Rear drum brakes

[eddtheduck]

Firstly I would like to say hello to everybody out there, I'm hoping that somebody will be able to give me some advise???

The trike I have is a Suzuki GS850 on a T reg.

Its taken me about 12 months to get to the stage off sorting the rear brakes out.

The axle is off a Reliant and still has drum brakes.

I bought the trike as a on going project but after unsuccessfully trying to sort the bodge the previous owner had done with the swinging arm conversion i decided to start from scratch and totally prefab another back end ( I will post some picture's in a couple off day's)

Back to the brakes the issue's i have are as follows:

I replaced the shoe's and slave cylinder's on both sides as there was a slight fluid leak as well as new conifer brake pipe as the original pipe was a total bodge.

On the axle i have i noticed that the slave cylinder's float( move up/down)
If i adjust/move the cylinder all the way up the brake is fine it bleeds fine and works for about 5 minute's then after the cylinder moves back down and there is now feel on the peddle.

I think that someone has swapped the brakes from one side to the other to compensate for over braking but i could do with a picture to check that everything is his how it should be.

I'm hoping that my explanation is not to confusing if required i will try and post a picture off how the brakes are so someone might be able to help.

[dbj]

ok i'll try and answer this one although SHAUN probably knows more

normal rule of thumb when building is to turn the reliant axle over so the filler plug is on the right hand side (looking forward) then pull the halfshaft out and swop the brakes and backplates over so you are not left with trailing shoe brakes and mount to the trike.

in which case the pic at the top of this post

http://www.trikedoctor.co.uk/f.....amp;page=3

should be the answer

oh for anyone left with brakes that still don't cut it

your levers should manage at least a 6:1 ratio to be effective