[2003-honda-recon]

ok i have a 2003 honda recon. i just got it recently and i noticed something wrong with the rear brakes, the front works fine.
this is my issues:
-they hardly work, but they do stop me slowly
-whenever i press the hand brake or the foot brake, the back brakes stick (like i have to reach back and pull the tensior on the back, back some more to free it up) its like it does have enough tension or something.
-my emergency brake still works if that is a question someone has
- oh and the guy said he did look at the brakes a while back because i think he said something about water getting inside the case? what could be the problem?

if anyone needs anymoe info or has a question i can try to answer them

i wanna fix this because i plan on some steep hills and trail riding and it stinks without back brakes that function correctly...

 

[Helmut]

Welcome to the forums. If the back brakes are sticking, the shoes probably need replacing. Either that or they're full of mud. When the shoes get worn down to a certain point, the cam that actuates the brake shoes turns too far and the brakes can't automatically return.

 

[2003-honda-recon]

ok, so i would need to examine the brake shoes to determine if they are worn? the guy i bought it off of said they had plenty of life left to them? what harm would the water do to it? about it not returning, what do you mean turn to far?

what happens is i press the brakes in, and they can return but its like they do not have enough tension from that metal spring that pulls the lines back?

 

[2003-honda-recon]

oh and thanks for the welcome!!! and fast response!!! haha

 

[2003-honda-recon]

oh and exactly how would i get mud inside the rear brakes?? lol sorry if its a dumb question it just looks pretty solid back there?

sorry for all the posts lol i am just antsy to get this fixed and random questions keep coming up...

 

[Helmut]

the guy i bought it off of said they had plenty of life left to them?

For some reason, when Honda drum brakes are worn down enough for them to not function correctly, there will still be nearly half the pad on them.

what harm would the water do to it? about it not returning, what do you mean turn to far?

If mud and water gets inside the brake assembly, it will cause the brake shoes to wear out quickly. It can also cause the the brake cam that actuates the shoes to not turn freely.

When I said the cam turns too far, I meant that when the brake shoes get worn to a certain point, the brake cam has to turn further to open the shoes out against the brake drum. The picture below shows brake shoes with the brake cam in the "off" position (no brakes applied). When you apply the brakes the cam has to turn and that pushes the brake shoes outward against the drum. If the brake cam has to turn too far, it will just be locked sideways in between the ends of the brake shoes and the brake shoes won't be able to return to the closed position. The red arrow indicates the position the brake cam will be facing if the cam turns too far. The brake cam will be turned 90 degrees from where it is in the picture, thus locking the brake shoes open.

what happens is i press the brakes in, and they can return but its like they do not have enough tension from that metal spring that pulls the lines back?

Yep, that's how they do when the brake shoes are worn out or full of mud or both.

oh and exactly how would i get mud inside the rear brakes?? lol sorry if its a dumb question it just looks pretty solid back there?

Yeah, it looks like mud and water couldn't get in, but it can. It goes by the seals. If you don't ride in a lot of mud and water, it's not too bad, but if you ride in a lot of mud and water, it's hard to keep it out.

 

[2003-honda-recon]

ok so from what i got from your wonderful explaination, haha, is that i need to take my wheel off and all to look at the brake cam to see if it is horizontal like it is suppose to be or vertical like its not suppose to be, then check brake pads to see if they are worn? and clean out the mud or whatever is in there, put back together and it should engage and pull itself back like it is suppose to? lol and i guess to be sure that the brake cam can spin freely and not have anything holding it back...

my next question is: ok so IF the brake cam is stuck vertical(bad) then wouldn't my brakes not work at all? because they do a little or does that matter any?


thanks for the help again man!

edit: oh and should i greese anything while its off? (to help free it up and let it pull itself back and work right??!!! lol

 

[Helmut]

The brake cam won't actually be stuck, it's just turning too much when you apply the brakes and getting stuck between the ends of the brake shoes. The brake lever on the back of the brake drum assembly is attached to the brake cam, so when it sticks and you pull backwards on that lever, you are unsticking it then. So when you pull the brake drum off, it will be in the position it's in, in the picture above.

I can already tell you, by your description of what it's doing, that the brake shoes need to be replaced. I don't know if it will have any mud and water inside or not, it depends on if it has been ridden in a lot of mud and water, but if it does have mud and water in it, just clean it out good. You already knew that anyway. LOL. I'm pretty sure the brake shoes being worn out is the problem. Remember, the brake shoes will probably still have a lot of pad left, but they'll still be worn too much. I think they designed them that way so you can't wear them all the way down to metal and destroy the brake drum.

As far as greasing, it's a good idea to unbolt the brake lever and pull the brake cam out and grease it. You might be able to get by without doing that, but if you don't do it, and the brakes still stick, then you will have to take the brake shoes back off and do it anyway. If you don't take the brake cam out and grease it, at least put a little grease on the flat sides of the cam where the brake shoes touch it. Just use a thin coat of grease, you don't want to get any grease on the brake shoes or they won't stop you.

 

[2003-honda-recon]

alrighty i will have to try to do this!! thank you and i will ask if i have anymore questions lol