540b John Deere parking brake

[millcreek40]

I finally got the new reman in the new to me 540b. My question is does anyone know how to adjust the parking brake??  Do you adjust on the cable or is there a linkage somewhere?  I was told to step on the brake then pull it back into park. It is not working. Thanks in advance

[OH logger]

step on the brake HARD while in gear and then pull into park. should work and work well. mine always did. you have to push on the pedal HARD though. hope this helps.

[millcreek40]

Thank for your reply. I have been pulling it back into  neutral than stepping on the brake nothing happens.  Will give it a try

[millcreek40]

I finally moved the skidder back to the woods. I still can't get the brake to hold when you step on the brake & pull it back into park. Not sure if I am missing something. The man I bought it from said he didn't know they had a park. He owned it for 8 yrs. is there some kind of linkage that applies the brake peddle   Thanks

[Remle]

If you go to "JD Parts Online Catalog" and put in 540B , you will get the complete manual for the machine. Under the alphabetical listing pick the letter P and their are parts diagrams for the parking break assembly.. hope this helps!

[trecher2]

millcreek did the brake trick work ? i'm having the same issue with my 540b can you fill us in. thanks

[tj240]

I run the same skidder, you have to be in nuetral,press the brake then pull the lever back. if you dont do it right it wont work.  If you open the side cover for the motor, right side i believe you will see a rod that sticks up by the batteries, if that rod is bent the  brake wont work. it is a simple fix, but i have done it wrong alot and the rod bends. make sure the petal is down BEFORE, you pull the lever back.

[millcreek40]

I do see the rod.  When you move the shifter the rod goes up and down. It looks like it has two adjusting nuts on the top . When you pull it into park should the nuts pick up on the little plate that they are hitting on??

[tj240]

when you push the brake down, then pull the lever to park, the rod basically holds the pedal down there are notches on it i think. if your brakes work and the park brake doesnt, check the rod. i have bent them. dont know how to change it, but if you apply brake first hold it then pull shifter back it should work, let me know how you make out and i will call my guy about changing the rod.

[millcreek40]

Thanks tj240. I ran it all day today & tried it every possible way. It still doesn't work. What's up with your name tj240 & you are running a Deere. Lol. I also have a 225 jack. Just bought the 540. It sure is more operater friendly & much quieter

[tj240]

My skidder is a tj 240a, with a 6 cyl duetze, my day job i run a 540b, it sounds like the rod isnt making the connection on the brake. i will find out and let you know. if you look at the pedal under the hood it lookks like there is teeth on it, when you pull the lever to park it actually sets the rod to hold the brake, its a simple operation, if it doesnt work, when you push the pedal and hold it , then pull shifter to park, my guess is the rod is bent probly before you got it. my cousin has the book i will find the diagram and have jwilly send you the diagram, i dont have the tech for that, i log!!i am computer stupid

[millcreek40]

I must not be looking at the same thing as I do not see the teeth on the brake pedal. I will look again tomorrow    Do like the 240 or the 540 better ??  I haven't had the 540 for very long. But the more I run it the better I like it. Best parts are its quite and doesn't tear the ground up nearly as bad as my jack does.  I know which one I will use on the step stuff though

[tj240]

i would rather run the 540 for the ease of it, but in iffy ground my 240 all the way.  i think they will pull about the same, ive pull stupid big with the 240, it made the winch slip. the 540 has a better winch, you can winch in gear with the declutch.  But on steep ground the 240 wins hands down. They are both really good skidders, the deere is more user friendly, but the 240a is a pulling monster. good luck, i will get the book from my cousin and have jwilly send you the diagram for the brake.

[millcreek40]

Thank you

[millcreek40]

I took another look at it today & think I figured it out. Looking under the dash. The piece that is suppose to pickup and down that locks the brake pedal. There is a small hydrolic line that goes into the brake assembly. Someone has it going right over top of the little thing that moves to hold the pedal. Not much room in there to take it off & change is location.  Not sure if that's what's wrong but looks like a great place to start

[tj240]

you may have found it, like i sadid before i dont know until the other day a stick bent he rod we think. anyway look in the rught side engine door, the rod is behind the big meyal hyd line, then there is a block with a hole in it, the rod needs to be in the hole. the rod moves with the shifterm it is actually a 2 person job, one need to line up the rodm the other needs to move the shifter, we had to go all the way to 8th gear to get the rod low enoughm the slowly pull the shifter back until it goes in the hole, if yours has nuts on it to hold it in the hole you may have other probs. good luck

[millcreek40]

Yes the rod is there & it does go through the hole. But in front of the big steel line is a small rubber line that goes to the brake assembly inside the cab .  The line goes right over the lever that I think holds the brake pedal in the lock position. Hopefully I will have some time to work on it Monday. There's not much room under the dash to work on it

[tj240]

sounds like the hose maybe the culprit, keeping the holdy thing from ingaging. on the one i run the line runs behind and to the side of the steel line