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#91101
vince wrote:
Sat Jun 27, 2020 9:09 pm
Hi, you dont need a vice or grips just place the wheel on the outside of the forks and put the axle through the wrong side of the fork bottom clamp and tighten . This will hold it sufficiently to undo/tighten wheel nuts. Vince.
You don't you can just tighten against the nut at the other side of the wheel or just hold brake on with one hand tighten with the other, it doesn't have to be that tight, some people run it slightly loose!

I dunno Dai
#93895
Read the whole topic again.. when axle in a vice, you cannot tighten the brake arm because the brake plate will spin/turn over the axle.. so i really, really do not understand how you can work the brake lever with one hand, whithout it turning over the axle, and tighten the central nut.
You all must have a very different bike or magical powers.

Tried more linings, even narrower cams, (about 1/3rd of original width, yes they are exactly even wide)a very 'soft' rough-feeling linings and brake is still bad.
I like the bike very much but the front brake is a big, big problem.
Tried 2 drums, over 8 different linings from all over europe.

Since a while i have a petrol bullet and this one brakes reasonable.. cannot find a cause of difference
#93896
When I adjust the TLS on the bullet, or for your holding purposes, I put a cable tie round the brake lever, loosen the short arm. I slacken off the cable adjuster a bit, , adjust longer arm until it is just catching the shoes, then adjust the other arm until it catches the same amount, undo cable tie, now adjust cable adjuster to suit.
#93898
In fairness to the OP. I have always found the Enfield TLS drum to be utter rubbish too. Like others, I have lived with TLS drums for many years, my only form of transport being a Jawa 350 for much of my teens and 20's. I have to say, while the brake on that was rubbish, it was better than the enfield one.

In addition to the poor overall performance, I think the cam design is way off too. The following cam used to regularly stick on slightly and drag, the shoe springs being insufficient to force it back to the off position again. I used to avoid using it and got expert at reaching down and flicking the thing back off again by hand if I had to use it to stop at a junction or similar. This was despite regular strip-downs and oiling the pivot after every journey. I eventually fitted a spring and tube arrangement (old valve spring and a section of stainless tube) over the linkage arm so they were forced to move off in tandem as well as on which helped but still didn't cure it entirely.

I recently put a half-width single leading brake on my 350 bullet and it's much better. Also works much better backwards which is handy for trials.
#93902
Yes, there are more ways to assure both linings touch at the same time. The manuals state it quite well.
If you pull the main/longest lever by hand, and adjust the (stainless steel aftermarket) connecting rod, you can feel exactly when the other one touches to. The main lever moves back against you hand (down) and feel sudden resistance in the twisting of the connecting rod.

@ Stinkwheel do you have more info about your rebuilt? What kind of half widt drum?

Ofcourse you cannot leave out the central nut.
\But- repeatmodus-/ when wheel in a vice, and you need one hand to twist down the central nut, you have only one hand to pull the main brake lever.. resulting in turning of the brake plate over the axle, so you cannot apply force, OR when gripping along with the axle, this results not in centering by the both linings, but off-centered by the force you apply with your hand.

I must conclude, best results give me if the brake plate has a little (..) play. The central nut secured against the inner fork leg (and/or a drop of glue/loctite if you want)

I love my enfield diesel but am struggling with the front brake for many years.. should i buy another(3rd) wheel? Get the drum skimmed again untill round and again try 6 different pairs of linings?

This is how much smaller my cams are. I udes the non-crooked(distorted?) ones to rework. Besided giving much more pressure, the are now (..)also exactly the same size. (original they were not)

And yes, additional spring for good return is nessecary.
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#93906
I’m mystified by the obviously serious problems seen here. My bike has the 2LS front brake and it works well. All original brake parts still fitted, but the wheel is new due to the original rim having tatty chrome. No difference in braking once the shoes had bedded in to the new drum.

I keep the central brake plate nut just nipped up (it was cranked up hard when I first tried to remove it, most likely tightened at the factory).

I use the method outlined on the download pages of this website, which seems the only logical way to adjust it.

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