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
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