Diabolical front brake

Bikes or not. Whatever
Martin K
Holder of a Nylon Anorak
Holder of a Nylon Anorak
Posts: 151
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2021 2:30 pm
Contact:

Diabolical front brake

Post by Martin K »

I use the term ‘brake’ in the loosest sense of the word.

Back brake is great.

I’m sure I’ll open a a can of SLS worms asking this, but advise welcome on how to get even a modicum of retardation from the front end please. Everything is squeaky clean, although the shoe material could be very old - unknown, and adjusted as per the original manual.

Currently in order to stop by the time I get to the end of our road, I have to start braking before I’ve left the kitchen on the way to the garage….

SRM offer a hub skim, reline shoes with modern material, and shoe skim to fit new diameter hub. Sounds like the quickest and most professional way to fix my stopping problem.

Views very welcome.
Martin K
Holder of a Nylon Anorak
Holder of a Nylon Anorak
Posts: 151
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2021 2:30 pm
Contact:

Re: Diabolical front brake

Post by Martin K »

Essential information missing:

The bike is a 1956 Huntmaster - full width alloy hub.
will_curry
Holder of a Silver Anorak
Holder of a Silver Anorak
Posts: 960
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2015 12:56 am
Contact:

Re: Diabolical front brake

Post by will_curry »

Heavy-handed spoking of the rim can pull a brake drum quite a long way
out of round - does your brake judder at all? My concern with skimming
brake drums is that while it's easy to take metal off it's much more difficult
to put it back.

The original lining material for these brake was a strange green composition -
I've got a brand-new set still in their Ferodo box somewhere. If the bike was left
standing for a few days, especially in the damp, brake would squeal and
snatch the first time it was used. This wasn't a real issue for me as it was hitched
to a sidecar but the solo lads used to push the bike against the brake a few times
to free it off before riding.

Otherwise I think the brake worked well - certainly as well as if not better than those
of inferior makes of the time so unless you're comparing it with a modern double-disc
setup it does sound as though some attention is required.
Martin K
Holder of a Nylon Anorak
Holder of a Nylon Anorak
Posts: 151
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2021 2:30 pm
Contact:

Re: Diabolical front brake

Post by Martin K »

I might be labouring with the original (!) 1956 linings. The bike has spent 50 years (2 bursts of 25 each) in collections basically being unused, and last changed hands in 1977. The mileage of 11000 seems genuine from the condition and unbutchered nature of most of the rest of it.

The linings are indeed a rather odd seaweedy green colour, and shiny.

There’s no apparent juddering - although since there is so little of ANYthing, it might be hard to detect.

Maybe new linings first then see after that….
Mick D
Holder of a Waxed Cotton Anorak
Holder of a Waxed Cotton Anorak
Posts: 575
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2018 2:49 pm
Contact:

Re: Diabolical front brake

Post by Mick D »

Hi Martin

The front brake on my FH is comparable to my other classics, not great by today's standards but of no concern to me. Have you tried de-greasing the shoes with something like brake cleaner? I'd also suggest de-glazing them with wet and dry.

Regards Mick
will_curry
Holder of a Silver Anorak
Holder of a Silver Anorak
Posts: 960
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2015 12:56 am
Contact:

Re: Diabolical front brake

Post by will_curry »

I was told very early on in my motorcycling days never to use anything
like sandpaper or emery on friction material as debris from the paper
would embed in the friction material which would in turn wear away the
metal. I've always used a file to break the glaze but do beware of the
dust, especially from older friction materials.
Julian Murphy
Holder of a Waxed Cotton Anorak
Holder of a Waxed Cotton Anorak
Posts: 370
Joined: Fri Aug 14, 2020 1:42 pm
Contact:

Re: Diabolical front brake

Post by Julian Murphy »

I posted about skimming the FWH drums on my NH.

Great results.

See:
https://forum.arielownersmcc.com/viewtopic.php?t=11836, date 29 July 2021.
User avatar
paul.jameson
Holder of a Golden Anorak
Holder of a Golden Anorak
Posts: 2934
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 3:04 pm
Location: Herefordshire
Contact:

Re: Diabolical front brake

Post by paul.jameson »

There can be no doubt that the full width hub alloy brake is temperamental. You do say that your back brake is great. It is, fundamentally, identical with your front brake. So why the difference? I doubt it will be the brake linings. After all, you have the same ones in your back brake. My own experience says that the best results with these brakes is with the original green linings. But the green linings are useless when wet. Could yours be damp? You need to park the bike with the handlebars fully to the right with the alloy hub to drain water out. (The bars need to be to the left for the single sided hubs.)

Clean up the shoes and drum with some emery cloth. Make sure everything is free - the operating spindles are very good at sticking, for example. Then assemble the front wheel with everything with the play taken out but nothing tight. Put on the front brake hard and hold it there with something such as a bungee or your friend's hand whilst you tighten everything up, starting with the front spindle. You should see some improvement - unless you have managed to swop over the brake shoe positions.
Paul Jameson
35 LG (project), 37 RH500, 52 ex ISDT KHA, 54 KH(A), 75 Healey 1000/4.
Former Machine Registrar & Archivist, General Secretary and Single Spares Organiser (over a 25 year period).
Now Archivist (but not Machine Registrar), Gauges and Clocks Spares Organiser.
Martin K
Holder of a Nylon Anorak
Holder of a Nylon Anorak
Posts: 151
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2021 2:30 pm
Contact:

Re: Diabolical front brake

Post by Martin K »

Thanks for all the helpful input.

I’m intrigued by getting the brake shoes the wrong way round.

Having both wheels dismantled at once is it possible that I’ve put the two shoes that were used to being leading edge in the back wheel and the two that have always been trailing edge are in the front - hence no stop?

Or the pair in the rear wheel are indeed one of each - the right way round, but the front have also a correct pairing - but wrong way round?

All combinations are a complete lottery as I didn’t realise there was a difference!

How could I tell from looking please - any obvious indications to get them the right way round?

Thanks

Martin
User avatar
paul.jameson
Holder of a Golden Anorak
Holder of a Golden Anorak
Posts: 2934
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 3:04 pm
Location: Herefordshire
Contact:

Re: Diabolical front brake

Post by paul.jameson »

As the back brake works well, the chances are that you have a matched set of brake shoes, correctly fitted. The front brake very probably has the shoes interchanged with each other. The leading shoe will be worn more than the trailing shoe, especially at the leading end of the shoe. You need to be meticulous at dismantling and then reassembling brakes with every part in the same place as it was when dismantled. See the note below from a far greater authority than me, emphasising the point at note 3.
img232.jpg
Paul Jameson
35 LG (project), 37 RH500, 52 ex ISDT KHA, 54 KH(A), 75 Healey 1000/4.
Former Machine Registrar & Archivist, General Secretary and Single Spares Organiser (over a 25 year period).
Now Archivist (but not Machine Registrar), Gauges and Clocks Spares Organiser.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests