Coaster Brake Replacement

The Raleigh PUB's Joy Tech coaster brake that I rebuilt last August locked up while Ilsa and I were out running/riding this morning. I decided to just replace it with a new Sturmey Archer unit.

I would have liked to install a Bendix coaster brake, I understand they are as tough as steel. Unfortunately, I do not know of a source. If you need to lace a coaster brake or any other hub into a bicycle wheel, Sheldon Brown has published excellent instructions.

Bicycle Repair Man

Busted Cable

I dropped the commuter bike, and the rear straddle cable was cut between the bellcrank and some railroad ballast. The rest of the bike, including the derailleur, fared fine.

Rather than have the cable at it's bitter end after cutting away the frayed section, I decided to replace it. I rode the commuter bike to the local bicycle emporium, and rolled it inside. As it sat there among the shiny new Treks, Electras and Raleighs, I asked if they had the needed cable in stock.

I was surprised to learn they did indeed stock the piece. I had thought it would be an obsolete part that would require ordering. For three bucks, I was back on the road, headed for home with a replacement clipped in the basket. Ten minutes of wrenching, and I had the new cable on the bike, the cut end soldered, and the brakes adjusted. I will have to be more careful next time I lay the bike down.

Coaster Brake Rebuild/Repair

I was up until three AM last night rebuilding the rear hub/coaster brake on the Raleigh PUB. The house is quieter, allowing me to think things through at that hour. Since the rear wheel was perfectly true, I did not want to remove the hub and then have to lace it up again. I decided to rebuild the hub inside the wheel.

I followed Steve Litt's disassembly instructions, cleaned the parts in brake cleaner, and did my troubleshooting. The first problem was, of course, to determine just how the hub/coaster brake worked, then I could determine why the problem existed.

The problem was the right side of the clutch was rubbing on the load bearing surface of the hub itself. Indeed, at some point, an imprint of the clutch's ridges was cut into the hub's load bearing surface. Thus, the loud ratchet type chattering that would go away if I moved the pedals back just a bit after pedaling.

Removing the imprint of the ridges from the hub's interior load bearing surface would be a challenge. I needed to determine the purpose of the ridges in the clutch. They appeared to be for one or two reasons........ To help the mating surfaces shed grit, grease and other impurities, and perhaps for cooling. The cooling was likely out, as friction would not occur on a positive mating surface.

Because the ridges on the hub's load bearing surface were so difficult to get to, I resolved to split the difference, decreasing the ridges on both the hub and the clutch. I used my Dremel with a slap wheel and slowly worked over the load bearing surface of the hub. Then I turned my attention to the clutch with a file and polishing wheel. I reassembled the hub inside the wheel several times, and spun it on the axle to determine if I had enough metal removed. After the third try, the noise was gone. I disassembled the hub one last time, cleaned and regreased and reassembled it, and installed the rear wheel on the bike. I spun it and braked to with the bike upside down, and everything seemed good. Tired, I went to sleep.

This morning, I woke up ready to test my work. Ilsa looked mournfully though the fence at me as I rolled the long brown Raleigh off the front porch. This was her bike to run alongside, and she knew I was going alone. After working over the brake, I needed to know for certain it was functional. I pedaled about five miles on the PUB, gingerly testing the brake as I proceeded. Finally I worked myself up to a full panic stop with a sideways skid. The brake worked fine. The chattering in my hub was gone.

I pedaled back home, leashed up my riding partner, and we spent the morning riding the neighborhood with no sound but chirping birds, humming tires, padding feet, panting tongues, jingling tags, and the envious barking of less fortunate dogs behind fences along the way.

Failing Coaster Brake

The coaster brake on the Raleigh PUB is beginning to give me trouble after one year. Excessive slack and clattering. At first, I thought I was dealing with a loose chain, but after further troubleshooting, it definitely seems to be the hub.

The PUB came with a 36 spoke Joytech coaster brake hub. I've never heard of the brand, but it certainly sounds Taiwanese. If I'm going to replace it, it will be with something much stronger. So, I'm in the market for a Bendix red band coaster brake. I thought for a while about a two or three speed Sturmey Archer hub, but I want to keep things simple and bulletproof.

Overhauling a coaster brake

Crank Popping

I took the Armstrong out for a sixty minute ride this morning. It has developed a minor pop coming from the bottom bracket on the left side. It doesn't seem to be the track pedals that I added. The cotters are tight.

I wonder if the shaft and the crank arms are not fitting properly. I retained the previous Raleigh shaft when I put on the Rudge crank arms, and there may be a small difference in diameter. I may end up swapping the shafts between the Raleigh Super Course and the Armstrong today. At any rate, I'm planning on removing the bottom bracket for an inspection. Hopefully it's just a bad ball bearing. I won't figure it out by speculating though. Time to break out the spanner wrench.