Alrighty, this is going to be a post on the relining process of a pair of old original steering bands from an OC-4 axle from a Thiokol Imp. The used bands are from John at Oliver Crawlers in New York. John is a great source for most things OC-4 related. This is my third (and hopefully final) time swapping brake bands. I’ve burned through two sets of the “cheap” replacements from Broken Tractor. While BT Is a great company to deal with, the bando they sell are the lighter duty meant for the older style of differentials. The main difference is the anchor end of the band. The original style is much thicker and is attached to the band with 5 rivets rather than 3 on the replacements. The rivets used are also much larger in diameter. The failure point on my last set was that the anchor plate sheared off the band almost immediately.
The second picture is of the sheared off anchor and how it fell down between the drum and band. This is how I found it when I removed the rear cover.
note in the third picture the difference in construction of the bands.
John had supplied me with new linings and rivets for the used bands. The original band is on the left. Cheap internet band on the right.
the first step was to drill out and remove the rivets holding the original lining on the OC bands. A 9/64 twist drill and a small punch were all that was needed. I then cleaned the bands with Easy-off oven cleaner and water. Next, I clamped the new liner material to the backing bands with spring clamps. The new linings were butted up to the 3 rivets on the loop end of the band. View attachment IMG_1347.jpegView attachment IMG_1348.jpeg Note how in the previous picture the band extends beyond the anchor a solid inch or so. This is fine for now And will be trimmed later with an oscillating tool (Fein Tool). To drill rivet holes, I have a counterboring bit that is 5/16 diameter with a shoulder cut in the profile. This is actually a ski binding drill bit I’ve had for decades. Ideally, you want to counterbore 1/2-3/4 of the band thickness. To do this, I’ve installed a stop collar on the bit to control the depth. To drill the holes, I started at the loop end and progressed to the anchor end. You want to start at this end to keep the band tight without slop to the backer if that makes sense.
The first step in drilling was to use a 9/64 drill to drill from the metal side of the band and drill all the way through the backer. I drilled 2 consecutive holes at a time, then riveted them. The thru drill locates the inside counterbore. The inside of the holes were then counterbored to accommodate the rivet heads.
The depth is somewhat critical depending on the rivet thickness. My experience was that you’re better off being too shallow rather than too deep with the counterbore. If the counterbore is too deep, the rivet may not get tight enough when pressed. For a rivet press, I bought a vintage press meant for relining brake pads using tubular rivets. View attachment IMG_1354.jpeg
I did have to do a final set with a drift and ball peen to really tighten the rivets up. Overall, the process went well, and didn’t take too long. The bands are somewhat pokey, I used a glove on my left hand to hold the assembly as I worked.
Once complete, I trimmed the long end of the band with an oscillating tool and cut them about 1/8”past the bracket end. I’ve since soaked the bands with trans oil and will reinstall in the coming days….I hope this will help those needing to undertake the process. It’s not difficult but it’s worth buying the needed rivet press and some sort of counterbore bit.
note in the third picture the difference in construction of the bands.
the first step was to drill out and remove the rivets holding the original lining on the OC bands. A 9/64 twist drill and a small punch were all that was needed. I then cleaned the bands with Easy-off oven cleaner and water. Next, I clamped the new liner material to the backing bands with spring clamps. The new linings were butted up to the 3 rivets on the loop end of the band. View attachment IMG_1347.jpegView attachment IMG_1348.jpeg Note how in the previous picture the band extends beyond the anchor a solid inch or so. This is fine for now And will be trimmed later with an oscillating tool (Fein Tool). To drill rivet holes, I have a counterboring bit that is 5/16 diameter with a shoulder cut in the profile. This is actually a ski binding drill bit I’ve had for decades. Ideally, you want to counterbore 1/2-3/4 of the band thickness. To do this, I’ve installed a stop collar on the bit to control the depth. To drill the holes, I started at the loop end and progressed to the anchor end. You want to start at this end to keep the band tight without slop to the backer if that makes sense.
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