It goes without saying that if your ATV’s brakes aren’t doing their job, you’re going to have a bad time. The symptoms of brake issues are all too apparent when they rear their ugly head, but it’s not always so clear exactly where the issue in the brake system lies.
Whether your brakes are grinding, dragging, skipping, or feeling mushy, there’s a fix for it. It’s up to you to diagnose the correct issue and make the prescribed repairs.
Before you rip apart your brake system, first check that the area is clean. You should be cleaning your ATV periodically as part of your ongoing vehicle maintenance. Check that the wheels are properly centered, as a misaligned wheel will rub along brake pads, wearing them down prematurely.
If your four-wheeler’s brakes have suddenly locked up completely, it can be a massive pain if you’re miles from the shop. In this case, the brake cable is our most likely culprit. Brake cables are made of braided steel wrapped in a protective rubber casing. Older cables can accumulate rust, which causes the brake cable to stick, leaving you in a tough predicament.
A spray lubricant like WD40 will often be enough to free up your brakes. You’ll need to pull back the rubber casing that’s covering the cable and place the WD40 straw underneath the rubber. Spray the lubricant down into the rubber casing. Do this for both ends of the cable, then pump the lever several times till the brakes are free.
Image from www.boostatv.com
ATVs with hydraulic braking systems require the use of brake fluid. Just like with a car, you need to change this brake fluid from time to time (check your manual) for it to keep working at full capacity. You can squeeze the fluid out of your brake fluid reservoir to check—it should be relatively clear and certainly not brown or black.
To replace the brake fluid, you add new fluid to the reservoir and open the bleeder valve on all brake calipers.
Place a container under each caliper, as the old fluid will begin seeping out. Once the color of the seeping liquid turns clear, you can tighten the bleeder valve and fill up the brake fluid reservoir again.
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When you want to slow down, the brake caliper squeezes the brake pads against the brake rotor. So, it also comes to bear that the brake rotor can wear down over time. You can check this by using a micrometer to measure the rotor’s thickness. Your ATV’s service manual will specify appropriate thickness measurements.
Image from www.boostatv.com
If your brakes feel inconsistent, with a squishy, lumpy, or mushy feeling, there’s a chance that dirt or air bubbles are in the brake line. This can happen after you change brake components.
To bleed the brakes, you’ll need to loosen the drainage nipple on the brake caliper and drain the brake fluid until the air or dirt is dispelled.
Image from www.can-amforum.com
Many symptoms come from worn brake pads, and squealing brakes are one of the most noticeable. Unless your brake pads are new, grinding noises when you depress the brake certainly point to the brake pads.
If you have this issue with new brake pads, are you sure you’ve installed the right brake pads for your ATV? Brake pad installation should be simple. The wrong brake pads are arguably worse than worn brake pads.
Replacing brake pads is quite easy. Most new ATVs have hydraulic disk brakes. Remove the tire and wheel while the ATV is off the ground. Unbolt the caliper with a socket set. Take out the old brake pads by suppressing the pins in vice grips.
Now, compress the caliper piston with a c-clamp. Insert the new brake pads back on the caliper pins like the old pads were installed. Re-bolt the caliper and put the wheel and tire back on the vehicle.
We recommend bleeding your brake lines after replacing the brake pads.
This ensures there are no air pockets and your new brake pads will work at 100% efficiency. Now it’s time to check your brakes to ensure your replacement has been a complete success.
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Product Description
Race-Driven control cables are made to meet or exceed OEM and other aftermarket specifications. We offer brake cables, throttle cables, and clutch cables for many models of ATVs and more to come.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Over time, dirt collects in the cables, water begins to seep in, and they become worn.
If you want to make repairs, you do not need to wait for the breakdown of any part. Replacing cables is a good thing, repairs are done once a year, or more often if you ride a lot. After replacing the cables, the difference becomes very noticeable. Braking will be smooth and efficient. You can repair the cables before the general repair of the bike. nine0003
This manual is specifically for changing the brake cable on the handlebar. The process is very similar to other types of brake lever, only the access to the cable is really changed. Variability will depend on the manufacturer, and information is often available on websites, so it is very easy to replace the cable with a little intuition to the instructions.
Replacement requires a new brake cable. It is necessary to check if there is a nipple at the end of the brake cable. This will depend on the type of brake. You will also need an outer sheath (also known as a cable housing) if you need to replace it, as well as metal ferrules, a tip cap (often included), and wire cutters.
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Use only professional wire cutters. If there are none, you should contact your nearest bike shop to cut the cable to the right size according to the instructions.
