Front Brakes

[redbloke1956]

Hi all, I am reading all that I can find on setting up the front brakes on my Comet and haven't found anything about the reason for the balance beam stop, I cannot, for the life of me, find a reason for it's existance.
Also, can anyone tell me if it is possible to buy longer pad polts FF42 so that I can make and fit a brace for the Balance Beam support.

Thanks in advance Guys.

Regards
Kevin

 

[A-BCD]

Inevitably, due to friction and variation in the shoe springs, one brake will tend to pull on the other. This means that if you set up the brakes with minimum handlebar lever travel, one bake will be rubbing !! By using an external return spring on one brake arm to pull it firmly against the balance beam stop, you can set up your brakes with equal and minimum travel on each arm.

 

[bmetcalf]

You don't need longer pad bolts, use ET154 as a spacer/threaded coupler. KTB has a good standard parts list to use, take a look there.

 

[Len Matthews]

Inevitably, due to friction and variation in the shoe springs, one brake will tend to pull on the other. This means that if you set up the brakes with minimum handlebar lever travel, one bake will be rubbing !! By using an external return spring on one brake arm to pull it firmly against the balance beam stop, you can set up your brakes with equal and minimum travel on each arm.

See P.Richardson pages 28 & 29

 

[Hugo Myatt]

Hi all, I am reading all that I can find on setting up the front brakes on my Comet and haven't found anything about the reason for the balance beam stop, I cannot, for the life of me, find a reason for it's existance.
Also, can anyone tell me if it is possible to buy longer pad polts FF42 so that I can make and fit a brace for the Balance Beam support.

Thanks in advance Guys.

Regards
Kevin

Maughan & Sons, UK has supplied me with three balance beam support kits in stainless over the years. I don't know whether they still do them. The balance beam stop diagram is in the Rider's Handbook although the slotted hole was later superseded by an eccentric balance beam stop. Talk to anyone with an A or B with Bramptons for the reason for the stop.

 

[A-BCD]

This is what I do with Bramptons..

 

[vibrac]

Interesting ,your A 'long pull' cable is on the right, all 'C' girdralics are normally on the left and pictures of a 'B' bramptons in "Original Vincents" has it also on the left.
I dont suppose it matters perhaps the left hand fitting gives a gentler sweep to the cable

 

[Simon Dinsdale]

Actually the long cable should go down the right on bramptons on series A and B. This is one of the few times the photos in Original Vincent is wrong. Most people put it of the left side due to the only long brake cable available from the usual suppliers is for the girdraulics, which is too long to go down the right side. You have to get a special cable made to be correct for bramptons. Been there had it done.
Simon

 

[A-BCD]

If you look at the balance beam from the front, the left-hand end is higher tha the right, which suggests it was designed to move downwards when the brakes are applied. I actually used the 'standard' long cable as supplied by the spares company - maybe I didn't have a problem because I have no headlamp fitted !!

 

[Simon Dinsdale]

Here's mine