newer coaster brakes are they really less dependable or is it me?

[heartlandcruisers]

well i was out today letting my higgins build stretch her feet a bit and it was an amazing ride.
hard to believe someone like me built such a sweet and cool riding machine(lol sarcasm although it does ride good)
however, i noticed when i stop the coaster brake just isn't up to par.
i have chocked it up to a few things
1)this is a cheap wheel and components are most likely inferior
2) my 450 lb mound that i call a body is too heavy for the coaster brakes to take affect.
or 3 which is what i am beginning to believe from other coaster brake bikes i have worked on, the new coaster brakes just aren't up to par.
i am running a unknown brand of heavy duty rear wheel on this bike and i tell ya it is a sweet wheel it is just the right amount of weight geared nicely and looks cool.
stopping is somewhat of a knuckle whitener if you are going fast.
they barely slow me down forget trying to skid, although i probably shouldn't wear out my typhoon cord tire since there are not too common and expensive to replace.
so the question remains...
is this a common problem and if so what would be a good idea to fix the problem.
i do not have front brake mounts on the bike so adding a front brake,which was my first solution, isn't gonna happen.
i also have a 4th idea for the issue all of the above lol.
thanks for reading and if anyone has any idea what this would be im all eyes (lol)
Sean

 

[Bicycle808]

KT HiStop hubs are pretty bad.

Shimano cb-e110 hubs are dependable and strong, but don't modulate well. Probably the best choice for most riders.

Velosteel hubs coast really well, brake pretty weakly, and will have engagement problems if you use heavy grease. These are my favorite singlespeed cb hub.

Sturmey-Archer is making a new S1C; I can't wait to try it once it hits the market.

Pretty much none of the new ones are as good as the better hubs from BITD, but coaster brakes fell from favor for a reason. None of them are as awesome as a quality v-brake or disc, in terms of stopping power or convenience whil riding.

I think I like all of the new hubs, aside from the KTs, more than I liked the Suntour C/Bs I've tried from the 70s/early 80s.

 

[NicksGarage]

I put a set of single speed felt wheels on a Basman I'm building and that hi stop hub is horrendous! I switched it out for a Nexus 8 coaster and I'm hoping that is better. I know the Nexus 7 coaster I put on my ghostrider works well. And yes, your weight does make a difference. Good for you to get out there riding.

Sent from my HTC One M8 via Tapatalk 4 Pro

 

[the_undecider]

I put a set of single speed felt wheels on a Basman I'm building and that hi stop hub is horrendous! I switched it out for a Nexus 8 coaster and I'm hoping that is better. I know the Nexus 7 coaster I put on my ghostrider works well. And yes, your weight does make a difference. Good for you to get out there riding.

Sent from my HTC One M8 via Tapatalk 4 Pro

The KT Hi Stop is pretty bad. Felt advertises their wheelset as coming equipped with a Shimano CB hub, so I was pretty disappointed when I got my wheels and it had that KT hub. Luckily,I was able to swap the internals from a Shimano CB E series hub into the KT shell. Appears KT reverse engineered the Shimano hub using inferior materials. Night and day difference with the Shimano parts.

 

[Bicycle808]

I think KT makes Shimano cb hubs... Shimano probably demands/pays for higher-spec guts, hence the better performance. (The Shimano guts seem to be made of better quality metal, plus they're clearly made to tighter tolerances, as you can get the adjustment right, whereas the kt hubs tend to lack a sweet spot...) Either way, both hubs are clearly Bendix knock-offs anyway.... which is a good design to knock off from.

I'm running a black KT in a hand-me-down wheelset I've got. It actually is starting to brake pretty nice; maybe it's burned in, or maybe it's dried out, and this is the calm before the storm? At any rate, I'll be cracking that one open soon enough, and if it gives me any kind of trouble, I'll be doing the Shimano guts-swap.

 

[5speed]

just a thought,the repair instructions for hubs with coaster brakes list what kind of grease to use and where it should be,hi-temp grease is suppose to be used on the brake shoes,makes sense to me,just thinkin

 

[LowpowerD]

Hmm...I never use grease on the inside of the hub shell or the outside of the shoe, only oil. IMHO most modern coasters are made with sketchy metallurgy at best. I've rebuilt plenty of 70 year old hubs that can still lay skids when I lean on them! But I have to say the best coaster hubs as far as breaking and reliability are the Bendix red bands. Find a good one of these, lace it up in your wheel.

 

[mikeeebikey]

Alot of times, the clutch is the problem. They get dried grease built up in them and stick. Or rust.
Most the KT hubs I see were on motor bikes, smoked!
I never grease the brake contact area or brake pads directly, but use enough in the hub I have no doubt the get some.

