Was out getting the TY ready for Boxing Day and riding round the

garden and after using the front brake the front would lock up

with the brake lever released and the lever was solid.Then the

next time I used it the lever was fine,it has done this previously

at events but has never locked the wheel before.It has a brand new

cable and the shoes are good(could the drum be worn needing over-

sized shoes).Any ideas ???

cheers the noo Brian

Is it a mono brake?/ If so they had a tendency to lock front brakes without warning. Can be dangerous. If it's not a mono enclosed type, then I'd strip and clean the brake, moisture may have got in, check for abnormal wear when it's apart, centralise it when building back up.

Edited December 22, 201213 yr by andy m

Andy M, its a standard brake,will strip it out and give it a good clean

then centralize it.

cheers the noo Brian

Usually a quick and satisfying fix. First check your "new" cable. Some new OEM cables have a tight spot where the wire runs through the steel tube at the bottom, might need to be bent slightly to give a smoother run. The TY brake plates get a crud build up in the actuating pivot, combination of mud and old grease. Remove and clean. Also clean the contact point on that cam and also the shoes where they touch the cam.

Tony

Like others, I suspect it is the pivot shaft binding in the brake plate. A good cleaning and new grease would fix that. Here are a couple more ideas.

When the brake lever pivots, the flats on the shaft act on the shoes to spread them.

1) If the shaft rotates excessively the end of the shoes will not be on the flats but on the major OD of the shaft. They will not release.

2) If a spring has broken or come off during assembly, there may not be enough tension to pull the shoes back together.

3) If the shoe has come out of position at either end, it might allow the shaft to rotate past the flats.

4) If the lever is not on the correct position on the spline, it may allow the cable to bottom in the end fitting and bind inside the cable.

A good strip, clean, lube and careful reassembly should solve the problem. Good luck and let us know what you find.

Stripped the front brake out today,gave the drum and shoes

a rub down with emery paper(a wee bit rusty),cleaned and

lubed the pivot.Put it back together and centralized the shoes.

Rode it round the garden and no lock ups will see how it goes

on Boxing day.

cheers the noo Brian

Quick update on the front brake.Worked a treat,no problems,great

trial yesterday the auld TY went well.Thanks for all the advice.

cheers the noo Brian

Glad to hear that. Ride on!