Before removing the brake cable, pay attention to the current thread of the bike. Variability will depend on the type and brand of bike. If the owner of the bike does not have a very good memory, then you need to take a picture of the thread, and then replace it. Using a hex wrench, it is very easy to unscrew the clamp screw that holds the cable. nine0017
Turn the gate as far as it will go so that the cable can be easily pulled out. Then give the brake lever a good pull so that you have access to the place where the cable nipple passes. Pull out the old cable with all the details preserved.
Check the outer case to make sure there are no defects. If there are defects, or the case is too old, then it must be replaced, if not, then it can be used. If a new outer casing is used, it must be given the same length as the old casing.
If a spare body is not yet available, the required length must be determined. This can be difficult, so in this case it is worth contacting specialists. nine0003
If the outer casing is too long, the braking will not be effective. You need to use good quality wire cutters, make sure that the outside is cut. When reducing the length of the new housing, you need to clean the hole. This is where a screwdriver comes in handy. After replacing the body, it is necessary to attach metal tips to the end. It is necessary to attach the tip to the brake device, taking into account the type of bicycle. To improve performance, you need to slightly lubricate the tips.
If two types of nipple are included with the purchase of a new brake cable, choose the one that matches the old one. Then lubricate the cable with a thin layer using your fingers or a piece of cloth. This is done in order to prevent rust, you need very little lubrication. It remains to thread the cable through the outer case.
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Next, connect the cable to the brake lever, starting at the nipple. To do this, pull the lever and insert the nipple into the socket. Pass the cable through the brake lever and through the adjuster hole. Then turn the adjuster so that the cable does not move. Slide the outer shell into the regulator hole. On the other side of the cable, attach the metal tip back. In addition, the rubber also needs to be returned back. You have to start from the bigger side.
Thread the bolt through the cable clamp and tighten well to secure in one position. Squeeze on the handbrake that secures it. Then you can perform any other actions by loosening the bolt or, conversely, tightening it. nine0003
Now it's time to test your new cables by pulling the lever down sharply twice. When you press the brake lever, the brakes should fully apply. If this does not happen, you need to adjust the clamp bolt on the cable by slightly tightening or, conversely, lowering the cable. It is better to start completely with the configuration of the case.
Loosen the cable a little, because when driving, the cable is pulled and the brake pads wear out.
Double check that all bolts are tight and cable ends are tucked away. If there is an extra cable, then with the help of wire cutters you can cut off 5-10 cm for the next repair. After that, cover the cable with a cover that prevents the wires from separating, which must be secured by pressing down on the open edge. To make sure everything is working properly, you need to check how the brakes work several times. nine0003
New cables stretch a little when used, so the first bicycle repair after cable replacement is almost always free of charge. If after a few weeks the brakes begin to work poorly, the bike owner can adjust them as he likes: tightening them or loosening them, it all depends on his preference.
Related: Types of bicycle brakes
08/26/2016
In recent years trailers with brakes have become increasingly popular in Russia.
However, many both potential and current owners of brake trailers are only aware of the brakes on a trailer in general terms. In this article, we tried to analyze in sufficient detail the device of the trailer brake system.
Trailer MZSA 831132.111 with a gross weight of 1300 kg and a brake system
For cargo trailers with a gross weight of more than 3.5 tons, the installation of an air brake system on the trailer and truck is required, it will not be considered in this article.
For trailers with a gross weight of up to 3500 kg, two types of brake systems for trailers are commercially produced in the world: inertial and non-inertial electro-hydraulic. In a non-inertial electro-hydraulic braking system, the brakes are controlled by a special electronic device on the trailer, which receives signals from a control device installed on the vehicle. Such a system is expensive, non-repairable in domestic conditions, and most importantly, will not work without installing additional equipment on the tractor.
Outside the United States, this brake system has not received wide distribution, so we will not consider its device either, but we will analyze the device of the most popular mechanical inertial brake system. nine0003
The advantages of a mechanical inertial system are simplicity, reliability, maintainability, low cost, no requirements for a towing vehicle, and most importantly, high efficiency. Due to the combination of these qualities, it was she who received the greatest distribution in the world. Such a braking system is installed on almost all Russian and European (and trailers without a brake in Europe are only 30%) trailers with a brake. It is called inertial because it is the inertia of the trailer movement fixed by the overrun brake that “turns on” the brakes on the trailer. In Russia, trailers with inertial mechanical brake systems manufactured by AL-KO and Autoflex-Knott are the most common. Less often you can find components from BPW, Peitz and others. nine0003
In addition to mechanical inertial braking systems, there are also hydraulic inertial ones.
