When I refit a wheel I usually hold the brakes on before tightening everything up to hopefully centralize the brakes in the drum. Reading the quote below from Tom Gaynor in another thread I have interpreted it that the Guzzi brake plate mentioned is free enough to move and centralize in use. Some Brit bikes had floating shoes that centralized in use and improved the braking. What if the Vincent brake plate had a clearance hole on the wheel spindle and suitable spacers to allow slight plate movement when the wheel was clamped in position? Comments welcome, rude or otherwise.
Something that came up at our lunch meeting today: contrary to popular opinion, the brake plates should NOT be a tight fit on the axle. If they can float radially, then the shoes will centre on the drum which is exactly what you want. If they are tight on the axle, then the drum has to wear the linings until they make maximum contact. As J Bickerstaffe once remarked, in that case the brakes are no sooner worn in than they start to wear out. I have a Guzzi 250, 8" brake, and it is clear that fit of the (steel) plate on the axles, and the nut on the outside, are designed to allow the plate to centre itself. It works. What is also important is that when the spindle is tightened there is a solid load path between the fork blades so that they don't close in. When I tried Lightning plates, in a vain effort to make what is effectively a 7" single leading shoe brake with a wide lining better, I had to put spacers in BEHIND the plates. Twin brakes do not double braking power, they double fade resistance...but my suspension still worked...