The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Was asked to re-line some Major brake shoes, i've done quite a few- cars, motorbikes and tractors and never had an issue. He got the linings from Agriline, £25, what a load of c@@p they are! Half the holes wouldn't line up and needed redrilling, the radius wasn't quite correct and 2 of the linings cracked in the middle before they touched the shoe. Dont know what they are like from other suppliers but i certainly wouldn't use Agriline ones again. I get the fact that some don't have too much choice in where to get parts from, but for me it's just another reason i don't use them. I know there are many who have never had a problem with Agriline but i have found much better quality parts for around the same price elsewhere. Rant over!
John

Yet another case of repro parts wrong. Agriline do sometimes send you the wrong bits by mistake (we've had that more than once), it might be worth asking someone there to measure out their various linings and see if something matches a Major one.
Sandy

Fortunately they aren't mine, they belong to a mate and he bought the linings. I didnt finish riveting them as i'm sure he would have just used them and i didn't want to be responsible for anyone using brakes with cracked linings! I told him if he insists on using the cheapest bits he can find to at least buy a set of shoes, he can put them on himself then and sort it out if they don't fit. It must be really frustrating being limited on parts supplier, at least i'm lucky enough to have a good choice here in the UK, although more and more items are being listed as out of stock

Try Dunlop Tractor Spares, £15 plus vat for a set of 4 linings and rivets, they often have better quality gear, some of it GB made.

Great stuff, thanks Shepp

Just a thought, I wonder if Agriline had been mistakenly sent the earlier type linings by their supplier?? Early linings were 8 11/16 inches long and were fitted to E27N models from 1946 to 1948. Later linings were 9 5/8 inches long and were fitted to E27N models from 1949 to 1951 and to E1A models through to the end of Power Major production. They would have had a different radius and the rivet holes would have been different.

I didn't think Agriline had E27N parts yet (other than the P6 bits). Looks like they did get confused again on what parts are actually needed.
Sandy

What I was wondering, Sandy, was if the firm that supplies the linings to Agriline, and who may in fact be the manufacturer making both sizes of linings, had sent the earlier linings to Agriline misdescribed as a the later type linings. Agriline as we know re-packs all parts into their own branded packaging, they may not have even checked the linings. On the other hand they may just be a set of poorly made substandard linings!

Interesting thought Shepp, as soon as i get chance i'll measure them and i'll let you know

shepp wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 16, 2021 2:43 pm

What I was wondering, Sandy, was if the firm that supplies the linings to Agriline, and who may in fact be the manufacturer making both sizes of linings, had sent the earlier linings to Agriline misdescribed as a the later type linings. Agriline as we know re-packs all parts into their own branded packaging, they may not have even checked the linings. On the other hand they may just be a set of poorly made substandard linings!

That's quite possible, as we've seen the wrong bits arrive several times that could well be why.
Sandy

Measured the brake linings, they are 9 5/8 inches long. So they are the correct ones, just badly made!!

Ah, well there we have it!

Generally I have not done too badly with Agriline, although some of their radiator hoses are a bit of a stretch to fit. Sparex are definately better quality on some lines but unfortunately they don't list Major linings, just complete shoes which are pricey. There are Fordson specialists such as Railswood Tractors who might have better quality Major linings, £20 a set with rivets, although these are likely to be QTP parts who are based in Ireland and which you can also get from SJ Spares online. QTP do seem to have a much fuller range of spares than the other suppliers for the older tractors with most items available, and as I have previously said there is also Dunlop Tractor Spares also based in Ireland.

Thanks Shepp. I have used Railswood before and never had any problems with them, will give Dunlop a try, they sound ok. I have always found Anglo Agriparts pretty good, same with Mayhill Tractor Spares. Have to say Agriline always seemed ok with basic stuff, bushes, pins etc but i always found their precicion parts for engines on the rough side. I'm sure an awful lot of aftermarket parts come from the same factory and just get different suppliers stickers put on them so its a bit of a lottery where to get bits from. I use Emmark UK for engine parts after they were reccomended by the boss of the local engineering firm that do rebores and engine builds, always had top quality service and parts from them. Hope i get some discounts now after all that advertising!