The hydraulic inertial braking system is similar to the mechanical one, but the overrun brake acts on the main hydraulic cylinder instead of traction - further, as on cars.
The mechanical inertia brake system of a trailer consists of three main parts:
When the vehicle brakes, a pushing force acts on the towbar ball. In other words, the trailer pushes the braking vehicle forward. Upon reaching the threshold of sensitivity to this "pushing force", the overrun brake rod, on which the trailer's locking device is fixed, rests against a special transmission lever, pulling the brake rod fixed to the other end of the lever. Brake traction through the equalizer and brake cables actuates the brake shoes in the drums. nine0003
Schematically, the principle of operation of the braking system with an overrun brake can be depicted as follows:
Overrun brake mechanism (MTN) or simply “overrun brake” is a device that controls trailer braking.
Overrun brake mechanism AL-KO 251S
Main parts of the overrun brake mechanism:
Often on trailers with a brake system, instead of a conventional locking device, a stabilizer locking device is installed. When using the locking device-stabilizer, the ball of your towbar must be absolutely free of grease, otherwise the friction linings of the locking device-stabilizer stop working and require cleaning with fine sandpaper. The locking device for trailers without a brake is attached to the drawbar, and in a trailer with a brake it is attached to the overrun brake rod. nine0003
2. Stem (also sometimes called tubular pushrod, round overrunning tongue, and sometimes even plunger) is a round steel tube that runs inside the overrunning brake body. At the front, a locking device and a shock absorber are attached to it, at the back, the rod, when braking, rolls onto the transfer lever. The TN body has a stroke limiter, because when the road train moves forward, the rod rests against the limiter and pulls the trailer behind it.
Some MTN models, designed for a large gross weight of the trailer, also have a damper ring on the rear of the stem, which softens the shock of the stem against the limiter. In most MTN there is no damper ring, and its role is played by the rear sliding sleeve (more on MTH bushings below). The back of the stem of modern MTN is a steel square plate, welded to the pipe in a special way. It is this square plate that, when the trailer moves forward, rests against the rear bushing, and that, in turn, rests against the protrusions of the MTN body. The rod needs regular lubrication (both manually under the corrugation, and by squirting with a plunger syringe or supercharger through special valves (grease fittings, grease fittings) on top of the HP body. Lack of care for the rod leads to its corrosion and repair or replacement. This is the most expensive part in MTN, except for its body.
3. Overrun damper - compensates for the inertial force acting on the rod. Its task is to regulate the braking force and smoothly stop the braking process by pushing the rod to its original position before braking.
The shock absorber is attached in front to the rod and the locking device, in the back to the overrun brake housing. If you begin to feel jerks when starting off, then it is the overrun brake shock absorber that is not working. Bumps while braking can also indicate a bad shock absorber, although in most cases this indicates an unadjusted trailer brake system. The shock absorber has a certain resource, which is reduced in case of frequent hard braking, driving on hilly terrain, overloading the trailer, and also, above all, from driving a trailer with unadjusted brakes (similarly, in this case, the bushings wear out quickly). Therefore, if you feel bumps when braking, go to the service - regular trailer maintenance is cheaper than repairs. nine0003
4. Transfer lever (sometimes called a rocker arm) is the link between the overrun brake mechanism and the brake rod. Converts rod pushing into brake rod pulling. The fastening part of the brake rod itself (it can be of different diameters) is made in the form of a separate earring and is hung on the gear lever.
The lever needs lubrication of its axis and on modern overrun brakes it has a grease fitting for injection. For any lever, there is a gear ratio (gear ratio) that determines in what proportion the force of the trailer rolling onto the car turns into the force of pulling the brake cables. Therefore, any overrun brake is selected based on the type of trailer wheel brake, this ensures efficient and smooth braking. nine0003
5. Housing - the body of the overrun brake, a "blank" made of strong steel or cast iron, to which the rest of the MTN parts are attached. On old overrun brake mechanisms, you can find a hole on the body for blocking the brake when reversing. Modern brake systems have been using automatic reverse blocking for many years, provided by a special design of wheel brakes, so there is no such hole on the body of modern MTN. On the MTN body, you can also notice two grease fittings for lubricating the contact point of the stem and bushings. nine0003
6. Safety rope - turns on the emergency braking of the trailer (pulls the handbrake) in the event of a road train disengaging.
It is also sometimes called an emergency tether. It is attached to the hand brake in its lower part. It clings to the car with a carabiner by the eye of the towbar or a loop around the ball.
