sluggish coaster break

[brentville]

I got my 1939 -41 Hiawatha put together and went for a short ride today. It rides nice but stopping is a bit of a chore. The coaster brake doesn't seem to grab much. It has an oil filler cap on the hub. Could it just be low on lube? What else might make it slow to engage and weak? I've got the wheel and and brake arm secure.

Little help please

 

[jre0123]

Yea I'd try oiling the hub first. The Morrow hub on my 37 Shelby Airflow was the samw way until I ouled it. Now it will lock the back wheel up when I hit the brakes hard.

 

[roadmaster]

yeah, try to oil it first. i also have a oil type coaster brake (komet circa 62') and this helps alot. now if that didn't work and you are unable to get schematics of or are uncomfortable doing a rebuild of the hub, then i would get some penetrating oil (dare i say wd40 or the like) to get anything in there that is sticking loosened, flush that out with some fresh oil. good luck.

 

[Wildcat]

It may have a gumlike varnish coating on the pads/hub surfaces from years of use. It being a one speed, I would take it apart and give it a good cleaning in mineral spirits, then grease it and reassemble. However, if you aren't anxious to tear into it, light oil should get it operating. I've had 3 speeds that were binding that freed up with a good shot of light machine oil.

 

[Unchained]

The other thing may be that your brass brake pads (Bendix) or brake discs (New Departure) are worn out. Smooth brake pads in a coaster brake hub will making stopping a nightmare. I had a well used 1950's Huffy with a Bendix hub that had some VERY smooth pads, and stopping was quite a task- not jsut a task, the bike didn't stop :lol: . I'd be slamming the pedals back and feel no reduction of speed at all. :x New Departure and Bendix hubs, the most common coaster brake hubs, are very simple and replacement parts are pretty easy to find.

 

[12bcruzin]

What he said^^^ and to add...It is more than likely a New Departure hub. If the hub hasn't been serviced, the oil will eventually run from the discs. Also, any grease in the hub will separate into a chalky gunk that won't lube properly. I have found that in a lot of cases, old bikes are rode into the ground, then cast aside (or put in the back of the barn) after the rear hub starts to have problems like no brakes. Almost every bike I have come across has had hub issues. New Departure parts are out there, a little pricey but I recommend going all the way through all of the bearings, cleaning and greasing everything. Check with Memory Lane for parts.