CL 450 Drum brake blues

[MB]

Hey folks. Long time no post! Quit my job and am back in the garage.....
Problems with my 74' CL450 Drum brake.
New shoes. Grease and cleaned cams. Chamfered edges.
When Axle is tightened fully the drum will not turn in the wheel. It's somehow engaged. The tighter the axle the more difficult it is to turn the wheel. Makes pressure or full stopping friction when on bike.
If you leave the axle a little looser, it is possible to set up the brake decently and get full stopping power...Then however, the stop is just perceptively "wobbly" as the brake is "lifting" somewhat in and out of the drum (like 2-3 mm) when the pressure of stopping power is applied. This is only really noticeable at 35+ but does not seem right at all.
Variable: I didn't have the Honda brake stay so used one off a Bridgestone 350 wheel. This is holding the brake in a slightly higher position than the original would according to pictures. Would the different angle effect performance of the brake? I feel like perhaps the problem is this combined with something I'm missing in the axle.
Thanks
Mike

 

[TheCoffeeGuy]

Sounds like you are missing a spacer.

have a look at the Schematic,

http://www.cmsnl.com/honda-cl450-scrambler-450-k5-usa_model557/partslist/F++0701.html#results

 

[cklamer]

Make sure the tension bar tha connects from the brake drum to the frame isn't some how binding the brake.
I had this problem with installing a different rear wheel and brake assembly from a CB750C to my CB750K and found out the tension bar is longer on the CB750C even though everything else is the same.

The spot it connects to the brak drum should be at 6 o'clock not too much forwar or back.

 

[MB]

The brake stay is definitely shorter than the stock. Should this have such a dramatic effect?

 

[MB]

I missed the washer retaining the brake shoe, but there is a cotter pin holding it. I wonder if that's a mm or 2 of difference there.

 

[cklamer]

The brake stay is definitely shorter than the stock. Should this have such a dramatic effect?

YES! I was trying to put my stock CB750K on the rear of the bike and I was having trouble getting it to reach.
So when i did get it installed the rear wheel would not turn because the brace was pulling the brake hub forward and out of whack.
So I did some research and found out that the rear brake stay for the CB750C rear whee and hub I was using was about 2 1/2 inches longer.
So of course now I had to stop assembly and try and find one.

Like I said earlier the mounting bolt for the stay should be sitting at about 5-6 O'Clock and maybe a hair forward of that but not back.
What happens is when you connect the brake pedal rod it is already putting tension on the brakes.

Good Luck