Rear Drum Brake Assembly Lube?

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Dan1950

Dan1950

1974 MK II Roadster
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Getting ready to assemble the rear drum brake on my '74 MK II.

I have upgraded to RGM High Friction MZ Gold shoes.

What would be a good lubricant for the shoe pivot posts and the cam bearing surfaces?

I was thinking of using Never Seize.
 
I am yet to find a better Moly Paste than this one Suzuki branded. (fwiw)

Rear Drum Brake Assembly Lube?
 
EVERY auto parts store carries Moly grease. Ford Spec'd it. "Caterpillar spec" grease assures 5% moly, also prolific throughout the land.
The magic moly paste (all moto brands offer it for their shaft drive splines) is not at auto parts stores, but most moto shops.
I use this:
Rear Drum Brake Assembly Lube?
 
I may be overthinking this. I was concerned about heat, but on a rear brake that probably isn't a real issue.
 
IMHO its not so much about what you use.. but how little you need to apply that's important ... racing of commercial vehicle then specialised high temp greases do need to be used
 
Permatex or other disc brake caliper lubricant readily available at local auto parts stores works.

I seriously doubt you are going to need to worry about heat buildup.
 
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Schwany said:
Permatex or other disc brake caliper lubricant readily available at local auto parts stores works.

I seriously doubt you are going to need to worry about heat buildup.
Click to expand...
I picked up a small squeeze packet of disc brake caliper lube at AutoZone.
 
FOMOCO uses the above lube on every Ford and Lincoln motor vehicle they sell, including their line of F series pickups...nothing specialized about it.

There is no down side to protecting against high temperatures, like when a shoe gets hung up inside the drum at speed or standing on the rear brake for long periods of time on a long downhill. Or when the brake return spring decides not to release the shoes from biting into the drums...that can be a real circus too.

New shoes and pads always get hot after being installed, especially drum shoes, its part of the seating/seasoning process of new pads or shoes.
New shoes get hot enough to smoke and develop enough heat to make the drum paint bubble and cook, especially if initial adjustment is off after rebuild.

So, yeah, IMHO heat is a consideration when brake repairs or rebuilding are in order. ;)
 
Lineslinger said:
There is no down side to protecting against high temperatures, like when a shoe gets hung up inside the drum at speed or standing on the rear brake for long periods of time on a long downhill.
Click to expand...
Some have wondered why I am upgrading the rear drum brake when most of the stopping power is in the front. The above highlighted text is why. Using the rear brake to reduce speed on long downhills leaves the front brake for when real stopping power might be needed.
 
MexicoMike said:
Why not use engine braking and stay off the brakes completely for the long downhill?
Click to expand...
Increased wear and tear on the engine in extreme cases. Aggressive engine braking can put more stress on rod bearings than aggressive acceleration.
 
Interesting! I was taught/have always done the opposite; used engine braking in long descents to avoid overheating/fading/losing brakes. Maybe I've never kept a vehicle long enough to be aware of any damage to the engine! :)
 
MexicoMike said:
Why not use engine braking and stay off the brakes completely for the long downhill?
Click to expand...

Your point is a good one, I use both lower gearing/engine and braking on long snaky downhill runs as well as a lot of other situations.
I would wager a lot of members in here have at one time or another reached out to a drum or rotor and gotten bit because they didn't know how hot it was.

The simple point I advocate is that heat is an influential factor where brakes are concerned and a rebuild/repair should take that into account.

I'm going to start New Years celebration early and go get a beer...be well.
 
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Dan1950 said:
Increased wear and tear on the engine in extreme cases. Aggressive engine braking can put more stress on rod bearings than aggressive acceleration.
Click to expand...
How can that be?
The revs will be lower (I'm yet to hear 7000rpm engine braking - on the road, in case Al is listening) as well as the compression (carb slides are down).
Where does this "more stress" come from?

EDIT: In fact, as the crank centre-line on Nortons (750cc and up) is behind the centre-lines of the bores (giving higher pressure on the front of the bores during the power stroke) I believe engine braking will reduce that peak forward pressure.
 
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www.revzilla.com

Is engine braking bad for your motorcycle? - RevZilla

Is engine braking bad for your motorcycle engine? Read this article to learn how engine braking works and whether it's detrimental for your motor.
www.revzilla.com www.revzilla.com
"Is engine braking bad for your engine?
The short answer is no, not in the slightest, but I can see where the concern comes from. Engine braking causes the engine to rev up and sound strained, but unless you’ve downshifted to such a low gear that the bike is spinning up into the redline, no harm is being done.

However, there are issues that armchair experts and even Wikipedia like to talk about, so let’s apply some common sense and explain why they’re not legitimate concerns.... "

Plenty of similar advice on Google. I've always used engine braking without a problem, so far. Not saying there isn't something different about a Commando, be interested if there is.
 
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