VIDEO: Best way to solve my brake linkage problem

[rentedshoes]

Yea, this is all well and good but you are leaving out a piece of the puzzle. You can monkey with it until it feels right, then as soon as you put the bike on the ground with a rider on it the geometry of the linkage changes. The pedal will rise and fall as you cycle the suspension. I made a short linkage to the factory brake mount and it works great. Also uses the stock brake light switch.

[jackstraw650]

I believe that the problem is not in the brake rod; it is in the pedal linkage itself.  Think about it.......there is no way that there should be that much arc of movement to actuate your brakes fully.  Take a look at any stock mechanically linked rear brake set up.....there is usually no more 2" or so arc of movement between the resting pedal and being fully on.  Moving the linkage arm on the pedal so that it has more mechanical advantage should solve the problem.  I don't know if I'm explaining this well....it may be that resetting the position of the return spring so that pedal travel exerts more movement of the brake rod with less pedal travel.  I hope this helps and that I haven't completely confused the situation.  It's actually fairly simple but hard as heck to explain!  Good luck!

JS

[AimSmall]

The only reasone it needs so much travel is because his adjustment to the rod is only moving the pedal, rather then getting the brake shoes closer to the drum so only a small amount of movement is needed for them to touch. He needs to put a stop above the pedal so it can't travel up like that and then when he adjusts the rod it will take the slack out for him.

I believe that the problem is not in the brake rod; it is in the pedal linkage itself.  Think about it.......there is no way that there should be that much arc of movement to actuate your brakes fully.  Take a look at any stock mechanically linked rear brake set up.....there is usually no more 2" or so arc of movement between the resting pedal and being fully on.  Moving the linkage arm on the pedal so that it has more mechanical advantage should solve the problem.  I don't know if I'm explaining this well....it may be that resetting the position of the return spring so that pedal travel exerts more movement of the brake rod with less pedal travel.  I hope this helps and that I haven't completely confused the situation.  It's actually fairly simple but hard as heck to explain!  Good luck!

JS

[djelliott]

This is the answer^.
 
As you are tightening the nut on the rod the pedal move up higher and higher but it should stay put and the "arm" at the hub should move clockwise until the pads are about to touch.

+1, that is exactly what's wrong. New pads are always a good idea. That reminds me, I need to get some.

[66replica]

New pads were indeed the answer. Thanks!

[frogman]

Good enough   

[Hank]

It appears that the levers are miss matched lengths. if you lengthen the rear set arm and/or shorten your brake actuator arm on the drum you will be able to adjut this for any shoe wear. I may take some monkeying around but it will work.
 
Aaron

[AimSmall]

New pads were indeed the answer. Thanks!

Nope.... As your pads wear and you try to adjust the rear brakes you will have the same problem you had before, you need to put some sort of stop so the pedal can't just go up as you tighten the adjuster nut. If you just leave the adjuster nut alone so the pedal height is correct then you will have a longer and longer range of motion to activate the brake as the pads wear.
 
Basiclly all you've done by replacing the pads is made it so the adjuster nut can be all the way loose and still have the brake adjusted correctly.