Misc: Everything Else Brakes, Linings, Drums and Shoes

Matty

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
My balance arm also does not quite return and another spring might help but it has not caused any problems for me

If the brakes pull on smoothly when the wheel is rotating then the brake drums do not need to be skimmed.
In the past I had slightly oversized linings fitted and turned on the base plate to fit the drums. This did not improve the brakes at all on my bike or that of a friend.
This assumes the front brake cables are on the machine and all slack.
With the wheel in and the cable adjusting screws set to fully off I then slacken the brake arms which have a serration on the inside to mate up with the brake cam spindle and then turn the spindle with a mole wrench or similar until the brake shoe is just touching the drum. I then set the brake arm to be at 90 degrees to where the cable inner is coming from as the brake is just touching and clamp up the brake arm nut.
I repeat this for the other side. These brake arms serrations can be set to give this 90 degree s angle because they can work as a sort of Vernier with the serrated washer on the loose serrated washer with a square hole for the cam spindle, so you may have to take the arms and serrated washer on and off a few times to find the optimum setting
You may find you need 3 hands to hold all the bits in the right place against the various springs, but should end up with both brake arms at the optimum just before 90 degrees just as the brakes begin to bite. This should be the correct situation after the brakes have been set up and are in operation
Next step is to connect the cables to the brake arms with the clever push in devices.
With the cable adjusters all fully slackened it is just possible to then connect the cables while holding the brake arms in the "on" position - the balance arm adjustments may also have to be fully slackened off to do this.
On the brake plate on the forks there is an eccentric adjuster with a lock nut and screwdriver slot which can be used to set the stop for the balance arm. I usually adjust this for the arm to be horizontal and clamp it before setting the right hand cable adjuster so that the brake shoe is just touching.
I then go to the left hand side cable adjuster and and set this so that the left hand side brake shoe is just touching.
This procedure sounds complicated but in fact is very simple and logical.
You may have to adjust the cables etc. to provide a bit more freeplay or feel depending on what feels most comfortable to you.
I hope I have got this sequence right but with the new green linings my brakes work fine - though most of my poor brake problems had been caused for many years by using the incorrect linings for steel drums when most linings fitted were of a type for cast iron drums.
Hope this helps and does not cause even more confusion.
Matty
 

Matty

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Sorry Folks -- after the word "friend" of my second sentence it is really a new subject about how I adjust my front brakes.
 

Chris.R

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
My balance arm also does not quite return and another spring might help but it has not caused any problems for me

If the brakes pull on smoothly when the wheel is rotating then the brake drums do not need to be skimmed.
In the past I had slightly oversized linings fitted and turned on the base plate to fit the drums. This did not improve the brakes at all on my bike or that of a friend.
This assumes the front brake cables are on the machine and all slack.
With the wheel in and the cable adjusting screws set to fully off I then slacken the brake arms which have a serration on the inside to mate up with the brake cam spindle and then turn the spindle with a mole wrench or similar until the brake shoe is just touching the drum. I then set the brake arm to be at 90 degrees to where the cable inner is coming from as the brake is just touching and clamp up the brake arm nut.
I repeat this for the other side. These brake arms serrations can be set to give this 90 degree s angle because they can work as a sort of Vernier with the serrated washer on the loose serrated washer with a square hole for the cam spindle, so you may have to take the arms and serrated washer on and off a few times to find the optimum setting
You may find you need 3 hands to hold all the bits in the right place against the various springs, but should end up with both brake arms at the optimum just before 90 degrees just as the brakes begin to bite. This should be the correct situation after the brakes have been set up and are in operation
Next step is to connect the cables to the brake arms with the clever push in devices.
With the cable adjusters all fully slackened it is just possible to then connect the cables while holding the brake arms in the "on" position - the balance arm adjustments may also have to be fully slackened off to do this.
On the brake plate on the forks there is an eccentric adjuster with a lock nut and screwdriver slot which can be used to set the stop for the balance arm. I usually adjust this for the arm to be horizontal and clamp it before setting the right hand cable adjuster so that the brake shoe is just touching.
I then go to the left hand side cable adjuster and and set this so that the left hand side brake shoe is just touching.
This procedure sounds complicated but in fact is very simple and logical.
You may have to adjust the cables etc. to provide a bit more freeplay or feel depending on what feels most comfortable to you.
I hope I have got this sequence right but with the new green linings my brakes work fine - though most of my poor brake problems had been caused for many years by using the incorrect linings for steel drums when most linings fitted were of a type for cast iron drums.
Hope this helps and does not cause even more confusion.
Matty
Thanks for the up on brake adjustment saved for future aid to memory.
 

Martyn Goodwin

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Hi all is assembled but balance arm does not return when the cable is tightened and the lever applied.
After fitting lightning brake plates I found it was not possible to fit a return spring on the outside of the brake plate. I came up with this solution. works a treat.
adjuster.jpgspring.jpg
 

Peter Holmes

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
When fitting Lightning style brake plates I came up with a far simpler balance beam return spring, all you need is a large diameter stainless steel washer with one small hole drilled near the periphery to accept a far lighter gauge spring than Martyn is using, the washer is trapped between the threaded knurled locknut and the balance beam and stays in the correct position when make any cable adjustments, no need to disconnect any springs or make sure any holes line up, if not clear I can post a photo when I have fully woken from my slumbers.
 
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vibrac

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Dont forget there are LH and RH springs available FF74/1and FF74/2 also note the caveats on the shop page
 

davidd

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
There is a spring available for Lightning brake plates but is designed for the 8" brake. It should fit the 7" Lightning plates.

100_0493.jpg


David
 

stu spalding

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Dont forget there are LH and RH springs available FF74/1and FF74/2 also note the caveats on the shop page
These springs can be opened out enough to fit round serrated washer H13 by nipping each coil in a few places between the jaws of a pair of mole grips. Cheers, Stu.
 

Matty

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Hi
There is a lot of information on the internet outside the Club forums about Vincent brakes for instance at


and a few other threads on the Club forum on brakes besides this one.
The Vincent owners club write up above is very comprehensive but involves many processes and workshop machines which I do not have.
My front brake is now pretty good, but not really able to lock the front wheel with a gentle squeeze.
So being pragmatic and having used the bike since 1956. I ended up doing the following.
1. Brake shoes relined with green woven material (from Saftek) to suit the steel drums on my Comet.
2. About a quarter of the lining removed from the cam end of the trailing shoes, otherwise the leading shoe wears out first, leaving the relatively unworn and inefficient trailing shoe trying to do most of the work.
3. Slightly elongating the pivots in the shoes so the cam pushes them a bit forwards into the drum.
4. Setting up the brake arms to be 90 degrees and the cables etc to be set to optimum ie. good quality and flow.
These fairly cheap and easy steps have now given me a front brake which is satisfactory but probably not as good as it could be if all the suggested fixes are incorporated.
The green woven material seems to have made the greatest improvement however.
 
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