# drum forewheel maintenance......fixer upper



## SJ_BIKER (Apr 7, 2014)

OK so I got a fore wheel Schwinn drum brake on the maroon b6 ....but something is not right....prior to putting a spacer then a skinny nut....which has the pork chop sitting to far out but with out it it sits to far in and was rubbing on the spokes.....seemed to be fine on the other bike....but not on the b6......so what's up with it


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Apr 7, 2014)

No skinny nut. ..add another washer...or three

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## jd56 (Apr 8, 2014)

Just did my first service maintenance on my forebrake assy.
As always I take pictures while dismantling,  so reassembly is not a problem
Before taking it apart and still mounted on the 48' Schwinn S4 frame, it was obvious the outer "porkchop" plate fit snuggly in the drum.
Only had 3 washers as spacers ( all 3 varying in thickness).
After reassembly on the wheel, I too noticed the outer plate protruded more allowing a view of the edges of the shoes.
Have not remounted the rim complete on the frame but, hope it all closes together nicely as it was found before disassembly. 

Here are the step by step pictures without the last reassembly view. To come shortly.


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## THE STIG (Apr 8, 2014)

are they 120 spokes


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## jd56 (Apr 8, 2014)

Not sure what guage my wheel spokes are, just that they are heavyduty.

Here is a picture of the drum reassembed (using an axle nut to hold all in place) with the 1/8" gap that was not there before disassembly.
Used all the hardware that was used before disassembly.


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Apr 8, 2014)

Wrong thread

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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Apr 8, 2014)

I've seen them with 3 skinny or 2 or 1 thick one..

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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Apr 8, 2014)

Jd maybe yours has three to clear spokes...sj just needs one more thin washer

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## jd56 (Apr 8, 2014)

Not meaning to highjack this thread but...

If all hardware (3 washers. All different thicknesses) is reassembled as it was disassembled, why would there be a gap?
The shoes were not taken apart. The actuator to expand the shoes was lubed after all was cleaned with Brakeclean. Just doesn't seen to fit as tight as before disassembly. 
My first encounter with the forebrake setup, ever.
Seemed simple enough though. Clean and reinstall...A no brainer I figured.
Got to love this hobby,  always something new to learn.

Thanks for letting me jump in here.


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Apr 8, 2014)

Did you get the bearing cover pressed all the way in?.. same bearings? 

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## jd56 (Apr 8, 2014)

Pretty sure the the bearings and dust covers are installed flush.packednthe free floating bearings ( no cage) with blue parks axle grease. Axle bearing races fit well too. No slop in the axle and free spinning well. 
Just the brake arm assembly doesn't fit flush.
Got to be something simple to get the shoes to not be exposed.


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## SJ_BIKER (Apr 8, 2014)

*.....................:............*

Took it off a pieced together franken-phantom....and I simply moved it to the b6...I'm gonna have to clean it and tinker with the whole washer stuff....only way it will move freely is if the cones are loosened, but then the wheel wobbles.....gad dam....


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Apr 8, 2014)

jd56 said:


> Pretty sure the the bearings and dust covers are installed flush.packednthe free floating bearings ( no cage) with blue parks axle grease. Axle bearing races fit well too. No slop in the axle and free spinning well.
> Just the brake arm assembly doesn't fit flush.
> Got to be something simple to get the shoes to not be exposed.




Well they don't really sit flush. ..if they did it would rub on spokes

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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Apr 8, 2014)

SJ_BIKER said:


> Took it off a pieced together franken-phantom....and I simply moved it to the b6...I'm gonna have to clean it and tinker with the whole washer stuff....only way it will move freely is if the cones are loosened, but then the wheel wobbles.....gad dam....




Did you loose a bearing?  It happens

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## SJ_BIKER (Apr 8, 2014)

*noooo*

I left the axle alone but I suppose I can crack it.....error carefully open it up to see if all the ball bearings are doing their job...


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Apr 8, 2014)

jd56 said:


> Pretty sure the the bearings and dust covers are installed flush.packednthe free floating bearings ( no cage) with blue parks axle grease. Axle bearing races fit well too. No slop in the axle and free spinning well.
> Just the brake arm assembly doesn't fit flush.
> Got to be something simple to get the shoes to not be exposed.




Try this...looking at your washers one looks larger in diameter then the others...put that on bottom with smaller one on top...inside the chop is kinda a dome and the larger dia washer may be not letting the pork chop seat down all the way...just a thought

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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Apr 8, 2014)

jd56 said:


> Pretty sure the the bearings and dust covers are installed flush.packednthe free floating bearings ( no cage) with blue parks axle grease. Axle bearing races fit well too. No slop in the axle and free spinning well.
> Just the brake arm assembly doesn't fit flush.
> Got to be something simple to get the shoes to not be exposed.




Also make sure the spring clip is flush....

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## jd56 (Apr 8, 2014)

In my case the washers are as pictured below. 
I assume the spring clip (whatever that is) is flat. Never removed the shoes so I'll guess the spring is part of that. 
Sorry for being a number but it's my first forebrake and no picture references anywhere that I can find......did ask though before I started this servicing.


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Apr 8, 2014)

It honestly looks like one of the axle washers made it on to that stack jd  take the cad one out and see how it sits n spins..

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## Russ Wiggins (Apr 13, 2014)

*axle washer*

Are you sure that thick washer isn't a outside axle nut washer? Take the thick one out and see what happens. I have five fore brakes and they only have two washers in them. Hope this helps.


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## jd56 (Apr 14, 2014)

Thanks guys. I have tried removing each one of the factory installed washers one at a time. Even with the thinnest of the 3 removed, the porkchop hits the spokes.

But to be clear on the washers, during disassembly of the axle nuts ( 2 ), no external washers, and then the internal housing there were 3 washers. Thickest at the bottom and then the 2 thinner ones as pictured.

All I can do now is reassemble and ride the darn thing and see what I have then.

Here are the external two nuts and the a picture of the 3 internal as found during disassembly. 

Outside external axle nuts as found before disassembly. 





What I found during the disassembly




Reassembled with the 3 washers as set up from the factory.


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Apr 14, 2014)

jd56 said:


> Thanks guys. I have tried removing each one of the factory installed washers one at a time. Even with the thinnest of the 3 removed, the porkchop hits the spokes.
> 
> But to be clear on the washers, during disassembly of the axle nuts ( 2 ), no external washers, and then the internal housing there were 3 washers. Thickest at the bottom and then the 2 thinner ones as pictured.
> 
> ...




I swear I had also said that you probably need all three to clear heavy gauge spokes since they don't fit down nice like std gauge. ..? 

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## jd56 (Apr 15, 2014)

So I managed to get it all back together yesterday.
Still have a view of the shoes under the porkchop dust cover of the front forebrake. 
I kept all the washers (3) installed as it was before I serviced the hub.
Tried pulling each different thickness washer to see what clearance there was and without all three the spokes hit the outer shield.

Here is the best view I could capture of the reassembled forebrake with all washers installed.


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