Forum

[vince]

Hi, the blocks should be able to be moved back and forth with your fingers but tight enough that they dont rock about. If you spin wheel then apply brakes you will see them move. Vince

[Davedup]

Perfect, thanks Vince
Dave

[colinp]

Thanks all once again. I have tried repositioning the arm on the spline and have got it nearer 90 degrees. It proved harder than I thought an the improvement is only slight but is does now look 90 degrees or slightly less. I had the problem where the more I moved the arm to be 90 degrees or less the harder it was to refit the cables - even with all adjusters etc to allow maximum slack. I had wondered if the cables are sided but don't think they are?

[ric]

Would removing the handlebar lever pivot bolt help with positioning the brake arm further away from the cable adjuster so the arm is still being pulled towards 90* and not beyond it whenever the brakes are fully applied?

[colinp]

Hi rich. Sorry to be thick but I can't quite visualise what you mean. Also to be totally clear - we are saying the lever and cable should be at 90 degrees when the brake is on, that is when the shoes are in contact with the drum? Thanks.

[colinp]

I meant ric sorry spelling checker.

[ric]

yes, the angle between the lever and the cable should be (no more than) 90* when the brake is applied and the shoes make contact with drum. Yours looks to be about 110*

[colinp]

Well I spent several hours working on the front brakes today.
I stripped them down totally cleaning and re-greasing throughout - at least I now know how they work now! They do seem better for my efforts.

However, despite trying numerous positions for the lever arm on the spline, connecting the cable at the handlebar lever end last, the drum lever end last whatever I did I could not get the brakes to operate with the drum lever at at 90 degrees or less. The cables are identical and seem okay and I would guess are the correct ones for this bike. Having a drum lever angle of 90 degrees or less gives too much play and the handlebar lever comes back too far. The brake shoes seem to have enough lining on them and could see nothing obviously wrong with any components.

One thing I was curious about were the bolts that hold the operating cam housing in place. They use small springs and I was wondering should they be tightened all the way down or left so that the housing has some play?

I am talking about item 26 in the diagram below

[colinp]

Re-reading what I posted (gibberish). Having the lever so that the cable is connectable gives the lever at 90 degrees or more. If I have it so that it is at 90 degrees or less I cannot pull the cable to reconnect it.

[Aethelric]

Sounds like the wrong cable. The outer needs shortening?