7. Rubber bellows (also sometimes referred to as bellows, boot or stuffing box) protect the stem from dust, water, and lubricant washout on the stem (ultimately from corrosion). It is necessary to monitor the integrity of the corrugation and its fastening on the locking device and the body. nine0003
8. Handbrake ("handbrake") in the parking lot allows you to manually change the position of the transmission lever, thereby blocking the wheels. Used to park a trailer. Attaches to the transfer lever. In the most advanced versions, the MTH has a shock absorber, the task of which is to help you raise the handlebar to its maximum height (to achieve maximum braking efficiency). The serviceability of this shock absorber is especially important in the event of an emergency release of the road train.
Driving with the handbrake up (wheels locked) is unacceptable and leads to wear and overheating of tires, brake pads and drums. nine0003
9. Spring-loaded energy accumulator (or simply a spring cylinder) - a compression spring in a cylindrical capsule (glass), through which the brake rod passes through, resting against the spring in front with a washer and nuts. At the back, the body of the energy accumulator rests against a special bracket connected to the hand brake gear. When the brake rod is moving, the spring energy accumulator is not involved in any way, it does not participate in the working brake system of the trailer. The spring energy accumulator is the antagonist of the handbrake shock absorber, and its task is to help you overcome the shock absorber force and fully lower the handbrake. When the handbrake is raised, under the action of your force and the handbrake shock absorber, the spring is compressed, and when the handbrake is lowered, it is unclenched. The spring energy accumulator can mainly be found on overrun brakes for trailers of large gross weight and very rarely.
On some MTNs, the spring is used without an outer casing and is attached differently. But in most cases, the spring on the MTN is not used in conjunction with the shock absorber, but instead of it - in this case, it simply performs the function of a shock absorber. nine0003
Of the MTN parts that are not visible in the diagram, fluoroplastic sliding bushings can be noted. They provide precise guidance and smooth stroke of the stem inside the MTH body. The increased stem play is usually associated with the wear of the bushings. After pressing the bushings into the overrun brake mechanism, it is necessary to drill two holes in the bushings for grease fittings. After installing the grease nipples, the bushings must be bored to the required size. To do this, in a specialized workshop, special expensive directional reamers are used to remove the necessary fractions of a millimeter in the corridor from two bushings. In domestic conditions, for boring, you can use a grinding petal radial wheel for a drill or a round file, which treat the bushings much less carefully.
When working with a household tool with a large difference between the diameter of the rod and the size of the sleeve, it is worth starting the boring of the sleeves even before pressing. The result of the correct installation of the bushings should be the free movement of the stem inside the bushings in both directions, so any pressing or clogging of the stem into the bushings is excluded. The maximum allowable stem play inside the bushings for most MTNs is 3-5 mm (although some manuals indicate 1.5 mm). If the play is greater, the bushings must be replaced. nine0003
Attached to the overrun brake transfer lever, the brake rod is a long steel screw pin. At the rear, the brake rod is bolted to the brake cable equalizer (sometimes the equalizer is called a traverse or rocker arm). The brake cables are also fixed to the equalizer, and the cable jackets are fixed to a fixed (welded or bolted to the axle or to the trailer frame) brake cable mounting bracket.
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Brake link, equalizer, tip (black), brake cable mounting bracket, four brake cables , actuating the drum shoes in the wheel brakes. Equalizer design ensures uniform tension of all brake cables.
Check the condition of the brake cables! The cables should be easy to stretch and return to a free state. A cable that has ceased to easily return to a calm state or a cable with a damaged sheath must be replaced. Cables do not have a specific service life, it depends on the operating or storage conditions. Under extreme storage conditions (hello, Russian snowdrifts!) or in case of mechanical damage (hello, Russian off-road!) the cables fail. If you doubt whether the cable is in good condition, or you don’t know for sure when the cables were last changed, change them. If you think that the European owner of your used caravan was following the trailer properly, you are mistaken. The cables themselves are inexpensive, but the consequences of a blocked wheel as a result of jammed cables are many times more expensive.
The cables of modern trailers differ from each other only in length, i.e. if the cable length is long enough to connect the wheel brake to the brake cable bracket, then the cable is suitable. But keep in mind that AL-KO and Knott cables are not interchangeable, because manufacturers have made a different diameter of the cup that is put on the brake shield casings - the cable of the wrong manufacturer will either not fit on the casing, or will hang out. nine0003
Most trailers also have the following parts:
Brake rod holder. When the trailer is moving away from the brake rod, the brake rod can sway, causing the trailer to brake unnecessarily. The brake rod holder fixes the rod under the bottom of the trailer and prevents such rocking. In the upper left corner is an inset with an image of a brake rod end.