 

[heartlandcruisers]

the hi stop brand is what my wheel has.
that makes sense to me now.
thanks guys
i will most likely check the clutch for issues and see if greasing up the guts with better grease will work.
otherwise i will just swap it with a shimano hub

 

[JaxRhapsody]

Not sure what fork you have OP, Ive never seen your bike, if it has a hole for a front fender, you can stick a side or center pull brake there. The best non roadie sidepulls are bmx.

Speaking of crappy coasters, I wish I could find the picture of my friends huffy when the wheel collapsed in a turn.

 

[Wildcat]

I agree, the older hubs are better. The old kickback hubs from Bendix were good, my yellow band had great coaster brakes because it was driven from the lower gear, giving more leverage. The red band single speed Bendix coaster was almost bulletproof and had good brakes. I'm riding now with the new Sachs 2 speed auto, and the coaster brake is excellent, even with me at 250 lbs, it would lock up easily if I wanted it to. I'll bet on the older girl's bikes, you could find a red band Bendix in new condition, just clean and lube it.

 

[mikeeebikey]

Another option, Shimano 4 speed with roller clutch brake. They are plenty strong, have a nice progressive feel to them, and are reasonably priced.
Biggest problem I see, operator! Any time you apply the brake, pull in the clutch! Do not use the brake to, "scrub," speed off.
We used to do the same thing racing cars to keep the motor on the converter, set of EXPENSIVE brake pads a weekend and it was made for it! Your huffy hub was made to wear out.... sorry I am sad!
Also as I have mentioned, lock up that brake arm! I use 1/8" x 1/2" aluminum strip and make a brake band that does not allow wiggle.
Lock the cones to the locknuts, I mean tighten them together!
I like to use, "machine or thick fender washers," just to insure things STAY.
If running horizontal dropouts, use chain tensioners.
For the love of family; install a back up brake, or 2! My daughter comes home wearing her new Vans that have a fresh hole from riding a motor bike with no brakes....I may make her eat the week old shoes!

 

[heartlandcruisers]

Not sure what fork you have OP, Ive never seen your bike, if it has a hole for a front fender, you can stick a side or center pull brake there. The best non roadie sidepulls are bmx.

Speaking of crappy coasters, I wish I could find the picture of my friends huffy when the wheel collapsed in a turn.

their j.c.higgins blade forks
the hole for the fender is underneath in the fork tube.
not a very good pic but hairs the forks

as far as my genesis i a pulling that pos and retiring it. so no need to do any brake mods on it lol

 

[CCR]

Bendix red bands are tough to beat for a good coaster hub. KT does make the hubs for the newer shimano hubs too. It seems to be hit or miss on the quality with both of them anymore. Fresh grease on the shoes will usually make a noticeable difference though regardless of the hub. If you've never had it apart I would recommend trying it before throwing it to the side.

 

[dougfisk]

In my experience, the new chinese hubs are everything I hate about the junk that is sold today. But the operation of the brakes is the one function that has been satisfactory. The brakes have been very strong on the ones I have serviced.

 

[Loosenuts]

You can't beat an old Bendix. I am running a Shimano on my daily with synthetic grease packed onto everything. Works great and I'm no lightweight at 280#.

 

[heartlandcruisers]

thanks to clamdigger and all the others i managed to get this thing stopping better.
i took the hub all apart and cleaned everything.
then i ran a wire wheel on the inside of the hub to scuff it up.
then i took every part and cleaned everything with wd 40 and good ol fashioned elbow grease,
after cleaning everything i then reassembled and greased all moving parts
i didn't grease the shoes on the contact side but i did put enough for them to work.
after all this i reassembled everything and made a few adjustments. they now stop really good.
i could skid if i wanted to but due to the cord tire i don't
after the break in i am gonna make a couple adjustments but it seems to be working alot better.
the hub was barely greased when i took it apart btw.gotta love new age pride in workmanship lol
thanks again everyone glad to know where i can get good advice for shoddy work lol
sean

 

[JaxRhapsody]

Who makes the coasters that have been on bikes, since the 90s? My friends bike I mentioned was a huffy delport or belport- something to that nature. One of it's spoke flanges came loose, and slid to the other side.

 

[c.p.odom]

I don't think this discussion was meant to include vintage hubs but only hubs that can be sourced new. For that most any new hub you will find was made for a young kids bike, braking and durability to match, why expect more than it was meant to deliver. The Velosteel is a great hub but as mentioned needs to be rebuilt with heavy grease in the bearings only and oil in the internals, they were built for adult bicycles. Man up and deal with the seepage.
The new Sturmey Archer looks great. They are oversize and built for adults, just hard or impossible to get at this time.