Need Drum Brake Stop Lamp Switch Advice

[Havasu Dave]

I'm using a drum brake on my Cat Endura project with a lighting Tec. and brake/tail lamp.

I've seen the Rupp switches, but no idea how they mount, and not sure if it's a good way to do it. (Smash and O ring and short across contacts?) Definitely don't know where to mount it.

Since the brake arm/lever is top mount, the traditional spring-loaded pull switch won't work- I could weld a fulcrum to the bottom of the arm, but I'd end up hitting it in a turn maybe.

Are there any other ideas, or projects you guys (and gals) have tried that worked well?

 

[markus]

This is the very professional looking instructions that came with some NOS light kits I recently got.

I doesnt show much but they intended the brake switch to be mounted down by the brake. I know when I was researching for the MX Bonanza I saw that one of Scooterboys MX bikes with the Optional light kit was setup this way using the Rupp style switch mounted at the back cable adjuster, and thats how I was going to set mine up.

Those switches are kinda crude but they work alright, I find the o-rings fail fairly quick if they sit around but you can replace them pretty easy. Its probably safer at the back adjuster than on the bars due to the inner plastic sleeve can break pretty easy on them.

 

[Havasu Dave]

This is the very professional looking instructions that came with some NOS light kits I recently got.

LOL, it's a decent drawing, but the way the switch mounts is a black blob. :laugh:

So the cable goes through the switch, and the switch sits between the cable end and the adjuster?

Sorry I'm dense here. I keep a lot of pressure on that cable statically, because it's an old hub and worn.

 

[markus]

LOL, it's a decent drawing, but the way the switch mounts is a black blob. :laugh:

So the cable goes through the switch, and the switch sits between the cable end and the adjuster?

Sorry I'm dense here. I keep a lot of pressure on that cable statically, because it's an old hub and worn.

yea the blob switches were pretty common :laugh: yes they slip through the cable and sit between the adjuster and cable housing either at the back frame/swingarm mount or at the lever. And they take some pressure to make contact, Not a goo idea if you have a cable with soldered ends on both sides though, they did that in 1970 with the Rupp bikes and you were kind of SOL and had to buy the whole assembly if the switch broke, thankfully, they changed that on the 1971 models.

 

[Havasu Dave]

Alright, just the information I needed Markus. I ordered the switch from Blackwidow. I am using a clamp-type end on the brake arm, so it should be good to go.

Thanks very much for the info! :thumbsup:

 

[chipper]

I'm late I guess but there are many brake lever assemblies that have switch built in , not vintage but much better IMO ?

 

[Havasu Dave]

I'm late I guess but there are many brake lever assemblies that have switch built in , not vintage but much better IMO ?

Thanks Chipper, Thought about it, but I wanted to stay away from those,
I'm already cluttering up the bars with light switch harness. :shrug:

Besides, all I could find were Chinese pit bike levers done in black plastic, and all modular looking and stuff- and any vintage looking levers were for juice brakes.

Plan B will be a welded tab on the brake drum, a cable clamp, and a pull switch.

This bike didn't come with any lights.

 

[chipper]

I know you'll have it looking great !

 

[Havasu Dave]

I know you'll have it looking great !

Thanks. I hope so too. Plan "C" is to remove the entire lighting system, and piss and moan about wasting a lighted Tec build on it. LMAO!

 

[ludicrous speed]

if you take a stock Metal brake lever,drill a hole in the body,you can then use the wiring harness off any of those crappy chinese bikes.
its just a simple pushbutton switch w 2 wires....that pops right out of those crappy ass plastic handles.
obviously,im not suggestin you drill a vintage handle but...for a rider,it works.:shrug:

plus,they come with this black wrap?? that is a wire holder,you can run everything under the tubes and nobody would see anything...

 

[Havasu Dave]

if you take a stock Metal brake lever,drill a hole in the body,you can then use the wiring harness off any of those crappy chinese bikes.
its just a simple pushbutton switch w 2 wires....that pops right out of those crappy ass plastic handles.
obviously,im not suggestin you drill a vintage handle but...for a rider,it works.:shrug:

plus,they come with this black wrap?? that is a wire holder,you can run everything under the tubes and nobody would see anything...

I thought about installing a micro switch. But like I said, I really don't want it on the bars.

I hear ya on that black cable covering. I'm making the harness- from the engine plug to all of the switches and lights- and using that black stretch tape. Not my favorite stuff to use.

 

[Havasu Dave]

The Rupp switch was a bust. Tried several variations of O-rings. Too much tension required on the brake cable to stop. So when I release, the switch remains shorted.

