Can't find the original thread anywhere after searching for it, so I am reposting, I thought it used to be a sticky here. I think this is a good thread to have around.

If someone finds the original we can sticky it and get rid of this one.



This was originally posted by Fab5fiddy.

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Fiddy F.A.Q. Brake Fix
2000 - 2005 XR/CRF50
By Fab5Fiddy

Fix your brakes for FREE!!

Well, I figured it out. It took me about an hour of staring at my rear brake assembly and drinkin a few, but I got it damnit.

In my opinion, its a design flaw by Honda that has been goin on since the first 50 was made. What we have now would work great if we were trying to stop a bike that was goin in reverse at 35 mph. But that isnt the case is it?

I'll try to explain this as simple as I can. It may be hard to imagine or comprehend at first, but You will understand when all is said and done. Look in the pic at the part labled "brake cam". Look at the direction that it turns and applies force to the brake shoes. The bottom brake shoe is getting pushed toward the drum faster than the top one due to the fact that the cam is pushing on it closer to the area marked "pivot point". It may only be a half inch you say.... well a half inch is enough to screw it all up. This would work sweet if the wheel was spinning the opposite direction because the shoe that is being forced into the drum first is opposing it.

Now what we want to do is change the way that all works and force the top shoe into the drum first (since we are going forward). To achieve this, all you have to do is grind a small amount of material off the bottom shoe (marked in the pic) so it will take longer for it reach the drum. The shoes are interchangable top to bottom so make sure u put the shoe with the most meat on it up top.

Let me know your results. If it still aint great just take a little more material off the bottom shoe. This works. I promise!

 

awesome fix

fab5 is god

 

i'm gonna do it..... eventually

 

so all i have to do is grind the bottom pad down right?

 

thats pretty sweet

 

someone should sticky this

 

not the pad itself - the flat piece of metal on the pad that the cam pivots on ... just make sure the pad with less thickness is on the bottom if it isnt then you will have to sand some of the pad down

 

sweet...im going to try it...how much ya recommend grinding off?

 

My rear brakes are sticking, will this correct that? I noticed that to get them to unstick just stop the bike or roll it backwards.

 

Also i put new pads in hoping that would fix it. Do i have to grind the new lower pad?

 

when my buddy helped me out with my brakes, he showed me the dirt and **** all around the cam. he also take some off the top of the pads.

make sure your cam is nice and clean and doesn't have **** all over it.

 

i shaved the flat spot and a little off the pad...my brakes are fukking ludacris now.......fab is the man

 

did you do the brake mod?

the only reason to grind the pad itself is if it is thicker than the top one - the other option is to just switch the pads around so the thicker is on top

 

make sure averything is very clean also you can ruff up the brake drum with a fine grit sandpaper too that helps ....

also after you clean brakes make sure to put a little bit of lube back on both sides of the cam - i use like packing grease the same stuff i put in the forks(not fork oil)

 

Nah i replaced the pads about two weeks ago. Imma try that the grinding and cleaning tomorrow at work. Ill post back to let yall know how it comes out.

 

thats hot! Im gonna try that!

 

stuck

 

Ahhhh im trying to do it now but i dunno... So we grind down where it says "use thinner shoe here" or we grind down where it says "grind this area down"????? Where the brake cam touches or the actual shoe?????

 

where the brake cam touches

 

OK I tried grinding mine , and I couldn't see much difference on the results... how much do you have to grind?