What is the procedure for adjusting the front brakes on a Series’B’ Twin?
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Misc: Everything Else Front Brake Adjustment
- Thread starter Graeme Hall
- Start date
Britbike Forum, Vincent Forum, page 1 , ninth post, "Adjusting Front Brakes" by "hardarser". Too long an article to repeat myself. It seems very few "restorers" know how to do it! "B" series is also covered, some differences with Bramptons and bikes with long cable on the right, so read it all.
G
Graham Smith
Guest
This is the post that @chankly bore refers to.
This information is used courtesy of @hardarser from Brit Bike Forum.
This information is used courtesy of @hardarser from Brit Bike Forum.
As there has recently been a question about the front brake return spring on the Vincent front wheel, Girdraulic forks only. I thought I'd treat you to a brief lesson on adjusting the front brakes. After 70-odd years there are many failings apparent in the components, but for their time they were the duck's guts. I may deal with the failings of the components long past their expected design life later, if I feel up to the task; but for the present:
1. Put the bike on a support or stands so the whole plot is stable and the front wheel is about 2" off the deck.
2. Disconnect the speedo. drive cable at the lower end and free off the return spring FF74/1. Tie the balance beam, F55, hard against the balance beam stop, FF75/1.
3. Screw down both cable adjusters, HB3, to one and a half turns from the bottom.
4. loosen off the nuts on the brake cam arms, until the arms are free, then remove the trunnions, FT105, and place them correctly on the cables- they only go one way! Now give both cables a light pull to make sure they are seating correctly, particularly the ferrule in the lever.
5. Next position and tighten the cam arm on the serrated washer such that the hole for the trunnion aligns with the trunnion on the cable when each shoe is lightly rubbing. The serrated washer, H13 can be levered away from the shoulder of the cam and turned through 90° three more times for fine adjustment. No need to completely remove the nut, 500 and washer, 501.
6. When happy with both brakes lightly rubbing, tighten the brake cam nuts. Next, remove the solid axle, H25/2AS, lift the wheel and put the trunnions back in the arms on their cables. It is handy to have another person to help here. Replace the solid axle but do not tighten completely.
7. Have someone hold the brake on while you snug up the hollow axle nuts, E80. Your cam arms should form an angle of less than 90° to the cable run and if the cables have been made correctly, which is not always the case, the arms should be pretty much in parallel. If you have reasonably sound components you should now have a solid feeling lever and plenty of adjustment to go once the shoes bed in, no need for multigrips, pliers, screwdriver slots or any other butchery I've seen over many years.
My bike is a Shadow with Brampton forks. Is there much difference in the procedure detailed by Hardarser?This is the post that @chankly bore refers to.
This information is used courtesy of @hardarser from Brit Bike Forum.
Thanks. I haven’t found the version for Bramptons yet but I will keep looking.Britbike Forum, Vincent Forum, page 1 , ninth post, "Adjusting Front Brakes" by "hardarser". Too long an article to repeat myself. It seems very few "restorers" know how to do it! "B" series is also covered, some differences with Bramptons and bikes with long cable on the right, so read it all.
Same page of that Forum, posts #872876 and #872936.