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Farmall A Lo-boy

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
I'm interested in building a Farmall A Lo-boy much like a Cub Lo-boy. I plan on rotating the finals forward to make the tractor shorter. If any of you have done this I would like to talk to you about ideas on how you hooked up the brakes. Thanks, Buddy 615-289-3901
 
Ive been thinking the same. Looks like some good engineered linkage would be needed for the brakes. Why not rotate the position of the brake band and make a new place for the brake rod.
 
This is the way the Hebard Shop Mules are made. Final drives are rotated forward. However...you can't just rotate the final drives because the bolt holes are not evenly spaced. An adapter plate is required do do it. In the past, I reworked the brakes on a shop mule which required removing the final drives. There is a very nicely machined adapter plate between the transmission and the final drive. It has socket head countersunk cap screws to attach to the transmission housing and tapped holes to accept the final drive bolts in the new position. So if you're going to rotate the final drives on an A, you are looking at quite a bit of machine shop work.
 
I guess I'm with Gene on relocating the brake band position. Either way you loose one of the brake band indicator holes that hold the band in place. I think it would look more factory if the rod comes out in the original position with no extra external linkage. I was worried about weakening the housing by cutting another hole for the brake rod to exit and for the head of the band to fit in, but there is quite a bit of meat there. If I use the dowel pin holes in the housings and transmission to attach and a little work, the housing will rotate 90 degrees without a lot of trouble. May have to drill a couple extra holes.
 
O n my mower tractor i made two centers to fit the hub and bolt pattern then welded the disc to the center of some 15in rims and use 235x15 tires lowered the tractor a bunch then built a new pedestal for two spare do-nuts tires and rims to make the tractor level works fine nice and low for under trees ect and dont cut up yard turning short just mite build another with wide front just for fun used the rear from an A so its narrow. Now it should get a coat of paint also has a bucket seat makes for a nice ride.
 
A "Lo-Boy" is a tractor that sits lower to the ground. The Farmall Cub came out in '47, but in '55 IH started making two versions, the standard Cub, and a "Lo-Boy" that shared the same basic design, but with 90* rotated final drives and shorter axle on the front, giving the tractor a lower profile.
What the original poster wants to do is take an A and do to it what IH did to the Cub.
Why?... well I can't answer him, but I imagine just because. Like adding an extra seat to a B, or making a tricycle Cub.
 
After 30 years of restoring tractors, I'm enjoying building some
custom tractors that IH did not offer. I've completed a Triple A,
working on a Double A and have an A lo-boy in the planning
stage.
 
QUOTE: ...but there is quite a bit of meat there.

If you swing the final drives forward (so that the wheelbase is shortened) the area of the final drive casting where you will likely be removing some of that "meat" to accommodate the brake system will be under compressive stress. The compressive strength of cast iron is much higher than its tensile strength, so I think you may safely remove some material.
Good luck.
In my youth there were three brothers using their Super A in their orchard. (Must have been around 1960.) That Super A was also modified to ride low by rotating the finals. Don't have any pics; neither do I remember how the brakes were rigged.
Hendrik, from The Netherlands
 
One challenge you're going to have to deal with on an A is putting gear lube in and keeping it there. The locations of the fill/level plugs are designed for upright operation.

Turned 90 degrees, one of them will be way at the top, and the other will be way at the bottom. One good fill, one good drain. Neither a good level check.
 
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