Colt Case Ingersoll Garden Tractors

So, is there anyone out there with an aspiration for hydraulic brakes? For me the braking system on Our GT is less than stellar to say the least and problematic at best. So attention was drawn to how to improve that? Obviously the current system does not work as a "brake" , trying to go down even a gradual slope is problematic at best. Well I had a 250 ft gavel driveway! Reaching the bottom with even a snow-caster want to just guess! So how do we fix that? First I read up, then bought a holding valve on Ebay ( yeah $230) and well it did fix the run away problem!. I wanted more!!!!

Started researching brakes.. Ever thought that brakes, yeah I mean things that could stop us should be part of our GT? Well still researching this , but also collected a lot of important stuff too. Thought I would start a section to share ideas... Want to share?

A couple of people have put on hydraulic brakes, including David Barkey. I've read through their write-ups and it looks doable. Apparently the front discs from a late 90's Ford Ranger will fit over and can be made to bolt to the rear wheel hubs.

So with the discs bolted in place, you just need to mount calipers, and pedals/master cylinders.

I plan to do it one of these days.

Hopefully David will weigh in about it too.

Bob

Ras101's drawing is a replacement for the existing drum.

thebuildist wrote: ↑Thu Feb 16, 2023 5:44 pm A couple of people have put on hydraulic brakes, including David Barkey. I've read through their write-ups and it looks doable. Apparently the front discs from a late 90's Ford Ranger will fit over and can be made to bolt to the rear wheel hubs.

So with the discs bolted in place, you just need to mount calipers, and pedals/master cylinders.

I plan to do it one of these days.

Hopefully David will weigh in about it too.

Bob

The problem I see with Ranger rotors is that fronts are vented and are wide needing a bigger caliper . There is only so much room . I went with rear rotors off and half ton (5bolt) Ford Excursion as they are solid rotor with a large hat area that with a little clean up inside and on the axle flange will slip over . There may be more options now . You need to look for a non vented rear rotor that uses ebrake shoes inside the" hat " . They like everything will need to be drilled 6 on 6 and I recommend switching to bolts or studs and lug nuts . Couple quick tack welds on back to keep from loosening off or best loc-tite you can get . I used 2003 Hyundai SantiFe rear calipers hoses and brackets because I had them on hand from scrapping old car. The master I used is for the clutch on and older Toyota Tercel . It is not perfect . But will stop Frankie at over 2300 lbs with me in it . If a guy was to remove the axles and bolt the rotors to the back of the axle flange , that would allow the use of different smaller rotors . Next time I might do drum brakes instead . Not sure yet .

I’ve read that Case meant the brake to be a parking brake. That’s why the brake has a lever to lock it on. To slow down on a hill a person could move the forward reverse lever to reverse and slow it or a flow control would be a big advantage. I myself live in an area where it’s as flat as a pancake. I have never used the brake ever on any of my GT’s. Harry

So guys not sure if you saw the update to the drawing section? I added a PDF.

So, a long time ago (14 years perhaps) I was a member of the yahoo case tractor forum and followed avidly as a guy there started just such a thread as this. Some of his thoughts really hit home then (especially since I had (still have) a 1977 446 with no holding valve and a 250ft sloping driveway too. Having a runaway accident that sent me to the ER got me thinking too. I immediately bought and fitted a holding valve and this worked wonders for my down hill ride to the road but still there was something lacking, at least for me - I did not feel secure I wanted brakes which is why I started researching and mentally designing my own system articles. I moved and now just the holding valve seems fine but the experience still haunts me sometimes. So here is my thoughts on hydraulic brakes.

So lets start by saying that they are definitely not for everyone, especially if your ground is relatively flat or you have perhaps a holding valve but for most without either, or those that have very sloped ground and just feel safer with having working brakes too fitting a hydraulic brake system is not very difficult.

For me I chose a brake disc from an all terrain 4WD that is readily available (paid less than $14) with a center hole that fitted over the center bulge in the existing Case brake drum.
I went on Ebay and found a total hydraulic brake caliper assembly and master cylinder from a motorbike (less than $15) and this has formed the basis for my up coming system (after my completion of my cab)
Thought I would post my drawings to date to start the discussion.. Want to work on the design together?

Agreed up grading brake is not something everyone needs , but if like me you need it you go all in .

Be interesting to know how much difference the hydraulic disk is over mechanical drum then compared with hydraulic dual rotors at the wheels .

Thought about dual hydraulic brakes, and there were a couple of examples back in the Yahoo days, but they seemed overly complicated and I saw no benefit, so I chose the single approach. I wanted to use as much of the original as possible and frankly did not want to have to remove the brake drum and gears in the axle. My approach then leaned towards keeping as much as I could and enhancing rather than the complete swap-out. When using the existing brake drum the effect is spread to both wheels, just as dual calipers would but now through the trans-axle

So I found it! here is the pdf that inspired my quest into hydraulic brakes. My solution cuts the brake drum too and whole idea stemmed from this article. I even bought and have in my stock for my conversion the Yamaha brake caliper, pads, etc. that come as a complete system. This article was from the extinct Yahoo groups website.

ras101 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 12:29 pm So I found it! here is the pdf that inspired my quest into hydraulic brakes. My solution cuts the brake drum too and whole idea stemmed from this article. I even bought and have in my stock for my conversion the Yamaha brake caliper, pads, etc. that come as a complete system. This article was from the extinct Yahoo groups website.

Nice clean looking set up .