front brake shoes on /5

Hi
Looking for better front brakes on both my /5's. cleaned the old ones and made sure the moving parts were moving.
any other tips or suppliers so the brakes work better?
Now they Howl at slow speed and then grab once in a while. I fear some day they will lock up and the bike is going to come out from under me.
Thanks in advance
Brian
9842

Can they be re-lined

I got some new brake linings & rivets from Bench Mark Works and relined my /2 shoes front and rear. Give Vech a jingle and see if he's got what you need or can do it for you.

The first thing I would ask is if you have the brake arms "clocked" correctly. BIG difference in performance when they are. I'd argue that the /5's drum brakes are/were superior to the early disc brakes on the /6, et.al.

Good reading: http://www.bmwscotter.org/procedures/procedures.htm

Howling at low speed? Is the drum surface glazed?

Standard operating procedure for me has always been to "drag" the front brakes lightly for about a block first thing in the morning. Sure helps with the grabby thing.

edit - and you might check this out... http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?t=45492&highlight=/5+brakes

Brakes

Hi
Thanks Guys, i'll check and see if anything is wearing unevenly and then find out where to get them relined.
Thanks
Again
Brian

Some more reading regarding BMW front brake shoes: BMW Scotter's Brake Shoe Test

Of interest from the article, since you're interested in re-lining, is the following quote:

The diameter of the hub and the diameter of the shoes should match for the best braking. This is the purpose of "arcing" drums and shoes. However, BMW dealers don't arc brake shoes anymore (no one except racers re-line shoes anymore either). The conventional brake arching machines themselves are illegal in many states.

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I don't know if it's true that only racers re-line their brakes anymore. I do know that it seemed like quite an expensive proposition when I looked into it having it done by folks who specialize in BMW brakes. A new set of shoes was cheaper by far. Hucky's sells a pair of OEM shoes for $180, and an aftermarket pair for $75.

michaelc said:

Some more reading regarding BMW front brake shoes: BMW Scotter's Brake Shoe Test

Of interest from the article, since you're interested in re-lining, is the following quote:

I don't know if it's true that only racers re-line their brakes anymore. I do know that it seemed like quite an expensive proposition when I looked into it having it done by folks who specialize in BMW brakes. A new set of shoes was cheaper by far. Hucky's sells a pair of OEM shoes for $180, and an aftermarket pair for $75.

Click to expand...

I use 90% OEM parts on my bikes but spending $180 + sh for a pair of brake shoes is nuts!

There are several ways to have your shoes relined and despite rumors to the contrary, theres nothing magic about BMW's lining material. A few decades ago the common practice was to take your shoes to whoever relines brake shoes for fork lifts and ask for their "medium: linings. This should still be possible and last I checked, the average cost was about $25 per set. I'm sure that a "BMW" dealer would charge a lot more more but thats why I get my work done elsewhere.

You might check with "Vintage Brake". Those guys build, sell and service brakes for vintage bike racers and they can probably offer you a choice of several different linings. They're real experts but you'd still probably want the mediums.

Theres an outfit that advertises in the ABC's "Airmail": National Brake Service in San Diego, CA. They'll reline both shoes for $25.00 + SH Call 619-233-6296 and ask for Dave. I've never used them but since they advertise in an Airhead rag, I'd expect them to be reliable so I'll be giving em a shot.

I've used EBC linings almost forever with good results but one of the most knowledgeable guys I've met, recommended my having my OEM shoes relined so thats what I'm going to do from now on.

Lastly, when you get your shoes back, check the arching, clean the brake hub throughly using a gray Scotch Bright pad and then make sure that the brake system is correctly assembled, lubed and adjusted. A /5 front brake should not be grabbing on dry pavement. OTOH, on a wet road they can easily put you on your head!

Good luck!