(*$%&@ Drum Brakes!

I've always thought drum brakes were a pain. Why would a designer ever choose the system that is less efficient, more complicated and harder to maintain to boot? OK I know they are better for handbrake jobs.

Anyway, the brakes on the Ferrari were even more of a hassle than the usual run. I really thought for a while I was going to have to remove the drive flange to get the new shoes in. I just could not believe that it was designed such that you had to drain the gearbox and risk getting oil all over the shoes; there had to be a better way. There was no way I could stretch the springs in situ though.

After much swearing and failing, I finally worked it out. Here for the benefit of anyone else daft enough to have bought one of these tractors is how I did it.

Removing: Take off the shoe retaining springs and lower return spring. Pull the leading shoe away from the piston and place a spacer in there. Now pull the bottom of the shoe away until it comes clear of the handbrake operating bar, and hook it to one side out of the way (fig 1). This picture is taken from the offside, ie rear of the tractor to the left.

The handbrake spreader can now be withdrawn past the shoe. (fig 2)It might need a little "persuasion" to get started.

It should now be easy to detach the top spring and the handbrake cable.

For refitting, first engage the handbrake cable then fit the top spring. Then using the cunning slot in the drive flange, work the shoes roughly into place. (fig 3). (Is it just me that thinks this looks like an afterthought in the design?). Again hook the leading shoe out the way on feed the spreader bar in, engaging it on the trailing shoe.

At this point I needed both hands, so no picture, but you need to lever both shoes away from the pistons and put spacers in, to give enough clearance to get the spacer in and keep the slots sufficiently aligned. It is probably easiest to let the bottom of the trailing shoe come away from its slot. Then pull the bottom of the leading shoe and engage the spreader. Pulling the bottom of the shoe gives enough leverage on the top spring to pull it by hand, so no slipping levers and one hand free to engage the spreader.

Then just refit the bottom spring and the retainers. What was so hard about that then?