Steering an old tractor required real physical effort, as power steering was decades away from being invented. Drivers turned large cast-iron steering wheels connected via simple worm gears, transmitting every ground bump directly back to their hands. Independent left and right rear wheel brakes helped steer the tractor in tight field turns through manual lever or pedal pressure. https://click4r.com/en/blogs/the-evolution-of-the-american-farm-the-old-tractor-story