Contemplating plan B- motorcycle lever with switch, or plan C- pin switch on brake hub.

Meanwhile, I am more concerned with the fact that these brakes totally suck ass. I've got them on the verge of contacting the drum, and squeeze with kung-fu grip, and the bike says, "yeah, I'm thinking of slowing down now."

New pads, sanded them too. There are grooves in antique brake hub/sprocket assembly, so I'll work on those with elbow grease.

I think I need a longer actuating arm, although what's on there is stock size. There are no alternative options for a brake. Flip flops suck at stopping it.

 

[ludicrous speed]

i had this problem with one of the baja warriors too.
turned out to be the drum wasnt clocked right when i put it together....is that applicable to your situation?
sorry if im completely off track,just a thought.:shrug:

 

[Havasu Dave]

i had this problem with one of the baja warriors too.
turned out to be the drum wasnt clocked right when i put it together....is that applicable to your situation?
sorry if im completely off track,just a thought.:shrug:

Thanks my friend. No, you can't clock the drum wrong, since it's got anchor prongs on it. It also doesn't have that out of round deal going with it.

I think it's a combination of 245 pounds of white boy, doing 30 MPH on a mini cycle, and trying to stop with 4" diameter brakes sporting an inch wide strip of the finest Chinese fake asbestos. :laugh:

"This" is exactly why trying to "restore" stuff with original parts is a bear. Some pit bike spoke wheels and hyd disc brakes, and I'd be stopping on a dime.

 

[markus]

before you give up on it try a bigger cherry style lever and bigger brake cable. It appears that in the late brochures they were putting the bigger levers on some of more powerful bikes, you get more throw from them. I dont know if that was the reason or just that they were then making and selling larger Midi-bikes and they just had the stock. A thicker cable would help with stretch, and you may possibly find the switch to work at that point as well, I'm surprised its no bueno right now as some of the rupps have more tension on the brake arm than those brakes do, they have bigger dia cables too though.

 

[Havasu Dave]

before you give up on it try a bigger cherry style lever and bigger brake cable. It appears that in the late brochures they were putting the bigger levers on some of more powerful bikes, you get more throw from them. I dont know if that was the reason or just that they were then making and selling larger Midi-bikes and they just had the stock. A thicker cable would help with stretch, and you may possibly find the switch to work at that point as well, I'm surprised its no bueno right now as some of the rupps have more tension on the brake arm than those brakes do, they have bigger dia cables too though.

:thumbsup: Thanks Mark. I'd already upgraded to the bigger lever- with the ball on the end, as well as the beefier cable. Personally, I like them much better for feel and leverage than the tiny Cherry.

But it still isn't enough. It's ridiculous, these brakes. I've never had a mini bike with what I'd consider "good" brakes, and scrub brakes have always been the best ones. But these brakes are frikking heinous.

I'll keep stabbing at it and report back. Leaning towards pit bike brake lever/switch, and some copious sanding of brake drum, or possibly a boat anchor.

 

[ludicrous speed]

Dave keeping in mind i know nothing about these old minis,
is yours using the tiny drum with 3 bolts??
if so i have a like new one you can have?
and is there some form of Honda shoes that would slip in there and maybe? work better?

 

[markus]

:thumbsup: Thanks Mark. I'd already upgraded to the bigger lever- with the ball on the end, as well as the beefier cable. Personally, I like them much better for feel and leverage than the tiny Cherry.

But it still isn't enough. It's ridiculous, these brakes. I've never had a mini bike with what I'd consider "good" brakes, and scrub brakes have always been the best ones. But these brakes are frikking heinous.

I'll keep stabbing at it and report back. Leaning towards pit bike brake lever/switch, and some copious sanding of brake drum, or possibly a boat anchor.

Bummer, I saw in your pics just the spoon lever and figured you were running that setup, you can feel the cable stretching as the stop sign is coming at you fast on some of those :laugh:

good luck with it, that Digger I put together is just as bad...with a bigger brake on it :doah:

 

[Havasu Dave]

Dave keeping in mind i know nothing about these old minis,
is yours using the tiny drum with 3 bolts??
if so i have a like new one you can have?
and is there some form of Honda shoes that would slip in there and maybe? work better?

Thanks for the offer. This one is four bolt drum- 4 inches in diameter. The only place I found 4" brakes was a guy on ebay. I've bought several from him. They're from Taiwan, but are an exact Cat match.

I doubt there's enough metal to turn them- making them 4.250 so they could use more brakes.