Sloooow brakes! new departure model D

[slick]

I just got a new/old bike and the brakes stop extra slow! I believe the bike is a 1933-34 Colson Flyer motobike. I will post pictures tomorrow. I had to adjust the bearings on the rear because they were loose and the wheel was flopping around. I repacked them, reassembled and it stops slow. Don't know how it stopped prior because I didn't ride it since the bearings were too loose. Are the washer plates inside the hub supposed to be greased up or are they to stay dry to cause friction? Been awhile since I've worked on a bike so bear with me. The crank sometimes also tends to make almost half a revolution before the brakes engage? Did I put something together wrong or does it just need to be rebuilt? I'm riding it saturday to a woody car show in santa cruz on the pier weather it stops or not! Thanks,Chris

 

[OldRider]

Good question! I have the same issue with 2 of my coaster brake hubs. I practically have to stand on the pedal to get it to stop. One is a Perry hub and the other is unmarked. Maybe someone out there can help us both!

 

[chriscokid]

i don't think there supposed to be greased just oiled sounds like the Transfer Spring might be wore out or the hub needs a good rebuild and cleaning

 

[AntonyR]

i don't think there supposed to be greased just oiled sounds like the Transfer Spring might be wore out or the hub needs a good rebuild and cleaning

Transfer springs dont wear out. They are either whole or broken, which means free-wheeling, no brakes period. Since it was loose, you should probably take the hub apart and see that someone before you either didn't line up all of the locator tabs on the disc set, leaving maybe the outermost one binding. This would cause the hub to not be completely seated against the bearings, and essentially screwing with everything. Regardless, if it was ridden loose, something probably wore badly and needs to be replaced. As long as there's 20 weight oil in the hub, that's enough to keep everything working as it should. You might just have a seriously worn set of discs.

 

[53Phantom]

I dissagree. The Model D hub should be packed with grease, not oil. If you will remove each of the brake disc and scuff both sides of the disc on a sheet of fine sandpaper (600 grit or higher) and then liberally apply a good bearing grease, you will be amazed at how much better the brakes work. You cannot over grease a ND hub.

 

[53Phantom]

Also, if the crank has to move 1/2 revolution before the brake engages and the rear hub bearing is adjusted properly, you may need to add another brake disc or 2 to take up the slack. I had to add one disc to one of mine . Bicyclebone on Ebay sells a new heavy duty brake disc kit that you may be interested in.

 

[OldRider]

Thanks for all the info guys, looks like I'm gonna try disasembling my first rear hub!

 

[AntonyR]

I dissagree. The Model D hub should be packed with grease, not oil. If you will remove each of the brake disc and scuff both sides of the disc on a sheet of fine sandpaper (600 grit or higher) and then liberally apply a good bearing grease, you will be amazed at how much better the brakes work. You cannot over grease a ND hub.

Sorry. Wrong. Bearing grease doesn't flow. It also dries out and stops lubricating, whereas the correct oil will slowly seep(not so much that you will have it all over the rims/spokes) out, then you top it up periodically through the filler- it's not there for looks. Oil seeks places to lube, grease stays put. Grease will also create drag, compared to oil. As long as you don't overheat the discs continually by "riding" the brake or ride in a very hilly area, you will probably never need to service a hub with oil maintenance. The people that built the hub say 20wt. Should I keep going?
Disc maintenance: Sanding removes material, creating more play in the hub- forget about it. If you can see/feel grooves in the discs, replace them. They're easy to find.

 

[53Phantom]

Well, we can just agree to dissagree however, every New Departure coaster brake hub maintence literature says to pack it heavily with bearing grease. Check out the Sheldon Brown website or any number of YouTube videos. Also, knocking the glaze off of the brake disc will not remove enough material to cause excesssive slack. It is part of the proper maintainace when doing a service on these hubs. There are probably a number of ways to clean and lube these hubs. This is the way I personally prefer to do it.

 

[Boris]

Lubricating rear hub

I was revisiting this issue today and found this on the ratrod site. Posting here, because that's where the question first came up.