Brake rod end
The brake rod end (plastic guide) is a nut to which a smooth plastic pin is attached. At first glance, this may seem like an unnecessary detail.
However, if the brake link ends right behind the equalizer, the equalizer will sag under the weight of the link, and as a result, the trailer will slow down. If the brake rod were longer and ended behind the brake cable mounting bracket, the thread of the brake rod would cling to the bracket and prevent braking and stopping braking, and subsequently would wipe both the cable mounting bracket and the rod itself:
Worn cable bracket
Worn link
Brake cable holders. They fasten the brake cables to the axle, serve to protect the brake cables from damage, and also ensure the absence of sagging, prevent the accumulation of moisture (and therefore corrosion and freezing) in the cables. Sometimes ordinary cable ties are used instead of holders.
Rubber axis of the trailer, equipped with wheel brakes, with fixed brake cables and welded brake cable brake cables
The brake shield and a drum to the rubber axis 9000 9000
Wheel brands were evolved for a long time.
We will look at the currently most common types of wheel brakes from AL-KO and Knott-Autoflex with automatic disengagement of the brakes when moving backwards, but without automatic clearance adjustment. nine0003
The wheel brake consists of a brake shield, a brake drum combined with a hub, two brake shoes, an expanding lock (sometimes called a spacer lock), an adjusting mechanism, a free return lever, as well as springs, plugs, a casing and a brake cable end.
The brake shield is a strong metal disc. It is bolted or welded to the axle and does not rotate. Pads and mechanisms are attached to it, and an axle trunnion passes through it, on which a rotating brake drum-hub is put on. nine0003
The brake shield has two round openings (windows) closed with plastic plugs. In the control (viewing) window, you can see the wear of the brake pads (pads with a friction lining less than 2 mm must be replaced), and the adjusting window gives access to the adjusting mechanism, with which you can adjust the contact force of the brake pads with the brake drum.
An arrow is stamped next to the adjustment window, showing the direction in which the adjustment mechanism must be turned in order to reduce the gap between the drum and the shoes. nine0003
Outer side of AL-KO brake shield. Top left plugs: close to the edge of the brake pad wear window plug, closer to the center is the adjustment window plug. In the center is a hole for the trunnion and 4 bolts for attaching the axle to the shield. On the sides of the plate and the ends of the springs holding the brake pads. Bottom cover for brake cable.
The brake cable enters the wheel brake through a special brake casing and is attached with the help of a tip to the expansion joint. When pulling the brake cable, the hinge presses the brake shoes to the drum, the trailer brakes. The adjustment mechanism allows you to increase the distance between the pads, thereby increasing the force of contact between worn pads and the brake drum. nine0003
Inner side of the AL-KO panel.
On top of the free return lever and the adjustment mechanism. Brake cable mount and expander hinge at the bottom.
Basic parts of the AL-KO wheel brake
Please note! Using the adjustment mechanism alone is not enough to properly set the brakes - the brake rod and brake cables on the equalizer also need to be adjusted. It is also necessary to monitor the presence and condition of the plugs - the loss of plugs leads to contamination of the wheel brake. Like brake pads, all springs have their own resource, therefore they must be replaced, the reverse lever and the expander (expanding hinge, expansion lock) need to be lubricated. Untimely replacement of springs, as well as lack of maintenance of the wheel brake, leads to breakdown of the wheel brake. nine0003
Knott's wheel brake is similar. The main difference compared to the AL-KO wheel brake is in the form of an adjusting mechanism. Here it is a bolt, wedge nut and two wedges. When the adjusting bolt rotates from the outside of the brake shield, the wedge nut approaches the brake shield, pushing the adjusting wedges apart.
The second important difference is that the free reverse lever is not made as a separate part, but is part of the brake shoe. nine0003
The inner side of the Knott 9000
main components of the KNOTT
Rnot Moving on the Brake with a Brake 9000
when a car with a rear traffic canal is moved. into the gear lever, the rod pulls the brake cables, the pads block the drum. Rotating together with the drum, the front brake shoe rests against the free reverse lever, “pushing” it inward. The front shoe, together with the reverse lever, goes deep into the drum, minimizing both its own friction and the spreading force on the rear shoe. Thus, the friction force of both pads on the drum becomes minimal and no braking occurs, although the brake cables are still taut and the expander joint is fully unclenched. nine0003
If the trailer began to slow down when reversing, most likely the reason was that the wheel brake was not normally serviced and the reverse gear lever soured.
