Front Brake Not Grabbing.

deafanddiabetic · Post by **deafanddiabetic** » Mon Jan 26, 2015 11:52 am

Now that I can actually run the Dream without oil spewing, I notice no good grabbing when I use my front brake. My rear brake grabs like a *cough* dream.

It has a new brake cable and I had used steel wool to clean out the drum before assembly. The front pads have about 4mm of life on them but they're only meeting on the front and back edge. Is there an adjustment to be made, or should I just buy new shoes?

Thanks as always.

deafanddiabetic · Post by **deafanddiabetic** » Mon Jan 26, 2015 11:53 am

Oh, I should probably add that I've worked with the brake adjustment as well. I've got about an inch of free play at the handle, the cam control arm on the drum moves and springs back quite nicely.

mike1969 · Post by **mike1969** » Mon Jan 26, 2015 12:24 pm

I have 2/32 on my Dream. Brakes work great. Do you have the curved chrome metal brace on the handlebar end of the cable? That makes a difference.

deafanddiabetic · Post by **deafanddiabetic** » Mon Jan 26, 2015 12:45 pm

I do have the curved piece. There doesn't seem to be any binding, no kinks, smooth movement, lubed cable, but I did put different bars on it, some lower euro style bars so that the handlebars didn't hit my knees while turning.

48lesco · Post by **48lesco** » Mon Jan 26, 2015 1:05 pm

Couple things - If the steel wool had oil in it, did you degrease before assembly? Did you put the shoes back in the way they came out? One is self-actuating, the other isn't and they wear in differently. If you swap them, they have to wear-in again before you'll get much braking. Having said that, the Dream brakes are never going to throw you over the bars...
-48

Hamamatsu Nippon · Post by **Hamamatsu Nippon** » Mon Jan 26, 2015 3:02 pm

deafanddiabetic wrote: I've got about an inch of free play at the handle,

I agree with Mike, take about 90% of that free play out of there, and let your lever pivot do it's job. If you have 4mm of lining left, that's pretty good. Scuff your brake shoes with a coarse foam sanding block. Do it uniformly so you get the glaze removed and leave a rough texture on the surface.
Another thing you can do is centre your brake shoes in the drum. When you reattach the wheel keep all the mounting bolts and axle nut loose. Spin your wheel hard in a forward direction then apply the brakes hard. Now tighten up your wheel.

deafanddiabetic · Post by **deafanddiabetic** » Mon Jan 26, 2015 10:59 pm

Thanks for the replies guys. I did not think to degrease the steel wool, I will definitely rough up the pads a little.

Hamamatsu, can you clarify that procedure a little more for me? There's one horizontal steel/aluminum bar brace that attaches at the top, then of course the axle. I want to loosen both and spin the wheel, grab with the brake and that will center that brake drum assembly better?