925,1926 15-25's; 1927,1929 20-35 shortfenders; C; B's; IB; WC's; WD; WD45 |