Help with drum brake
- Thread starter Vic32
- Start date
Maybe another spacer? :shrug:
Or is the spacer mashing into the face of your bearing, so that it rubs and can't roll??
Sometimes the spacer or washer, is so large, that it contacts areas that it shouldn't, and binds stuff up.. OR possibly you just need more in there... Will it work fine if the axle is just a little loose, then binds as you tighten it, or does it hang up just putting the stuff together loosly in your hand???
If it sits all on the axle and seams to work in your hand, until you put a little pressure on the stuff, theres a good chance you just need more spacer, because the shoes are hitting the drum..
you should take it apart, and see if you can physically see where what is rubbing what... :mellow:
ALSO if it only binds when you get the bolt snugged down tight, you could be putting TOO MUCH force on your wheel bearings sideways, and binding them up..
A lot of the better wheels will come with a spacer that fits inside the wheel, so you can tighten the axle down until it twists in half, but you CAN NOT over tighten the bearings.. as there is an internal bushing keeping the inner races aligned correctly.. :mellow:
ALSO when ya put that kind of stuff together, make sure the cut in the washer is faced the right way.. They are stamped out with cutting dies, and the whole washer is concaved slightly.. One side has a raised center more than the other... Flip it one way, the center of the washer is PUSHING AWAY the bearing race or whatever it meets up to, flip it the OTHER WAY, and it will drop down OVER the bearing race, and the whole washer smashes into the bearing, because the washer is installed upside down.. :mellow:
and make sure to twist all of your axle spacers around, until ya find the loosest fitting spot, before tightening it all down..
Or is the spacer mashing into the face of your bearing, so that it rubs and can't roll??
Sometimes the spacer or washer, is so large, that it contacts areas that it shouldn't, and binds stuff up.. OR possibly you just need more in there... Will it work fine if the axle is just a little loose, then binds as you tighten it, or does it hang up just putting the stuff together loosly in your hand???
If it sits all on the axle and seams to work in your hand, until you put a little pressure on the stuff, theres a good chance you just need more spacer, because the shoes are hitting the drum..
you should take it apart, and see if you can physically see where what is rubbing what... :mellow:
ALSO if it only binds when you get the bolt snugged down tight, you could be putting TOO MUCH force on your wheel bearings sideways, and binding them up..
A lot of the better wheels will come with a spacer that fits inside the wheel, so you can tighten the axle down until it twists in half, but you CAN NOT over tighten the bearings.. as there is an internal bushing keeping the inner races aligned correctly.. :mellow:
ALSO when ya put that kind of stuff together, make sure the cut in the washer is faced the right way.. They are stamped out with cutting dies, and the whole washer is concaved slightly.. One side has a raised center more than the other... Flip it one way, the center of the washer is PUSHING AWAY the bearing race or whatever it meets up to, flip it the OTHER WAY, and it will drop down OVER the bearing race, and the whole washer smashes into the bearing, because the washer is installed upside down.. :mellow:
and make sure to twist all of your axle spacers around, until ya find the loosest fitting spot, before tightening it all down..
Last edited:
It could be just the bearings are too tight, like I had mentioned before, where they would ad a spacer inside the wheel.. If you over tighten it, it pinches the bearings sideways out of alignment..
OR it could be the spacer/ washer thing.. If it is a regular flat washer, make sure it's in with the pointed out center, facing the bearing..
OR it could be the spacer/ washer thing.. If it is a regular flat washer, make sure it's in with the pointed out center, facing the bearing..
I would suggest putting everything together in your hands on the axle, and roll the wheel and see what happens.. It should roll roll roll just fine.. then as ya pinch pressure on the sides, it will hang..
You might be able to figure out if...
The bearing is rubbing the washer, and as you add some fair amount of pressure, the wheel starts slowly grinding to a hault, as the tiny little washer down inside, is pressing against the LARGE ROLLING tire...
OR feel more of a rolling rolling rolling STOP!!! as you put even just a little pressure, until the break shoe grabs the drum.. :mellow:
And look inside and inspect where the rub marks are.. :mellow:
If you can't figure it out, I would ad even just a real thin washer.. But MAKE SURE it is a very small outer diameter... 5/8 ID or whatever it is to fit the axle, then just barley bigger maybe 7/8... that way YOU KNOW you are not pinching the bearing face..
and see if that helps..
you could actually just use a piece of thin wire.. maybe a bread tie or something.. Even some string.. Run a wrap or two around the axle in between and the washer and bearing.. as an extra spacer.. that you know is not hitting the bearing..
slide it all together loosely in your hands, and repeat the process...
You need to figure out exactly what is hitting where...
If it's a cheap Azusa wheel and bearings... theres a GREAT CHANCE the lack of an inner spacer in the wheel, and sloppy bearings.. is causing the stuff to all pinch together in the there.. :shrug:
You might be able to figure out if...
The bearing is rubbing the washer, and as you add some fair amount of pressure, the wheel starts slowly grinding to a hault, as the tiny little washer down inside, is pressing against the LARGE ROLLING tire...
OR feel more of a rolling rolling rolling STOP!!! as you put even just a little pressure, until the break shoe grabs the drum.. :mellow:
And look inside and inspect where the rub marks are.. :mellow:
If you can't figure it out, I would ad even just a real thin washer.. But MAKE SURE it is a very small outer diameter... 5/8 ID or whatever it is to fit the axle, then just barley bigger maybe 7/8... that way YOU KNOW you are not pinching the bearing face..
and see if that helps..
you could actually just use a piece of thin wire.. maybe a bread tie or something.. Even some string.. Run a wrap or two around the axle in between and the washer and bearing.. as an extra spacer.. that you know is not hitting the bearing..
slide it all together loosely in your hands, and repeat the process...
You need to figure out exactly what is hitting where...
If it's a cheap Azusa wheel and bearings... theres a GREAT CHANCE the lack of an inner spacer in the wheel, and sloppy bearings.. is causing the stuff to all pinch together in the there.. :shrug:
Yes.. If you look around you might find some pre cut bushings that fit perfect.. It is actually a fairly common size in the minibike gokart world..:shrug:
MY hardware store, I would not even consider looking at, because they never have ANYTHING you want...
But yes they definitely DO exist in the world...
MY hardware store, I would not even consider looking at, because they never have ANYTHING you want...
But yes they definitely DO exist in the world...