Question: How To Adjust Drum Brakes On Motorcycle?

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How do I know if my drum brakes need to be adjusted?

Periodic adjustment of the drum brakes makes sure that the brakes do not drag when driving as this can rob power from the vehicle and cause the brakes to wear out much more quickly. Drum brakes usually need to be adjusted when the brake pedal has to be pressed down a lot before the brakes engage.

When should drum brakes be serviced?

It is usually recommended that brakes be inspected at least every 10,000 miles. However, rear drum brakes normally last about twice as long as front disc brakes. If you know when the rear brakes were last checked, you can get by with inspecting them every other time you inspect the front brakes.

How do drum brakes work on a motorcycle?

Drum brakes are mechanical. With a mechanical system, when the pedal or lever is compressed it pulls on a cam inside the brake housing, turning it and forcing the brake shoes against the inside of the wheel hub.

Do rear drum brakes adjust themselves?

They can adjust themselves going forward or backward. Keep in mind that even self – adjusting brakes require 1 initial adjustment. Basically if the brake shoes have to move too far before they touch the drums a pulley spins the adjustment wheel which then takes and adjusts the shoes out a bit further.

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Can you adjust rear brakes by backing up?

If the starwheel is located at the base of the brakes and acts as the hinge point for the shoes, then the adjustment is done by backing up. Although the parking brake usually activates this action as well.

What can occur when drum brakes get too far out of adjustment?

If they get too far away from the drum (as the shoes wear down, for instance), the piston will require more fluid to travel that distance, and your brake pedal will sink closer to the floor when you apply the brakes.

What causes a drum brake to lock up?

One of the most common causes of one or two wheel lockup on drum brake equipped vehicles is the service and/or parking brake adjustment. If the parking brake system is not de-adjusted properly before the brake shoes are adjusted it will cause the rear brakes to engage too soon.