Each day before operating the Monarch Tractor perform a quick visual check of the braking system, both the foot brake and the parking brake. The brake inspection below should be conducted daily, and at a minimum, at least every 50 hours.
IMPORTANT: Make sure that the tractor has been washed before performing a brake inspection.
When pressed, the foot brake should never lose resistance. There should always be a feeling of tension in the brake pedal. If the pedal feels too loose or sinks down when pressed, contact Monarch Tractor.
To perform a visual brake inspection:
- Wash the tractor.
- Park the tractor on level ground and power off the tractor. Chock all four tires to prevent the tractor from moving.
- Ask a second person to sit in the operator’s seat during the inspection.
- Make sure that there is no debris in the foot brake actuator rod or in the parking brake actuator rod (under the blue spring) on the left-hand side and the right-hand side.
- With the tractor in Neutral, ask the seated person to press the foot brake.
- Keeping fingers clear of the braking system, ask the seated person to disengage the Parking Brake while keeping the foot brake depressed.
- Using a flashlight, have the seated person slowly release and press the foot brake pedal. Make sure that the rear brakes are fully operational as the seated person presses and releases the foot brake. Inspect both the left-hand side and right-hand side. Contact Monarch Tractor if you see any of the following issues:
• Brake linkages don’t operate smoothly, with obstruction(s).
• Brake linkages don’t move.
• Foot brake pedal sinks down with no resistance. - Ask the seated person to set the parking brake. Ask the seated person to take his or her foot off the foot brake.
- Watch the brakes disengage, checking for smooth operation. Contact Monarch if you see any of the following issues:
• Brake linkage(s) don't fully disengage.
• Brake linkages don't move. - Make sure that the parking brake is fully engaged, pushing against the S-arm.
- Check the jam nuts on the parking brake. Contact Monarch if you see ay of the following:
• One or more jam nuts are loose or missing.
• Torque mark is unaligned, indicating that a fastener has moved.
• Threads are not flush with the end of the jam nut.
• Threads are protruding through the jam nut.
Incorrect nut placement with torque mark broken. Contact Monarch. Jam nuts in correct position, with torque mark intact. - If any issues are seen other than listed here, please contact Monarch for assistance.