Hi John

Yes I have used Emmark parts in the past as it is easy to run over to their warehouse from where I am. I agree they sell some good quality gear and are always very helpful and obliging, and that big dog in the office is a character! Last time I was there before covid I was in the office of the man who sources the engine parts. He is an ex AE (Associated Engineering) man, i.e. Hepolite and Wellworthy etc. He was telling me he goes all over the world to various manufacturers who they buy from checking on their quality control and design and manufacturing processes. He has some interesting Hepolite pistons on his shelves in the office! It is also handy because when over there I can go also to British Rubber which is not far away for any tyres, particularly Goodyear, that I might need - again a very helpful and obliging company.

Agriline have been fine for us as long as you got the right bits in the package, we got the wrong valve guides and auxiliary shaft bearing kit sent to us by mistake, we did at least get that discounted from subsequent stuff we got from them. Since discovering aftermarket parts I have repeatedly been amazed to what extent parts can be wrong, and how they're very often sold as something else. Agriline had a bearing that was supposed to be a front auxiliary shaft bearing (size RLS7, an imperial bearing) listed as Agriline part no. 9570, it was loose on the shaft and tight on the block and it turned out they had approximated the imperial sizes to millimeters! (In this case the part was the wrong size for what they sold it as, and they didn't realize that at least until we sent ours back) We eventually found the right bearing elsewhere, but the scar on Super Billy's block will never dissappear.
Sandy

There seems to be too much of a 'thats close enough' attitude with alot of aftermarket parts, a bit like when you ask someone to pass you a 1/2" spanner and they give you a 13mm, and when you say that's not the one they tell you they are the same size. You are lucky to be close to good suppliers Shepp, best i've got is AW Trailers just down the road and Malvern not far away for Tractor World once a year

Not managed to make Malvern since 2016, Dunlop Tractor Spares always used to have a stand there. I'll try to get there next year 2022.

According to HJ Pugh (the auctioneer) website its on the weekend of 21st May, hopefully be alot warmer than the usual show in February!

Anglo Agriparts and Tyrone Tractors are both currently listing UK (!!!) made brake linings and rivets on EBay at £34.95 and £33.99 respectively.

And they are lovingly shaped around an old biscuit tin that has roughly the same curve give or take an inch or two, with the holes driiled by blind chimpanzees on work experience!

Ahhh!

So better than Chinese made ones then??

Very definitely repro parts! I wonder how they can actually sell these and not have them returned immediately.
Sandy

To be fair to i have never used Tyrone Tractors, and have never had a problem with Anglo Agriparts, so my comments were well out of order! Its a shame that a few companies seem to constantly get away with selling sub-standard arfter market parts, i'm sure they wouldn't get away with it if it were parts for classic cars. Seems that the smaller companies (many of which were mentioned by Shepp) rely on building a good reputation so try and deal with decent quality bits, but a large firm that deals worldwide gets away with selling what is sometimes poorly made rubbish. As Sandy said, converting imperial parts to metric and rounding it up to the nearest size is a joke! Helped a friend restore a series 2 Land Rover a few years ago and had the same issues with a very large UK aftermarket Land Rover parts supplier, ended up sending half the bits back as they didn't fit properly but they are a big enough company to get away with it. And I'm beginning to think my wife is right, I am getting more miserable as i get older!
John

Tyrone tractors seem to dismantle a few tractors and sell used parts but I have never bought off them.
Anglo Agriparts are a family run company like Emmark, Old 20, Railswood etc., I have had a few things off them in the past and have never had any issues with quality or fit.
I was thinking that maybe if they are UK made linings they will be OK, there should be a good chance!

There are a number of specialist UK based firms who can manufacture to order and size and supply/fit brake and clutch linings for any application, with a choice of materials depending on intended use, just google " brake and clutch lining manufacturers/suppliers".

I will definitely carry on using Anglo Agriparts, they have never failed me yet. Sorry for my reply yesterday Shepp, i had the day from hell at work and totally misunderstood your post, i thought you were pointing out more bad parts. Keep the advice coming, it's much appreciated
John