Brakes snatching!

k. rogers · Post by **k. rogers** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 8:33 pm

I have a recent problem of the front brakes on the Weasel 'snatching' at very low speeds (walking pace) and with very little pedal pressure - any pointers anyone?

Keith Andrews · Post by **Keith Andrews** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 9:32 pm

If you hit the brakes hard does 1 wheel lock up and the other dpesnt?
This can be a system of the shoes being out of round with the drums.
Can be caused by out of round drum or pads on the shoes swelling or delaminating
Very often changing the drums from one side to the other will fix.
Or replace the shoes.
If doesnt fix, you may beed to get the drum turned out on a drum lathe.

k. rogers · Post by **k. rogers** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 10:45 pm

Thanks Keith, There is no problem with one wheel locking if braking hard, in fact they are very even, but there has been indication of the drums not being perfectly circular for some time so perhaps the situation has just got worse. I will investigate and report my findings. Would there be a problem having the drums lathed as they are so thin?

Keith Andrews · Post by **Keith Andrews** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 6:10 am

Would there be a problem having the drums lathed as they are so thin?

Yes...most definalely, going too thin, below manufactures recomendations is just down right dangerous...And illegal in NZ..Where one doesnt have manufactures specs we have a std min , unfortunatly the NZ WoF manual is down at the workshop and will not be getting down there for a few days.

and this could also be the cause of any distortions, and you problem.

I cant get down because one of ours sons never listened to his old mans nagging about hands in the pockets ..tripping and smashing ones face/cheek /eye socket bones in...So hes in for mir, and other checks before surgury on thursday.

Post by **Forumadmin** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:59 pm

Shoes do have leading and trailing on the JUP and JAve which would cause a similar problem. Altenatively brake return spring tension.

Post by **Forumadmin** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:44 pm

The problem with increasing the diameter through wear and putting on the lathe is that the shoes will be the wrong diameter and take some time to bed in.
It may be possible to get them fitted with a liner.

Tony Fearn · Post by **Tony Fearn** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 11:39 pm

Hi Ken.
Have you tried rubbing down the inside of the brake drum with 400's wet and dry, cleaning it off and spraying with 'brake and clutch de-greaser' and wiping off.

Then chamfer both edges of each brake shoe with a file, but be careful if they are old-style with asbestos content. Again, spray the linings with the de-greaser and wipe off two or three times using clean cloths.

If all your linings are of the same thickness (JCS sell two thicknesses) then perhaps putting the rear drums on the front and the front drums on the rear might help.

Look forward to hearing how you overcome the problem.

Tony.

k. rogers · Post by **k. rogers** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 6:59 pm

Thank you all for all the tips - I will investigate and try some of them later in the week and you never know, may cure the problem!

k. rogers · Post by **k. rogers** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 4:37 pm

Well, it was one of those times when you cure the problem but don't really know precisely how! After finding nothing obvious, all I did was cleaned up the shoes and hubs like Tony suggested and gave the brake lever nipples some extra grease just in case, tested it over and over at low speed and it all seems ok again! Levi 'helped' (?!!) me and now knows roughly how the brakes on a 7 works - hopefully, by the time he has one of his own he'll be able to teach me a thing or two!